Summary: In the Parable of the Rich Fool, in which a wealthy man responds to his bumper crop by enriching himself and neglecting to help anyone else, Jesus reiterates the power of wealth to corrupt our religious and moral values. This parable is one of several passages in the Gospel according to Luke in which greed and wealth lead people into idolatry. By devoting themselves to accumulation, comfort, and their own security, greedy people end up isolated from others and from the places in which God is active among the poor and needy. Their worlds grow small. Preachers who will put this challenging parable before congregations need to prepare themselves accordingly by applying courage, nuance, and forethought to their sermon preparations. Opportunities to identify rampant idolatry in our culture are too important to be taken lightly.
I wrote this article for those preparing to preach or hear sermons on Luke 12:13-21. It was originally a guest contribution to the “Dear Working Preacher” series. Read the full article at Working Preacher.
Poor Fool (Luke 12:13-21)
Summary: In the Parable of the Rich Fool, in which a wealthy man responds to his bumper crop by enriching himself and neglecting to help anyone else, Jesus reiterates the power of wealth to corrupt our religious and moral values. This parable is one of several passages in the Gospel according to Luke in which greed and wealth lead people into idolatry. By devoting themselves to accumulation, comfort, and their own security, greedy people end up isolated from others and from the places in which God is active among the poor and needy. Their worlds grow small. Preachers who will put this challenging parable before congregations need to prepare themselves accordingly by applying courage, nuance, and forethought to their sermon preparations. Opportunities to identify rampant idolatry in our culture are too important to be taken lightly.
I wrote this article for those preparing to preach or hear sermons on Luke 12:13-21. It was originally a guest contribution to the “Dear Working Preacher” series. Read the full article at Working Preacher.
Bible commentary: preachers & teachers workingpreacher.org commentary
courage foresight greed idolatry isolation janknegt money nuance parable rich fool sermon sermon preparation wealth