|
 After
pointing out that "a man's life consisteth not in the
abundance of the things which he possesseth", Jesus relates
the parable of the rich and foolish farmer (Lk. 12:16-21). He
tells how the farmer "reasoned within himself" about
such things as bigger barns, much goods, and many years of
taking it easy. But, as Jesus shows, the farmer's meditations
are interrupted by the voice of God with the last words he would
ever hear: "Thou foolish one, this night is thy soul
required of thee; and the things which thou hast prepared, whose
shall they be?"
Such
big-barn thinking is not confined to the affluent, much less to
wealthy farmers. To this day it continues as a prevalent
hindrance to man's right standing with God — and is no less
foolish now than when Jesus spoke this parable. It is foolish
because it leaves God out of one's life. Maybe the foolish
farmer of the parable had good intentions about serving God
later — as do many of his modern counterparts. But
"maybes", "good intentions", and
"later" are poor substitutes for present personal
involvement for the Lord. Many, like Felix, seek a more
convenient season in which to serve God (Acts 24:25). But for
now, God and His work are made subservient to "goods"
and "barns" and merry-making. How foolish! —
especially for those claiming to be seeking God and His kingdom first,
as per Matt. 6:33. And right here is the crux of the matter — priorities.
Barns, goods, and harmless pleasures are not wrong in
themselves, but only as they come to dominate our thinking,
time, and interests to the neglect of God.
Another
reason why big-barn thinking is
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foolish is because it places the
material above the spiritual; the transient and temporary above
the eternal. As Jesus teaches, a man's life is more than
material possessions. There is another and more important
dimension to man's life and it is the spiritual. Thus, "Man
shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4). To live by God's word
is just that — a way of life that is governed and
directed by His truth. It is walking by faith and not by sight
(2 Cor. 5:7); it is living the here-and-now in consideration of
the hereafter; it is living God's way! But, as the
foolish farmer, many live as if this life is all there is. His
chief concern was "my fruits", "my barns",
"my grain" and "my goods". We bow before the
same idol of materialism when preoccupied with such things as my
comfort, my pleasure, my possessions, and my money — and all
at the expense of my soul!
This
big-barn thinking is also foolish because it assumes future
time. In making provision for the flesh (Rom. 13:14), the farmer
thought in terms of "many years". Had he been more
spiritual minded he would have realized that "this
night" of death is never far from any mortal. James reminds
those making elaborate plans for the future that, "ye know
not what shall be on the morrow" (4:14). The farmer wasted
the present in preparing for an uncertain future on the earth;
he planned to live but not to die. We must not repeat his
mistakes. To do so makes us even more foolish than he. Dan S.
Shipley
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