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Parable #7 — Luke 12:15-21 — The Rich Fool

Then he said to them, “Watch out!* Be on your guard against all kinds of

greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a
good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my
crops.’

“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. 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 good things laid up for many years. Take life easy;
eat, drink and be merry.” ’

“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?’

“This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is
not rich toward God.”

* Early translations say, “Take heed.” Most later translations say “Beware.”

Parable #8 — Luke 12:35-40 — Watchfulness

“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men
waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes
and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those
servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he
will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and
wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready,
even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. But understand this:

If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would
not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son
of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”