"But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?" Luke 12:20
The rich man of this parable just experienced a bumper harvest, and instead of giving God the glory, he proceeded to make a plan of how to indulge his flesh in continual feasts. God intercepted him in his plan, and said to him, "Thou fool...". Why would God call a man a fool who was rejoicing over a bumper harvest, and making plans of how to enjoy the proceeds from his labour?
Jesus, in the next verse, reveals the reason he is called a fool: "So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." Luke 12:21
This man that God called a fool was not rich towards God; he failed to realise that it was God that gave him the power to get wealth, and that the reason why God gave him power to get wealth was for the establishment of His covenant, not to lavish on self-indulgence. In other words, when God prospers a person, top in the mind of God is the prosperity of His cause, which is the gospel. But this man, like many of us, misunderstood the real reason for which God prospered him, and went on to plan how he would lavish the riches upon himself. For this reason, God called him a fool. On the other hand, God will call a man who uses his prosperity to advance the cause of Jesus Christ a wise man. Looking at the way that you spend your harvest, what do you think that God is calling you?
Toni
