Luke 12:19

And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: AND HE SPAKE A PARABLE ... THE GROUND OF A CERTAIN RICH MAN BROUGHT FORTH PLENTIFULLY: AND HE THOUGHT WITHIN HIMSELF, SAYING, WHAT SHALL I DO ... I WILL PULL DOWN MY BARNS, AND BUILD GREATER; AND THERE WILL I BESTOW ALL MY FRUITS AND MY GOODS. AND I WILL SAY TO MY SOUL, SOUL, THOU HAST MUCH GOODS LAID UP FOR MANY YEARS; TAKE THINE EASE, EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY. Why is this man called a "fool"? First, Because he deemed a life of secure and abundant earthly enjoyment the summit of human felicity; and next, because, having acquired the means of realizing this, through prosperity in his calling, he flattered himself that he had a long lease of such enjoyment, and nothing to do but to give himself up to it. Nothing else is laid to his charge....

19._Take thine ease, eat, drink, enjoy thyself. _When he exhorts himself to _eat and drink, _he no longer remembers that he is a man, but swells into pride by relying on his abundance. We daily perceive striking instances of this disdainful conduct (270) in irreligious men, who hold up the mass of their riches, as if it were nothing less than a brazen rampart against death. When he says, _Eat, my soul, and enjoy thyself, _there is an emphatic meaning in this Hebrew idiom; (271) for he addresses himself in such a manner as to imply, that he has all that is necessary for gratifying all his senses and all his desires....

13-21 Christ's kingdom is spiritual, and not of this world. Christianity does not meddle with politics; it obliges all to do justly, but wordly dominion is not founded in grace. It does not encourage expectations of worldly advantages by religion. The rewards of Christ's disciples are of another nature. Covetousness is a sin we need constantly to be warned against; for happiness and comfort do not depend on the wealth of this world. The things of the world will not satisfy the desires of a soul. Here is a parable, which shows the folly of carnal worldling while they live, and their misery when they die. The character drawn is exactly that of a prudent, worldly man, who has no grateful regard to the providence of God, nor any right thought of the uncertainty of human affairs, the worth of his soul, or the importance of eternity. How many, even among professed Christians, point out simila...

Verse Luke 12:19. _SOUL, THOU HAST MUCH GOODS_] Great possessions are generally accompanied with _pride, idleness_, and _luxury_; and these are the greatest enemies to salvation. Moderate poverty, as one justly observes, is a great talent in order to salvation; but it is one which nobody desires. _TAKE THINE EASE, EAT, DRINK_, and _be merry._] This was exactly the creed of the ancient Atheists and Epicureans. _Ede, bibe, lude;_ _post mortem nulla voluptas._ What a wretched portion for an immortal spirit! and yet those who know not God have no other, and many of them not even this....

MUCH GOODS - Much property. Enough to last a long while, so that there is no need of anxiety or labor. TAKE THINE EASE - Be free from care about the future. Have no anxiety about coming to want. EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY - This was just the doctrine of the ancient Epicureans and atheists, and it is, alas! too often the doctrine of those who are rich. They think that all that is valuable in life is to eat, and drink, and be cheerful or merry. Hence, their chief anxiety is to obtain the “delicacies of the season “ - the luxuries of the world; to secure the productions of every clime at any expense, and to be distinguished for splendid repasts and a magnificent style of living. What a portion is this for an immortal soul! What folly to think that “all” that a man lives for is to satisfy his sensual appetites; to forget that he has an intellect to be cultivated, a

EXPOSITION LUKE 12:1 _The Lord_,_ after leaving the Pharisee_'_s house_,_ speaks at great length to a numerous crowd waiting for him_,_ addressing his words principally to his own disciples. _The foregoing scene (Luke 11:1.), when the Master addressed his bitter reproaches to the learned and cultivated of the great Pharisee party, took place in a private house belonging to an apparently wealthy member of this, the dominant class. The name of the large village or provincial town where all this happened is unknown. The crowd who had been listening to the great Teacher before he accepted the Pharisee's invitation still lingered around the house. Many from the adjoining villages, hearing that Jesus was in this place and was publicly teaching, had

AND I WILL SAY TO MY SOUL,.... Himself, see Psalms 49:18 or to his sensual appetite, which he sought to indulge and gratify, for he was wholly a sensual and carnal man: SOUL, THOU HAST MUCH GOODS LAID UP FOR MANY YEARS: he foolishly promises himself a long life, when no man can boast of tomorrow, or knows what a day will bring forth; or can assure himself he shall live a day, an hour, or moment longer: and he also depended upon the safety of his goods, thus laid up; whereas his barns might be consumed by fire at once, or his goods be devoured by vermin, or plundered by thieves, and by various ways taken out of his hands; for riches are uncertain things, and make themselves wings and fly away: TAKE THINE CASE, EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY; spend thy life in ease, luxury, and mirth; put away the evil day far from thee: never trouble thyself abou

The teaching of our Lord, in this chapter, has very much to do with Christianity in connection with this present life, and its cares and troubles. God has nowhere promised us exemption from affliction and trial. Indeed, it has been said, with much truth, that the Old Testament promise was one of prosperity, but that the New Testament promise is one of tribulation. You may rest assured that, if it had been best for us to be taken away to heaven directly we were converted, the Lord would have done it, and that, as he has not done so, there are wise reasons why he keeps his people here for a while. The gold must go through the fire ere it has its place in the king's crown, and the wheat must be exposed to the winnowing fan ere it can be taken into the heavenly garner. Luke 12:1. In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode...

CHAPTER 12 _ 1. Warning Against Hypocrisy. (Luke 12:1)_ 2. Encouragements. (Luke 12:4) 3. Warning Against Covetousness. (Luke 12:15) 4. Warning Against Anxiety. (Luke 12:22) 5. The Disciples Comfort and Hope. (Luke 12:32) 6. The Parable of the Steward. (Luke 12:41) 7. The Purpose of God and the Resulting Division. (Luke 12:49) 8. Concerning signs.

PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL. Lk. only. LUKE 12:13_. _ The crowd of Luke 12:1 reappears here. Luke 12:14. Jesus declines to usurp the functions of the civil judge. Luke 12:15 is an editorial link between the incident (in which there is no allusion to covetousness, unless indeed that term be taken to cover the claiming of one's rights) and the parable. Tr. a man's life is not part of his possessions because he has ample wealth (Moffatt). Luke 12:20. this night: apparently just when he has carried his plans through. thy so