Jesus told this parable in the context of a family quarrel over how the inheritance would be divided. What was the rich man’s ultimate goal for himself?
How has wanting to “live comfortably” motivated your decisions? How have you been tempted to “upgrade” when you have more than enough? What do you think God would want you to do with your “extra”?
FOR FURTHER REFLECTION
Thanks to deflated land prices throughout the country, some homebuilders are putting up larger houses, not smaller ones, according to Build magazine. Builders can build bigger and still sell the property at a lower cost than before the housing downturn. In addition, builders can offer “upgrades” as standard. So now, buyers can get “more home for their money.” When has the “more bang for the buck” logic tempted you to purchase things you didn’t really need?
Tongue on Fire 
The logic that the man in the parable uses is the typical American retirement logic. Plan for your future! Make sure you can maintain your current lifestyle after you retire. The goal in life is to stop working and start “taking it easy”, traveling, taking up a hobby, enjoying the R and R you deserve. But of course, the only way to achieve the goal is to amass more and more to ensure that you have enough to see you through the rest of your life (taking into account inflation, catastrophic illness, long-term care, etc.). I need to be careful that I are not so focused on and obsessed with my personal future (i.e. retirement) that I refuse to act generously and justly in the present. Really challenging.
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