“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?

Luke 12:20

 

The occasion was a graduation ceremony at the University of Connecticut, where Sam, a young African student, received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1984. Family and friends gathered from all over the USA to celebrate with him. The graduation went well, and the attendees then headed to the reception hall.

The queue grew steadily around the buffet table of assorted dishes. The orchestra of cutlery, plates, and glasses filled the atmosphere, and intermittent congratulatory speeches punctuated the rhythm. Suddenly, silence! One could hear a pin drop. All eyes turned to Yaw, one brother, who had on his plate a selection of choice food, as high as Mt. Everest, and was making his way to his table. The smile on his face suggested he was enjoying the spectacle he had created. I am sure people took bets on his chances of clearing the plate. Nobody who knew Yaw dared bet against him. The deep, roaring sound from his throat announced his victory, and he spared the kitchen staff one less plate to wash. My American friends can eat, but on that day, my African brother took the gold. 

It is interesting how many people eat without restraint, totally unconcerned with health checks or sharing with the needy and hungry next door. Availability and quality are all that matter, and everybody else can fend for themselves. They have worked for what they have, and people must learn how to pull themselves up. And don’t worry about obesity. The pharmaceutical industry and doctors already perfected the remedy.

Somehow, some have accepted the faulty logic that they must reflect high levels of achievement in their dining habit.

Jesus condemned the greed displayed by the affluence of the Rich Fool (Lk. 12 13-21). All he cared about was the overflow of his barns and expanded space to accommodate his harvest. The rich man would then congratulate himself by sitting back to eat, drink, and be merry (19). However, God taught him that, like for us all, we do not own our life (20).

The point Jesus stressed here is that an abundance of material possessions does not make for a meaningful life. Being rich toward God, with whatever your station you have in life, is what matters eternally (21). Though rich in material possessions, Jesus called him a fool, for he was destitute in the things of God. But O, the tyranny of greed! If only we would listen to Paul in 1 Timothy 6:6-10 and be wise.

So, what is your life? (Luke 12:15).