And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. Luke 12:19
The rich fool was more mixed up than he realized! By the size of his crops, he must have been a great farmer; by the size of his bank account, he must have been a great businessman, but by the size of his error in judgment, he must have been a great fool. And so the Lord Jesus described him. This man was very pleased with what he had been able to grow in his fields, and there was nothing wrong with that, other than the fact that he took all the credit for himself without acknowledging that it is God Who gives the increase. What was in his bulging barns? Most of it would have been different types of grains. Because he expected it to last for years, it was unlikely to be vegetables or fruit. The grain would be used to make bread and other foods, to feed livestock, and to sell or barter for whatever else the owner needed for his home and person. The man viewed these things as provision for his soul. But he was wrong, all that the barns held was for his body only. He had no provision for his soul. What a fool!
The man in the parable of the rich fool is like many in our world today. They are like the people in Philippians 3:19, whose god is their belly… who mind earthly things. Did you ever notice how many of the businesses in your town are restaurants? Everything from humble hamburger stands and fast food joints to fancy upscale restaurants are all doing a good business, because people want to eat. The grocery business keeps growing and diversifying as people search for new ways to tickle their palates. Eating, at least in our western world, is the most favourite pastime. And in poorer parts of our world, finding enough to eat is a daily struggle and constant occupation. But all this food is for our bodies, not our soul. And the souls of men and women, boys and girls, get short shrift. If the food can satisfy the body’s hunger of the moment, little thought is given to satisfying the soul’s hunger for eternity. That is not wise, given that our bodies last for only a few years at best and our souls endure for eternity.
As Christians, we have found satisfaction for our souls. We have ended the starvation that we experienced craving the husks of the world, and have tasted of the goodness of the Lord. Our salvation has given to us a rich bounty for our souls, regardless of what we find for our bodies. Remember, what has satisfied our souls for eternity will satisfy the daily needs of our souls as well. The Word of God that had nothing for us before conversion is now overflowing with good things. The Lord’s people who had no attraction for us before are now the source of comfort and rejoicing.
The rich farmer was a fool because he confused his soul’s needs for his body’s desires. Let us be wiser than that. – Jim MacIntosh