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Continuing our studies of Luke Chapter 12, this week we are considering verses 13-21. Please read them every day this week and, if possible, use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
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Luke 12:16-19 (The Message)
‘Then he told them this story: “The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. He talked to himself: ‘What can I do? My barn isn’t big enough for this harvest.’ Then he said, ‘Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll gather in all my grain and goods, and I’ll say to myself, Self, you’ve done well! You’ve got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!’
I’m sure that like me, you have friends with whom it is a joy to spend time with. The conversation flows with no difficult pauses and there is never an awkward moment. Even if you haven’t seen them for ages, the conversation seamlessly seems to pick up from where it left off in the last meeting. The conversation drifts between you and them and there is a dialogue that is both pleasant and meaningful.
Then there are people who are the exact opposite of that. It doesn’t matter how the conversation starts or what the topic is being discussed, somehow, very quickly, the subject always turns to them. They begin to talk about themselves and in particular they tell you how wonderful they are and what they’ve achieved in life. It’s always ‘me, myself and I’.
Yesterday, we looked at some of the reasons why Jesus was so harsh in His words about the man in this parable. Today, we’re going to look at one more reason. I believe that this man had no thought for others. It was all about him, what he had achieved and what he was going to do to make his life even better. It is a sad, sad story of self, self, self.
In this particular translation (The Message), I can see fifteen references to himself in just three verses. Even in the more traditional versions there are at least 12 references to “I” and “My”. He is being thoroughly selfish. He could have realised that he had more than enough grain for himself and perhaps should have considered others. Surely he could have seen the needs of others and that he was in a position to meet that need without it having any impact on himself. This isn’t necessarily about being generous, it’s just about being a caring and thoughtful person.
Far from being overly generous, all he was concerned with was how he could contain the additional income and store it up for himself in the days to come. Unfortunately, this kind of attitude is still prevalent today and many, many areas of the world are suffering serious poverty and hunger while there are people who have the means to solve all of the problems in their respective countries.
In a recent survey, it was reported that the 8 richest people on the planet control the same wealth between them as half of the poorest people living today. The entire wealth of 3.5 billion people equates to the shared wealth of just 8 people. This is not meant to be a political statement at all, I’m just stating that Jesus’ warning about greed isn’t being heeded in our modern culture.
Lastly, note that this man never gives a thought to the One who gives life and allows the growth of the grain. Nowhere does he give glory to God. This is a recipe for disaster. If we mix self and success, we get destruction. May we always retain a heart of gratitude to God for all that He provides.
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