Parable on the Rich Foolish Man.

(Luke 12:13-21).

In seeing the Lord’s great influence, a certain person turned to Him with a request that He direct his brother to share an inheritance with him. The Lord refused him, because He didn’t come to earth so as to arbitrate on petty conflicts that are based on human desires. Apart from this, His decision for either party may have raised dissatisfaction within one or the other faction, and even a clash and consequential lawsuit — something the Lord did not wish to allow. With that, He preached renouncement of earthly possessions. At the same time, this was not the reason why human interests in general were foreign to the Lord, but in that His task was not to determine exterior measures of order, but to re-educate the hearts and minds of people. This is an example for all the preachers of the Gospel and servants of the Church.

In relation to the request posed to Him, the Lord related a sermon, warning about the sickness of “covetousness,” i.e. the passion of acquiring possessions for the purpose of enjoying the earthly blessings. “One’s life,” i.e. his well being or happiness, “does not consist in the abundance of the things he possess.” One individual had an abundant crop in his fields. Without any thought for his life hereafter, all he thinks about is how to utilize his wealth for earthly pleasures. He has no thoughts of God, of spiritual life, but only about the animalistic, carnal pleasures: “eat, drink and be merry.” He had no inkling that his last day on earth will arrive and he will be unable to enjoy his accumulated treasures. “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?” — “you will not receive any benefit from your accumulated riches, and are now indifferent as to who will end up with these riches.” Instead of accumulating earthly treasures for yourself, you must grow rich in God, i.e. be concerned about obtaining eternal, incorruptible riches or good deeds, which can be acquired by expending earthly riches — not for base, carnal pleasures but on good deeds of various types.