#parables #christianity #biblestudy
A new series analyzing parables through exegesis: Ep 1: the Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-21)

Author: Luke (Exclusive) (with similar scenarios found in Sirach 11:18-19, Ecclesiastes 2:1-11, and Job 31:24-28)
Date: between CE 80-90
Audience: Gentile-Christians (god-fearers)
Narrative Context: Jesus is interrupted from talking about matters of hypocrisy and salvation to be asked to arbitrate in a family dispute over an inheritance. Following this parable, Jesus instructs the disciples to sell their possessions and give alms and then provides a few warnings on eschatology -- specifically, how judgement will come when you least expect it.
Key terms: Note the frequent use of the fool’s use of “I” and “my” to demonstrate his egotistic concerns.
Historical Context: Rabbis were often asked to arbitrate in family disputes. Jewish custom states the older son in a family of 2 received ⅔ of the father’s possessions. It is likely that the man who questions Jesus is the younger brother who has yet to receive any of the father’s inheritance from his older brother.
The stereotype of the rich man as greedy reflects the ancient notion of limited good: the pie is finite, is already fully distributed, and cannot be expanded. Therefore if anyone’s share got larger, someone else’s automatically got smaller.
An honorable man would thus be interested only in what was rightfully his. He would not want “more,” Anyone with a surplus would normally feel shame unless he gave liberally to the community. By keeping everything to himself and refusing to act as a generous person, the rich man in the parable reveals himself as a dishonorable fool.
Message: Salvation is not based on an accumulation of riches. Later in this chapter Jesus reminds his disciples“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The parable illustrates the fate of a rich man who would have been the envy of most people, but in the midst of his good fortune lost sight of what is really important, which we learn by the chapter’s end-- loving God and loving neighbor.
All Parables have a Shock Value and this one would’ve been that Luke chapter 12 begins with finger pointing at the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and their view of salvation, but by the end of the chapter the audience is forced to look inside themselves to evaluate whether they place matters of greed over matters of the heart. It was commonly believed per the Jewish purity system that earthly riches reflect heavenly rewards. The rich man, it was assumed among his contemporaries, would have had “salvation in the bag.” Yet we learn by the parable’s end that it’s not the accumulation of wealth that matters in God’s eyes, but how you use it.

Sources: The International Bible Commentary, The Interpreter’s One-Volume Commentary on the Bible including the Apocrypha, with General Articles,The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, The Collegeville Bible Commentary, The Oxford Bible Commentary, An Introduction to the New Testament by Raymond Brown, Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels by Malina and Rohrbaugh.