Luke 12:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully,

NIV: And he told them this parable: 'The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.

NASB: And He told them a parable, saying, 'The land of a rich man was very productive.

CSB: Then he told them a parable: "A rich man's land was very productive.

NLT: Then he told them a story: 'A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops.

KJV: And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

NKJV: Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.

Speaking to a crowd of thousands, Jesus is teaching how we ought to respond to the coming kingdom of God. That starts with letting go of things the world values. As He teaches the disciples that they may have to give their lives for the kingdom, a man from the crowd interrupts. He asks Jesus to demand his brother divide the family inheritance with him. Jesus refuses; if it's that serious, they should see a judge. More importantly, they should be adult enough to work it out themselves (Luke 12:1–15, 57–59).

Since the topic of worldly possessions has come up, Jesus takes advantage. He warns the crowd that obsession with possessions is covetousness (Exodus 20:17). Just as earthly life is no comparison to eternity in paradise, so worldly possessions are nothing compared to treasures in heaven. To illustrate the point, He tells the parable of the rich fool.

God blesses a farmer. His land has been fertile and is even more so this season. The context of the story suggests this is not because of anything specific he did. The harvest may have been a matter of good weather or because God chose to reward him for his obedience. Either way, Jesus does not look on either the wealth or the good harvest in a negative way. What's judged here is the man's attitude towards his money, which he values more than a relationship with his Creator.

The rich man decides to build bigger barns and retire to a life of leisure. He is focused on the comforts of his life on earth. He does not know that he will die this very night. All his wealth will go to another. Because he prioritized possessions and not God, he will have nothing to show in eternity (Luke 12:17–21).

Luke 12:13–21 records Jesus taking advantage of an interruption to explain a proper perspective of wealth. Jesus has been warning the disciples that faithfulness to Him may require their deaths. A man in the crowd, possibly shouting in the middle of that teaching, demands Jesus settle a family conflict over an inheritance. Jesus declines that request but warns the crowd against temporary, earthly treasures if they distract from their relationship with God. He will return to this theme, telling the crowd to reconcile with people and God or risk earthly and eternal ruin (Luke 12:54—13:9). This parable is unique to Luke's Gospel.

Jesus teaches the disciples about proper priorities. This includes recognizing that God knows all things, even secrets. Believers should honor God more than they fear death, or than they worry about things like food and clothes. Christians are to remain ready for Christ's return, even as faith separates those who believe from those who do not. These ideas revolve around the central theme of verse 34: that a person's heart reflects what they value most.

Luke 12:1—13:9 compares the world with the kingdom of God. Jesus has condemned the hypocrisy of the Pharisees (Luke 11:14–54). He now instructs His disciples to reject the fame and security that Pharisees crave, and hold lightly to their lives, wealth, security, and even family. He then warns the crowd to be wise about their relationships with other people and with God. The next two units each include a miracle and teaching on God's kingdom and salvation (Luke 13:10—15:32). Then the final section in the "travelogue" repeats that three-unit pattern (Luke 16:1—19:27) before Jesus arrives in Jerusalem.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.