Parable of the Rich Man (Luke 12:15-21)

Jesus addressed the crowds through parables to make spiritual realities understood. Through the parable of the rich man, reported only inthe gospel of Luke, Jesus warns against the unnecessary amassing of wealth and recalls the priceless value of the gift of life.

[community-card id=9116] 

The Parable of the Rich Man in the Gospel of Luke

 “Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” ”

Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’ And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” 

(Luke 12:15-24)

To be Rich in God’s Eyes

Through this parable, Jesus comes to remind man of several fundamental points. The riches amassed without purpose through greed are useless to the salvation of man and even hinder it by diverting man from what is essential. Jesus teaches how to make good use of wealth: Through generosity toward our neighbor. All good works, all that is given to the needy on this Earth constitutes a treasure in heaven for man (Matthew, 6:19-20). Finally, the heart of the parable points to the indescribable gift of life. This is the true gift of God, riches add nothing to him because it is God who holds the life of his children in his hand. Man’s life is precious and must be well used in doing good. It is by putting his life at the service of the Lord, as the Virgin Mary did, man gives thanks to God, the source of all life.

With Hozana, praise God for the gift of life

Through the parable of the rich man, Jesus comes to refocus ourselves on the essential, the immense gift he makes to us by giving us life and watching over us continuously. With Hozana, sing your praises to the Lord and give thanks to him for all his gifts.

• Be encouraged to invite the Holy Spirit into your life. To come and transform yourself in a new and grace-filled way! Receive inspiring thoughts from some of the saints of the Church!
• Pray with Pope Francis' Encyclical 'Laudato Si' for the Season of Creation: experience a real divine approach to nature, and a more intimate and thorough relationship with God's creation.