What other scriptures emphasize the folly of relying on material wealth? Setting the scene: the parable of the rich fool “Then He told them a parable: ‘The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance. So he thought to himself, “What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?” Then he said, “This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. Then I will say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and be merry.’ 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?’ Thus is the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.’” Old Testament echoes of the same warning • Proverbs 11:28 — “He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage.” • Proverbs 23:4-5 — “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself. When you gaze upon wealth, it is gone, for it will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.” • Proverbs 18:11 — “A rich man’s wealth is his fortified city; in his imagination it is a high wall.” • Ecclesiastes 5:10 — “He who loves money is never satisfied with money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is futile.” • Psalm 49:6-9, 11-12 (highlights) — “They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches… the redemption of a soul is costly… their graves are their eternal homes… but a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure.” • Psalm 62:10 — “...if your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.” • Jeremiah 9:23-24 — “Let not the rich man boast in his riches…but let him who boasts boast in this: that he understands and knows Me.” Words of Jesus that reinforce the lesson • Matthew 6:19-21 — “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” • Mark 10:23-25 — “‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!’…‘It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’” • Luke 16:13 — “You cannot serve both God and money.” • Luke 16:19-31 (parable of the rich man and Lazarus) — earthly luxury without compassion ends in eternal loss. • Revelation 3:17 — “You say, ‘I am rich…’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.” Apostolic counsel on money’s danger • 1 Timothy 6:9-10 — “Those who want to be rich fall into temptation…For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” • 1 Timothy 6:17-19 — “Command those who are rich…not to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain…In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the future.” • James 5:1-3 — “Come now, you rich, weep and wail for the misery to come upon you…You have hoarded treasure in the last days.” • Hebrews 13:5 — “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for He has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” Why material wealth is a shaky foundation • It cannot secure the soul’s redemption (Psalm 49). • It is temporary and easily lost (Proverbs 23; James 5). • It can harden the heart against God and others (Luke 16). • It tempts us to self-sufficiency instead of God-dependence (Revelation 3; 1 Timothy 6). • It competes for the throne of our hearts (Matthew 6; Luke 16). Living rich toward God today • Measure wealth by your relationship with Christ, not your balance sheet. • Redirect resources toward eternal purposes—generosity, gospel ministry, acts of mercy. • Practice contentment; celebrate God’s faithful provision rather than chasing more. • Regularly audit your heart: “If it were all gone tomorrow, would Christ still be enough?” • Remember that true riches are “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4). |
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