English
Jesus said, ‘There was a wealthy man who had immense wealth. He said, “I will use my wealth to sow, harvest, plant, and fill my storage with produce, so that I will not need anything.” These were what he was thinking in his heart, but he died that very night. Whoever has ears, let him hear.’
Interpretation
With this parable, Jesus warns his disciples that they should not be sidetracked by the pursuits of worldly needs. (Compare Saying 36.) Distracting themselves as such will prevent their devotion to Jesus’ message. Following from Saying 62, this gives an example of the sort of person who is not ‘worthy’ to receive the ‘mysteries’ which Jesus reveals. Luke retains a somewhat more detailed version of the parable, which heightens the depiction of the man as far too inwardly-focused.
Parallels
Luke
12.16–21 Then he told them a parable. ‘The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?” Then he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years. Relax, eat, drink, be merry.” But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.’
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