Jesus told a parable about a foolish farmer where crops produced abundantly. The man built bigger farms to store his produce and thought he had it made for a life of leisure the remainder of his life. Jesus indicated the man had made the mistake of neglecting his soul while thinking only of material things. And that is a foolish thing for anyone to do. This is not a parable against having wealth. It is a parable against covetousness. Money is not the root of all evil. The love of money is the root of all evil.
Jesus did not criticize this man as a bad person. He was not immoral. He was not guilty of fraud. He was rich and that was fine. But Jesus called him foolish why? He became covetous. He laid up riches. He forgot that with the blessing of wealth goes the responsibility to use the wealth for God’s glory. He was full of anxiety. Instead of trusting God to care for him, he believed he was his own source of supply. He worried about not having enough, so he stored up for the future. He was selfish – he stored up only for himself.
He was an atheist. He spoke of “I” and “My” with no thought of God or others. He was sensual. He provided for his body and his ease, but made no provision for his soul. He was dying and didn’t know it. And he couldn’t take it with him. Who was going to have his farms full of goods? His soul was going to be taken into eternity that very night! Do you see why Jesus called him foolish?
He was a good farmer, but a foolish man. He was a covetous, anxious, selfish, atheistic, sensual, dying fool. He was counted rich in the world, but he wasn’t rich toward God. Jesus asked “What is a man profited if he gained the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
While thinking of his gifts he forgot the giver. While thinking of himself he forgot his neighbor. While thinking of his body he forgot his soul. A statement I have heard that seems to me too true: “When a man gets rich, God gets a partner, or the man loses his soul!”