Don't be Stingy

Greetings!

I am continuing my exegesis of Luke 12 today, by examining verses 12 - 21.  Here is my translation:

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.”

14 Jesus responded to the man, “My friend, who appointed me judge or arbiter between you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out and be on your guard against all forms of greed, because life does not consist in how much one possesses.” 16 Then he told them this parable, “The field of a wealthy man produced a great crop.  17 So he said to himself, “What should I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops? 18 So he said, “I will do this; I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones in which to house all my goods and my grains. 19 And I will say deep down in my soul, “You have abundant goods stored up, enough to last for many years.  So relax! Eat! Drink! Enjoy yourself! 20 But God said to him. “You fool! Tonight, your soul will be demanded  of you. Who will end up with all that you have prepared for yourself? 21 So that is how it is for those who store up treasures for themselves, but are stingy toward God. 

So apparently, Jesus has become something of an authority figure for people.  A man in the crowd calls out to Jesus and asks him to settle a dispute between him and his brother over their inheritance.  Certainly, the man must have been thinking that if he had Jesus on side, he was bound to get what he wanted.  Notice that the man addresses Jesus as ‘teacher.’ According to Darrell Bock, a rabbi might settle a dispute such as this.  (Bock, 1149.) Because of their understanding of the Torah, they could be called in to settle family disputes based on their own interpretation of the law.  

The man surely thought that he had an ally in the compassionate Jesus.  He undoubtedly hoped that Jesus would prevail on his brother to be more generous out of the inheritance.  But Jesus stays out of it, asking, who had made him the judge and arbiter between the two men. Jesus didn’t take a side in this family squabble.  I’m sure that the man speaking assumed that his argument was correct and that Jesus would immediately see the justice of his cause, but it did not work out that way. 

Instead, Jesus uses the situation as a springboard to talk about greed.  His warning to them is that they should guard themselves against it. And he tells them to watch out for any and all of its forms.  The desire for money is not not the only form of greed there is.  The desire to accumulate possessions is also greed. 

Rather than the accumulation of possessions, Jesus says that life does not consist of how much one owns. Havin a bunch of stuff is not life.  Real life is about relationships. Real life is connected to God, not things.  

Then, Jesus tells a parable about a wealthy farmer who had produced an abundant crop.  He decides to tear down his barns and build bigger ones to store his surplus grain.  Then, he says to himself that he had enough to last for many years, and that he should now eat and drink and enjoy himself.  God responds to him, saying that on that night, his soul would be demanded of him.

This man, having very productive land in an agrarian society, would likely be viewed as specially blessed by God. Indeed, it appears that this man received his blessing quite naturally, through hard, honest work and God's blessing. But what does this man do with the blessings that God has given him? 

The man speaks to his ψυχῇ, (psyche), which here means 'soul.,' when he tells himself to relax and enjoy his life. He plans a future that is self-centered and self-indulgent, giving no thought to the needs of others, nor does he thank God for the blessing. 

God’s response to the man is to call him a fool.  His life is cut short and all of his plans come to naught.  He had accumulated all of his wealth so that he could enjoy himself, but now he is dead and someone else will benefit from  all of his years of hard work. 

Jesus finishes by saying that it is how things work out for those who store up for themselves, but do not give to God.  We will all eventually die and pass our wealth on to someone else.  

In the Greek: μὴ εἰς Θεὸν πλουτῶν (may eis Theon ploutone.). Not toward God, rich.  I have translated it as stingy toward God. 

I don’t think Jesus is saying, “Don’t plan for retirement.”  What he is saying though is, “Don’t make big financial plans without giving to God.” The man was not criticized for making or having money.  The man was a 'fool' because he stored up treasures on Earth, but in Heaven. 

Tom