Introduction
You have probably already heard the parable of the rich man in Luke 12. Maybe a thousand times. But when you read it slowly, you realize it is not first about money. It is about your heart, about what you hold on to, and about the place you leave for Jesus in your life.
In this message drawn from Luke 12:13-21, Patrice Martorano opens up the text point by point and puts his finger on something you do not always see: greed is not simply loving money, it is holding on to what God has entrusted to you. And that can involve your wallet just as much as your time, your listening ear, your forgiveness, or your faith.
Outline of the Article
1. What role are you giving Jesus?
A man steps out of the crowd and asks Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." In that culture, when the father died, two thirds went to the elder son and one third to the younger. The elder brother was in charge of the division; the younger one depended on his goodwill. If the elder wanted to give the share, he gave it. If not, the younger one was left with nothing.
His request is legitimate. The problem is not the inheritance. The problem is the role he is giving Jesus. He expects him to act as judge, as arbitrator. Yet this kind of dispute was settled before a judge, not before a rabbi.
How many times do you come to Jesus with the same expectation? "Lord, could you have a word with my brother who's getting on my nerves?" "Lord, could you sort out this thing with my boss?" "Get me what is fair." The issue is not what you are asking for. The issue is the role you are giving Jesus. He does not primarily want to be your judge or your arbitrator. He wants to be the Lord of your heart.
2. Jesus' answer: a question that sends you back to yourself
Jesus does not answer directly. He asks a counter question: "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" He is not rejecting the person, he is rejecting the role being forced on him.
What Jesus does here, he often does: he asks a question to make you think. He does not hand you a ready made answer. You have to take a position. And behind the question lies another, deeper question: do you want me only to fix the visible problem, or are you willing to let me into your heart?
Jesus did not first come to fix your problems. He does fix them, yes. But his primary goal is to transform your heart.
3. The truth he places at the center: watch out for every kind of greed
After the counter question, Jesus states a clear truth: "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions."
What exactly is greed? Here is a definition that may unsettle you: to be greedy is to hold on to what God has entrusted to you. It is not just a question of money.
You can be greedy when:
- you withhold your attention or your patience from those close to you;
- you defend your own space instead of celebrating others' success;
- you would rather be right than forgive;
- you give God your leftovers and keep the best for yourself;
- you see the need, but protect your comfort instead.
The world keeps telling you: "The more you have, the more you're worth. The more you accumulate, the safer you are." Jesus says the opposite. Life is not measured by what you own. It is measured by who owns your heart.
4. The parable: a man centered on himself
To make the truth concrete, Jesus tells a story. A rich man sees his land produce abundantly. He is not a bad man. He is even blessed by God: the Bible says his fields yielded a good crop. The problem is not his wealth. The problem is the way he thinks.
Listen to his monologue: "What shall I do, for I have no place to store my crops? [...] I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, You have plenty of grain laid up for many years; take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."
My, my, my, myself. No room for God. No room for others. No room for eternity. A closed dialogue with himself.
God's answer comes down: "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?"
5. Being rich toward God
Jesus concludes: "This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God." Turn the sentence around: the one who is rich toward God is the one who does not store up treasures for himself.
Being rich toward God means:
- Recognizing that everything you have around you is a gift. Your grain is not your grain; it was God who made it grow.
- Not clinging to it as though you owned it.
- Using your possessions, your abilities, your time, and your resources for the kingdom of God.
God is not asking you to have less. He is asking you to live for a greater purpose. True wealth is not what you pile up for yourself, but what you entrust to God for him to use for his kingdom.
Key Takeaways
- Greed is not primarily about loving money: it is about holding on to what God has entrusted to you.
- Jesus does not want to be your judge or your arbitrator; he wants to be the Lord of your heart.
- Your life does not depend on what you own, but on who owns your heart.
- You can be blessed by God and still live entirely centered on yourself. Outward wealth proves nothing about your inner life.
- Being rich toward God means putting what you have at his disposal, not keeping it for yourself.
Personal Application
Here are a few questions to let this parable sink into your heart this week:
- What role are you giving Jesus today: judge, arbitrator, problem solver, or Lord?
- In what area are you currently holding on to what God has entrusted to you? Money, time, attention, forgiveness, affection, trust, words of encouragement, hospitality, gratitude, faith?
- Is there a forgiveness you keep putting off, or that you make conditional on the other person moving first?
- What small concrete step can you take this week to go against the current, toward generosity?
- Do you see your resources as a gift from God meant to flow, or as capital to protect?
Verses Cited
- Luke 12:13-21 · The request for an inheritance, the warning against greed, and the parable of the rich fool.
FAQ
In the Bible, does greed only concern money?
No. Starting from Luke 12, greed is more broadly defined as holding on to what God has entrusted to you. Money is only one expression of it: you can also withhold your time, your attention, your forgiveness, your words of encouragement, or your hospitality.
Is Jesus opposed to wealth or prosperity?
No. The man in the parable is described as blessed by God, his fields yield abundantly. What Jesus condemns is not prosperity, it is the heart that clings to it and lives as though God and others did not exist.
How can I know if I am rich "toward God"?
A simple test: look at what you are willing to put at the disposal of God and others. True wealth, according to Luke 12, is not what you manage to accumulate, it is what you are free to open up, share, and give.
to take notes and ask questions.