And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?” (Luke 12:19-20)

To Be A Fool

Life will teach some hard lessons. Everyone thinks that happiness comes from the joy of having all the riches of the world. Living in large homes, driving brand cars, spending money, buying expensive toys, and living life to the fullest with the greatest gusto possible is the single pursuit of life. Whoever the Jones family is, the world is supposed to keep up with them. Having more will bring greater ease. Ultimately, a man wants to work long enough to retire and then enjoy the finer things of life with ease, merriment, and relaxation. And then life teaches a hard lesson because the body begins to waste away, youth is lost, the mind changes, and then death. All that is left is a full life of eighty years wrapped up in a single dash between two dates.

Jesus told the story of a man who had everything. He was blessed beyond measure. His wealth increased to where he needed more barns to keep his stuff. After he amassed his goods to be ready to enjoy the golden years with ease, he suddenly died. It was without warning. There were no signs. His riches did not help him. All the things he had in life were left behind for others to do as they wished. Death came swiftly and suddenly. God examined the rich man’s life and acknowledged he had gained great things in life but called him a fool because the one thing he never took time to prepare for was death. A fool is someone who refuses the reasoning of sound advice. There were plenty of warnings the man should have heeded. The Law of Moses warned against coveting after things of this life. Everything the rich man gained in life was left behind.

A fool is a man who refuses to acknowledge the reality of death. There is nothing more blatantly obvious than the truth that all men die. And yet, most people live in a manner where death comes as a surprise. How foolish. God blessed the rich man of Jesus’ story with all those possessions, and instead of having a benevolent heart to share with others, the man built bigger barns to keep it all for himself; or so he thought. A fool is a man who ignores death. The greater fool is the one who ignores death and does not believe in life after death – or, in the case of the rich man – death after death.

A man can make his bank account an amazing portfolio of financial wizardry that impresses friends and neighbors. He can impress with grand houses to hold the finest things of life. Money can be the god of the heart. Pleasures can be his recreation. Living life to the fullest with every part of good things at his beck and call can be how he measures himself. And at the end of the day, he is nothing more than a fool. A fool. He is a fool because he does not believe he will die. That is the highest measure of a fool.

Jesus came to bring the abundant life. An abundant life is blessed by God with the joys of life; who knows from whom they come and how they should be used. The true abundant life is not found in the trinkets of this world but in the jewels of eternal life. There is a reality that is recognized by the aged that life is so short. A life of eighty years is nothing. What is more important is to remember how long eternity will be. Life is a dash. Eternity has no end. Death removes all the pleasures of life so valiantly fought for and kept. Life after death rips the treasures of this world away and puts the soul face to face with a good and severe God. If you have not prepared your heart for eternity, there will be no resting in peace in death. A good God has provided the true wealth of life when He sent His only Begotten Son. The abundant life is in Jesus Christ. Those rewards are eternal. Are you a fool? Take stock of where your heart is.