Wednesday, July 30, 2025  

Today's Scripture
Luke 12:13–21

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull 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 ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” (NRSV)

Reflection

Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool, a story that strikes at the heart of what it means to live in a world that often prizes material wealth and self-sufficiency over humility and generosity. The parable speaks of a man who, blessed with abundant crops, decides to hoard them for himself, thinking he can rest and enjoy life without worry. Yet God calls him a fool, saying, "This very night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?" (Luke 12:20).

This passage challenges us to reflect on the ways we accumulate things, status, or power with little thought of God’s sovereignty or the needs of others. The rich fool’s mistake was not in being wealthy but in failing to recognize that all he had was a gift from God — something to be stewarded, not hoarded.

I like the focus the late theologian David Klemm placed on this parable by coining a term “material grace,” which means any object should be appreciated as having priceless value because through it God’s spiritual presence is experienced. Klemm wrote, “God is present in all of created reality.”

Everything we have, including our time, talents, and treasure, ultimately belongs to God. We are called to be good stewards of what has been entrusted to us, using our resources not just for our own comfort but for the flourishing of others. Jesus reminds us that true wealth is not measured in material possessions but in our relationship with God and with others.

Prayer

Gracious God, help me to remember not to store up treasures on earth, and to remember that all things belong to you. Teach me to use for your glory and for the good of others the gifts you have given me. May I live with open hands and heart, reflecting your love in all I say and do. In Christ’s name. Amen. 

Written by Marc Miller, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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