It seems to me rather contradictory that Jesus, who was so gentle at
times (Matt. 19:13-15), would call some people fools. Yet, as recorded in the
Gospels a number of times, our Lord used this derogatory term to describe those
He spoke about—especially the Pharisees (see Matt. 23:17-19; Luke 11:39-40).
Jesus also used the word fool in a parable after
warning a man about coveting (Luke 12:13-21). What made him foolish is not the
fact that he built bigger barns to store his abundant harvest (vv.16-18). It
would have been more foolish of him to leave it out in the fields where
inclement weather would spoil it. Nor was he foolish because of his thought
that this unexpected windfall was enough to last him a long time (v.19). After
all, we are urged to follow the example of the ant in “storing up” the harvest
(Prov. 6:6-8).
What made the man foolish? He left God out of the picture. He was called
a fool because he failed to realize that his life was in God’s hands. While he
was planning carefully for his comfortable life on earth, he failed to plan for
eternity and store up treasures in heaven (Matt. 6:20).
Does your plan for the future have God in it? You won’t want to be
called foolish by Him in the end.
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose”. (J.E.) RBC
