We first discussed Ecclesiastes (Ecc1:2,2:21-23), which is the Greek name for the Hebrew author, Qoheleth, which actually means teacher/gatherer. Ecclesiastes is all melancholy. The source is said to be King Solomon who, up to that time, was said to be the richest and wisest man ever. “Vanity of vanities, all things are vanity!” he says throughout the book. ‘Vanity’ in this sense meant pointless; waste of time; empty. Why the melancholy? Because although Solomon had all the riches and pleasures a person could have (including 120 wives), real happiness was not to be found in any of it. Writing towards the end of his life, Ecclesiastes is about the absurdity and meaningless of life without God. Btw, the Hebrew word for vanity in is hevel = vapor!
Who was Luke? We discussed the Gospel writer, Luke. Luke was not one of the 12 apostles. He was a gentile (Jewish convert) and a well-spoken, Greek-speaking physician from Antioch. Although he had time to spend with Peter and others in Antioch, Jerusalem, and Rome, most of interactions were with Paul. Paul refers to him in several of his letters as “beloved physician.” It’s also possible (likely) he got his “Jesus infancy narrative” (Luke 1 and 2) directly from Mary in Ephesus. Luke also wrote the Acts of the Apostles, which means he wrote more of the New Testament than anyone. His 2 books comprise about 28% of the NT (Paul’s 13 letters are about 25%).
Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:12-23)
Once again, someone in the audience, probably a scribe, tries to get Jesus into a discussion about interpreting the complex Hebrew laws over inheritance: “Tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” Jesus doesn’t bite. Notice how Jesus turns to the crowd (to avoid limiting his cautionary advice to just the one man) and warns without ambiguity that we all must guard against greed. Greed is the insatiable desire for more. Wealth leads to greed, kind of like drugs lead to addition (does anyone ever says, “I have enough?”).
Also note: what brought about the wealth? The land. He didn’t create the land. God did. We are stewards of the earth, not owners. We noted in Deuteronomy 8:18, it says, “But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” So, whether it’s land or not, God is the source. Also notice the attraction of wealth and how most people, though often jealous of the rich, still treat the rich like celebrities, whether they are actors, sports figures, or owners of Facebook or Amazon. This attraction is dangerous because it can so easily become a false god. “Where your treasure is, there is your treasure.” – the definition of worship (Matt 6:21).
Jesus points out the illusion of wealth in the parable: The rich fool says to himself, “Now that I have so many good things for many years to come, now I can kick back, rest, eat, drink, and be merry.” Jesus says, “You fool, tonight your life will be demanded of you!” Money and power aren’t evil in and of themselves. It’s what humans do with these that make them good or evil. If the rich fool had said, “In my abundance, I will help others,” he would have faced a different fate.
Jesus concludes, “Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.” Just taking care of ourselves is selfish; besides, we can’t take our earthly possessions with us when we die; they are worthless (“vanity!” as Solomon said). When Jesus says be rich in what matters to God, in this instance he is referring to generosity.
At the end of our meeting, our bible study member, John, volunteered to be a prophet to all the rich fools who so desperately need our help!
I will touch on next Monday's class this weekend. Paul describes what faith is (Hebrews 11:1-2) and in Luke 12, Jesus not only talks about the end times, but purgatory as well.
God Bless!
Ron
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