Subtle Foolishness | Luke 12:13-21

This week, we are excited to hear again from our pastoral intern, Ben Woolbright! ___ Some people have sinful struggles that are obvious to everyone. People can look at an individual, or even themselves, and rightly determine exactly what is off. However, there are sins that are more subtle. Sins that are more prone to being a blindspot, a growing cancer, unchecked and unnoticed. As a result, these sins can be more rampant in ourselves, and also in a given culture. In our current cultural context, one of the more notable subtle sins is the sin of greed. In this week's passage, we find a man who interrupts Jesus' teaching of the disciples. Once he has Jesus' attention, he requests that Jesus force his brother's hand in dividing up their inheritance more than it already had been. This man makes the request in the name of justice, but Jesus could discern that the request was really made from a greedy heart. Jesus shares a parable to communicate the foolishness of the request. In the parable, a rich man, entering a season of abundance, decided he was going to hoard up everything for himself. By choosing to hoard up his goods, this rich man entered a life of self-absorption. He chose to place his hope in all that he had. God declared him to be a fool. He wasn't a fool because he was rich, he was a fool because his hope was in the temporary! Join us on Sunday as we unpack this parable and examine the foolishness of hoarding up treasures on earth! Here is our outline: Passage: Luke 12:13-21 v.16-17: The Rich Man’s Prosperity v.18-19: The Rich Man’s Plan v.20-21: The Rich Man’s Foolishness Kids’ Bulletin Discussion Questions What did the man ask Jesus to do about his brother? Why did Jesus call the rich farmer a “fool”? What does the word greed mean? (Give an example.) Where did the farmer put his hope—in God or in his barns? Finish this sentence: “Life is not about having lots of _____.” (Luke 12:15) How can we be “rich toward God” this week? Name one way. Memory Challenge: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” —Luke 12:34