"One's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions"

Scripture: Luke 12:13-21

What is the point of Jesus' story about a wealthy landowner and why does he call him a fool? Jesus does not fault him for his industriousness, but for his egoism and selfishness. Like the parable of the rich man who refused to give any help to the beggar Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), this man had lost the capacity to be concerned for others. His life was consumed with his possessions and his only interests were in himself. His death was the final loss of his soul!

In the parable of the rich fool Jesus gives a lesson on using material possessions. His lesson contains a warning to beware of all covetousness. To covet is to wish to get wrongfully what another possesses or to begrudge what God gave him. Jesus restates the commandment "do not covet", but he also states that a person's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.