12:16-18 Jesus told the parable of the rich fool to illustrate His point (v. 15). He presented the rich man as an intelligent farmer. The farmer did only what was reasonable. Jesus was not faulting him for his plans. Likewise the man's concern about his inheritance was a legitimate concern (v. 13).
12:19 The rich man's folly lay in what he failed to consider, not in the plans that he made. His words to himself indicate that he thought his life consisted in the abundance of his possessions alone, but there was more to life than he realized, namely life beyond the grave. The man used a common form of address in speaking to himself (cf. Ps. 41:6, 12; 42:5). "Soul"or "self"translates the Greek psychethat frequently represents the whole person as it does here (e.g., James 1:21; 5:20).
12:20 God said something different to the man than he had said to himself. This contrast shows the error of the rich man's thinking. In the Old Testament a fool is essentially someone who disbelieves or disregards God (e.g., Ps. 14:1; cf. Luke 11:40). That is precisely what this man had done regarding the meaning of life. He had thought that he would be comfortable for many years to come (v. 19), but God demanded his life that very night. This loss of life contrasts with his accumulation of possessions. Now he had nothing left, and his possessions would pass to his heirs (cf. Eccles. 2:18-19). This fact could not have escaped the notice of the man who posed the question about his inheritance (v. 13). Even if he got part of his brother's inheritance, he might not keep it long.
12:21 Jesus drew the application. A person who only enriches himself and does not lay up treasure in heaven is a fool (cf. Matt. 6:19; 1 Tim. 6:6-10; James 1:10). "For himself"contrasts with "toward God."This translation preserves the form of the contrast in the Greek text. The point of the contrast is the difference between riches on earth and riches in heaven.
In this teaching with its illustrative parable Jesus taught His disciples and the multitude to beware of a foolish attitude toward material possessions. The wrong attitude is that the richness of life depends on the richness of wealth. Disciples need to be aware of this viewpoint because the desire to increase wealth can draw them away from following Jesus faithfully. This is especially true since Jesus promised them opposition and persecution rather than wealth and comfort. Material possessions cannot provide the quality of life that intimacy with God can. Disciples should live with what God has revealed about life beyond the grave, specifically reward or loss of reward, clearly in view rather than living for the present.
"A test of our heart is how we give. Are we generous or are we hoarders? This is a test that we have to engage in privately before the Lord. No one can tell someone else exactly how to answer such questions, for there is no magic percentage that is to be reached."305
