Gospels sample

The parable of the rich fool

13-21 One of the crowd came up to Jesus. 'Teacher,' he said, 'will you tell my brother he's
got to give me my fair share of our inheritance?'

'Now just who do you think has given me the job of arbitrating your family disputes?' Jesus
answered. Then he turned to the crowd and said, 'Just watch out you don't fall into the
trap of getting greedy - because the value of someone's life isn't about what they've got.'
Then he told then a parable:

Notice in this parable how the central character thinks entirely in the first person.
No one else is considered at all. It's all 'Me, me, me, me, me'! My crop, my future, my
land, my property, my barns, my life. Except that it isn't. The bottom line is that 'his'
life is God's to take away. When that happens, the ownership of everything else is a
bit academic really - and the life whose entire meaning was vested in ownership of
all that has no meaning at all.

But God said to him, 'Rather a special kind of fool really, aren't you! Well, I'm
taking “your” life back, tonight - and whose are all those things going to be then?'
That's the way it is, you see, with people who hoard up all the earthly possessions
they can, but aren't rich in the things that God values.

22-30 Jesus turned to his disciples, and said:

That's why I'm telling you: don't get obsessed with things like food and drink, or
clothes. I mean, isn't there more to life than that stuff? Take a look at the ravens.
When did you last see one digging its garden? But God provides for them, doesn't
he, and how much more are you worth to him than they are? And is getting
yourself into a stew about things going to give you a single hour's extra life?

So, if you can't do a simple thing like that, why worry about all the rest? Take a
look at the wild flowers - when did you see one of them working for its living - or
going to dress-making classes? And yet, I'm telling you that even Solomon in his
best ceremonial kit never looked as good as one of those. But, look, if God dresses
up the weeds that are going to finish up as fuel for burning, how much more care
do you think he's going to take of you? Talk about little faith!

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22-30 Jesus turned to his disciples, and said:

So don't go getting all hung up and anxious about what you're going to eat or drink
- those are the kinds of things that people without faith keep banging on about, and
your Father knows that you need them.