DAILY GOSPEL COMMENTARY . PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL (Lk 12:13–21).
PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL
Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” He replied to him, “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?” Then he said to the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” Then he told them a parable. “There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.”
Below you have the Gospel reading taken from Lk 12:13-21 together with the Gospel commentary taken from the Navarre Bible Commentary to the Gospel of St. Luke.
Gospel Commentary from the Navarre Bible, Commentary to the Gospel of St. Luke (with permission)
- 13-14 This man is only interested in his own problems; he sees in Jesus only a teacher with authority and prestige who can help sort out his case (cf. Deut 21:17).
- He is a good example of those who approach religious authorities not to seek advice on the way they should go in their spiritual life — but rather to get them to solve their material problems.
- Jesus vigorously rejects the man’s request — not because he is insensitive to the injustice which may have been committed in this family, but because it is not part of his redemptive mission to intervene in matters of this kind.
- By his word and example the Master shows us that his work of salvation is not aimed at solving the many social and family problems that arise in human society; he has come to give us the principles and moral standards which should inspire our actions in temporal affairs, but not to give us precise, technical solutions to problems which arise: to that end he has endowed us with intelligence and freedom.
- He is a good example of those who approach religious authorities not to seek advice on the way they should go in their spiritual life — but rather to get them to solve their material problems.
- 15-21 After his statement in v. 15, Jesus tells the parable of the foolish rich man: what folly it is to put our trust in amassing material goods to ensure we have a comfortable life on earth, forgetting the goods of the spirit, which are what really ensure us — through God’s mercy — eternal life.
- This is how St Athanasius explained these words of our Lord: “A person who lives as if he were to die every day — given that our life is uncertain by definition — will not sin, for good fear extinguishes most of the disorder of our appetites; whereas, he who thinks he has a long life ahead of him will easily let himself be dominated by pleasures” (Against Antigonum).
- 19 This man’s stupidity consisted in making material possession his only aim in life and his only insurance policy.
- It is lawful for a person to want to own what he needs for living, but if possession of material resources becomes an absolute, it spells the ultimate destruction of the individual and of society.
- “Increased possession is not the ultimate goal of nations nor of individuals. All growth is ambivalent. It is essential if man is to develop as a man, but in a way it imprisons man if he considers it the supreme good, and it restricts his vision. Then we see hearts harden and minds close, and men no longer gather together in friendship but out of self-interest, which soon leads to strife and disunity. The exclusive pursuit of possessions thus becomes an obstacle to individual fulfilment and to man’s true greatness. Both for nations and for individuals, avarice is the most evident form of moral underdevelopment” (Paul VI, Populorum progressio, 19).
Let us ask the help of Our Lady so that we may put our hope in God, strive to be detached from what is material, so that we may perceive and possess what is spiritual, which is what really makes rich before God.
A great day ahead! Fr. Rolly Arjonillo
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TOPIC: What will your loved ones and others inherit from you when you move on to the next life?
The parable of the rich man in today’s gospel (Luke 12:13-21), which is only found in Luke, is also a modern day parable. The problem was and is how to divide inheritance, especially if a family is big. Per the Mosaic Law of the time, the eldest son received double that of the others so as not to diminish the family wealth. Disputes were settled by a rabbi, which is probably why Jesus was consulted. But Jesus was not interested in getting involved. He wanted to send the message that our lives must not be fed by lust for possessions. Family inheritance disputes continue to the present day and Jesus has anticipated that, which is why this golden opportunity to remind us that we must prepare well.
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