LUKE 12:16-21
A fool is a person who acts unwisely or recklessly; a stupid person.
To say that someone is foolish is like calling that person an idiot; it is an insult and would be considered offensive. So we need to be careful when applying such label to people.
It seems quite contradictory that Jesus, who was so kind at times, called some people fools. However, as noted repeatedly in the gospels, He used this derogatory term to describe those of whom He was speaking, especially the Pharisees (example – Matthew 23:17-19; Luke 11:39-40).
Jesus also used the word fool in the parable in our text today. What made the man foolish was not the fact that he was building bigger granaries to store his rich harvest. It would have been more foolish of him to leave them on the ground, where bad weather would have ruined them. Nor was it foolish to think that this stroke of luck would last him for a long time.
What made him foolish was leaving God out of the picture. He was called a fool because he did not know that his life was in the hands of God. Although he carefully planned his comfortable life on earth, he did not plan for eternity.
Does your plan for the future include God? I am sure in the end you will not want to be called a fool by Him.
🙏 Lord, deliver us from the syndrome of foolishness.
