The Farmer Who Was A Fool

   When God calls a man a fool, he is most certainly a fool. But those who live in glass houses should be careful about throwing stones. I’ve got more than enough foolishness of my own, and for that reason, I’m not going to pile stones on the fool in Luke 12. It’s so easy for us to look out at others and criticize what we see; may God help us to look into ourselves and see what we so easily ignore. Having said this, let’s take a closer look at the man in Luke 12.

A word ought to be said about this man’s wisdom as well as his foolishness, for he was a farmer—and farmer and fool are not generally thought to be synonyms. It takes a heap of knowledge and wisdom to farm. And the man in Luke 12 was a successful farmer; so successful that he had enough to sustain him for a long time. So successful was he that he could afford to pull down his old barns and build larger ones. From the little we know, I think we’d be right to conclude this farmer was a hard working man who was admired (and maybe envied) by his neighbors. And he was smart enough to enjoy the fruit of his labors—“Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” This farmer wasn’t so foolish as to work himself into the ground without ever enjoying the fruits of his labor. Judged by our standards, this farmer was wise in many ways.

But for all his wisdom, the farmer was a fool because he left God out of his plans. And that’s extremely odd, for few people have more direct dealings with God than farmers! A farmer puts his seed into soil God created and is then utterly dependent upon God sending sunshine and showers.  This farmer was more foolish than wise because he forgot God. But God didn’t forget him—“Fool! This night your soul will be required of you.” In all the reckoning and planning he was doing, the man left God out entirely. He had been talking to himself— “Soul, you have many goods . . .”—but because he made no room for God, his soul would be lost. He thought he had many years left when he had only hours left (“This night your soul will be required of you”).

Before long, we won’t have a year left, or a month left, or even a day left. When our last day arrives, what will be have? If we’ve lived without living for God, we’ll have nothing. But if we’ve lived for God, we’ll have eternity. How foolish is it to so live as to have no future when our final day on earth arrives. Every farmer should be smart enough to know that.

Kenny Chumbley