What does "fool" in Luke 12:20 reveal about God's view on earthly treasures? Setting in Luke 12:20 • Jesus tells a parable of a wealthy landowner whose fields have produced so abundantly that he resolves to tear down his barns and build bigger ones. • In his self-conversation he repeats “my crops… my barns… my grain,” revealing a heart wrapped around possessions. • Then comes God’s verdict: “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’ ” (Luke 12:20). The weight of the word “fool” • In Scripture “fool” does not refer to low intelligence but to moral and spiritual blindness (Psalm 14:1; Proverbs 1:7). • Calling the rich man “fool” shows God’s assessment that treasuring wealth while neglecting eternity is senseless. • The rebuke is immediate and personal—God Himself speaks, underscoring that His judgment of worldly hoarding is final and authoritative. What earthly treasures cannot do • They cannot secure life: “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath” (Proverbs 11:4). • They cannot guarantee tomorrow: “You do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life?” (James 4:14). • They cannot follow us past death: “For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it” (1 Timothy 6:7). • They cannot satisfy the soul: Ecclesiastes 2:11 describes accumulated wealth as “vanity and a chasing after the wind.” What God values instead • Treasures in heaven: “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:20-21). • Generosity toward others: Luke 12:33 follows immediately with, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves purses that will not wear out.” • Trust in Him: “Set your hope on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17). • A life rich toward God: Jesus concludes, “So is the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:21). Practical takeaways for today • Measure wealth by eternal currency; ask whether your assets are aligned with kingdom purposes. • Cultivate a giving lifestyle; generosity breaks the grip of greed and lays up treasure in heaven. • Remember the brevity of life; view every possession as a stewardship, not a guarantee. • Let faith, not finances, define security; earthly barns collapse, but God’s promises endure (Hebrews 13:5-6). |
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