Message summary: Today's message is the second of a two part series on barns. Our simple ongoing prayer should be, "Lord, help me to be rich toward God".

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Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”" (Luke 12:15-21).

Yesterday we had a lesson about barns using the first Biblical reference to a barn in Deuteronomy 28:8. Today we will look at the portion using the final reference to a barn in a teaching by the Lord.

Brooksyne grew up on a small farm where they had a couple of smaller barns. Brooksyne's brother, Jody, had the farm chore of cleaning up the cow and horse stalls. Though she does remember a few times doing the nasty chore for her brother, Jody, in exchange for his promise not to tattle on her if there was something she didn't want her parents to know. I wonder if siblings still use blackmail to get out of doing their chores.

Jesus told a parable in Luke 12:15-21. A man had prospered in the things of this world. His "problem": "The land of a rich man was very productive." He had an abundant harvest, so much so, that he ran out of storage space. "And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’"

"Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.'" His solution was to tear down the smaller barns and build bigger ones.

Most of our readers have been mightily blessed regarding temporal things. (Regrettably we tend to look around and compare ourselves with those who have even more rather than those who have less.)

We may miss the point of Jesus' parable because we don't literally tear down and build bigger barns. What's more, that's really not the point of the parable. At times a farmer may properly need to build a bigger barn such as a farmer who is expanding his operation or a businessman who is growing his business.

The main principle taught here is the focus of life. The rich man in the parable had his focus on the temporal rather than the eternal. This is a great ongoing stumbling block for many of us regardless of the amount of wealth we may or may not have. He sought temporal security and felt he had it: "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.'" Do you see the self-assurance and pride in that statement?

But God calls this man a fool and the man decisively found out who was in charge. "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ "

Today I desire to hear and earnestly heed the solemn warning our Lord concluded the parable with: "So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."  Our simple ongoing prayer today should be, "Lord, help me to be rich toward God".


Be encouraged today,


Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, You have shown the greatest example of what it is to be rich toward us in countless ways, but most especially when You gave Your only Son to be our Savior. You extended to us full forgiveness when we could do nothing to earn it. May we likewise be rich toward You giving ourselves fully in love, obedience, in our resources, and in loving others as we love ourselves. Rather than seeking first a comfortable and secure life here on earth, help us to remember that will come to us in heaven. Instead help us to seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness and all that is needed will be given to us by Your gracious hand. We thank You for it in Jesus' name. Amen.

It wasn't until Brooksyne read the Scripture text for the podcast that I really considered the introductory statement prior to the parable, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." Amen!

Actually the final reference to barn in the Bible is a few verses after today's parable but in the same teaching. "Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds!" (Luke 12:24).

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