Parables of Jesus—
The Parable of the Rich Man’s Barn
By Joyce Webb 2008
A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.
Jesus told stories so people could understand things about heaven.
Parable of the Rich Man’s Barn
Luke 12:16-21
Jesus said the kingdom of heaven was like a rich man who planted his fields.
The rich man’s fields grew much wheat, and barley for making grain.
He said to himself, “I have so much I do not have enough room in my old barn for all this wheat and barley. I will take down the old barn and build a new bigger one.”
So the man had his servants make a new and bigger barn.
The man put all his wheat and barley in the barn. He felt very pleased with how much he had.
He said, “ I have so much, I can rest now. I will eat, drink and be happy and have a party.”
That night God said to the rich man, “You are a fool. Tonight you will die, your time on this earth is over. Now who will get all the wheat and barley?”
Then Jesus said, “This is the way it is for people who lay up treasure and money and things for themselves on this earth, but they are not rich toward God.”
The rich man had a lot for this life and this earth, but he had done nothing to prepare for the next life after he died. He was rich here on earth, but he was poor for eternity.
People give a lot of time and work toward getting a nice house, car, money in the bank—-but they give no time toward their eternal life.
Then the time comes for them to die—and they have made no plans for heaven.
Jesus called this man a fool.
Jesus Says that God Knows What We Need
Luke 12:22-34
Jesus continues to explain that God knows our needs.
We do not have the power to help ourselves in many ways. We can not make our bodies grow one inch. We can not control the sun and rain to make the garden grow. We can not control how the plants grow. Only God can make the plant grow.
Jesus said, “Look around—see the birds? God sees that the birds get enough to eat. The wild animals find food because God has put it there for them.”
“Look at the beautiful wild flowers. They are beautiful one day and the next day they are already dead. We do not control that—God does.”
We worry about how to get food or how to get clothes. God knows we need food and clothes. God feeds the animals, He will feed us and give us clothes—-or other things we need.
Jesus said, “Look to God. He will see that you have what you need.
You do not have to worry and make yourself sick thinking about it.
Do not worry about tomorrow. Every day has enough problems.
Just think about what you need today and trust God to give you what you need.”
Jesus said, “If you look to God first and keep God first in your thoughts and life—-God will take care of what you need.”
Jesus did not mean for us to be lazy and foolish by making no plans about our future.
A person who plants a garden does this because he is looking to the time of winter when food does not grow. So the person cans and freezes food for the future. This is wise.
Jesus was not against making normal plans for our future to save money, food and such.
Jesus was trying to get the people to see that if all of their thinking and planning was just for living here on earth—–they would miss the most important thing and that was planning for heaven.
Jesus said in verse 34 “For where your treasure is—- there will be your heart also.”
This means that what you think about all the time and the thing you give your time and work to do is what you have chosen to be important.
It is your treasure.
If getting better things for this life is all you think about—then you are foolish.
Life here on this earth lasts about 70 or 80 years. Eternal life will last for millions and millions of years.
So which is more important to give time and thought to prepare for?
We lay up “treasure” in heaven by giving our time and thought to the things of God.
The things we do for God here on earth, we send on ahead of us as our “treasure“.
The only thing we will take with us when we die is our spirit’s salvation and relationship with God. This is our real treasure.