“Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Luke 12:15

The answers to the question, ‘What was the rich man’s folly?’ are many and complex – and they still pervade human society. Preoccupation with possessions. Until God interrupts the fool’s self-congratulatory musings, there is nothing to the story, but the man and his possessions. When his materialistic life was laid bare before God, however, it was actually empty. His possessions possessed him. Security in self-sufficiency. The fool comes across as deluded, thinking he needs no one else. His wealth will take care of him. He feels no need of the security of family, friends, or community. He does not even need God. The grasp of greed. The fool’s deepest thoughts reveal no compulsion to use his wealth to help those in need. Greed has eaten away at any compassion he may once have had. The futility of pleasure-seeking. The fool’s dream is to spend his life gratifying his whims and pleasures. The greatest good he can imagine is his own self-indulgence.

Sadly, this attitude is only too common today, an approach to life which has been called ‘practical atheism.’ The rich fool, a first- century Jew, believed in the existence of God but, in practice, lived as if there were no God, particularly a God who might make demands of him. The rich fool’s dreams sound surprisingly like many people’s retirement plans! Among Australians, seventy percent believe God exists, whereas only seventeen percent actually attend a place of worship. Even practicing Christians can spend too much time and energy on their material lives and their future comfort and security. Sadly this attitude is the same as American and Korean Christians as well.

CLOSING PRAYER

Lord God, I pray for myself and for my church community, that you and your priorities would be the focus of our lives. May all that we are and do be set on bringing glory to you.

(Edited from Encounter with God)