Jesus’ first words were – “a certain rich man…” There you have the context.

For me, this has always been the parable of the “barn-guy.” He was “into” barns. He liked his “barns.” He was proud of his “barns.” The problem was – he needed more room, more space…a “bigger barn or barns.”
So, one day, he went into his barn “yard.” He barn “stormed” the area…threw open his barn “doors” and sized up what he owned. He started thinking about this season’s impending crop. And he knew, it was going to be a real barn – “burner.”
The land produced. Oh boy, did the land “ever produce!”
The region produced “unbelievably!”
Like never before!
God had blessed them!
Just “enough” rain…
“More than enough” sun…
“No pests” to destroy the crops.
It was indeed, “a very good year!”
And being the smart man… that he was … he began to put two and two together… Everybody in the region was having a stellar year! Surplus! That is what it meant. An abundance…an over-abundance.

And everybody knew that when there was an “over abundance” or “a surplus,” that the price would plummet.

But he said to himself…if I had bigger barns…bigger than big…big-normous…big-alicious…big –arama…big-gantic…big-zilla…big-anometry …big-tastic…big – a doodle do – then, I would ultimately have enough room to store “my crops” for another year when the price might actually “go up!” And then, I would make MORE MONEY!

It made good sense to the “barn-guy.” Good business practices and all…

So he made his decision. He knew exactly “what” he should be doing…

He was going to build those “honker of buildings, the likes of which no one had ever before seen!

He was so very proud of himself! That’s when Jesus started to wind down “the telling” of the parable…or the story!

Adding one more little tiny detail: that night, that very night, his soul…his very life…would be demanded or required of him…

All that “spinning of wheels,” all those “ideas of greatness”…all of that profit that he hoped to accumulate, and then the “abundance his of crops”…not to mention the barns that he even now possessed…

Whose would they be?
Who would they belong to?
Just who would inherit all of his “fancy-schmancy” dreams and schemes…?” All of his money…all of his possessions? Who would get it ALL?

You see, this all started because Jesus was teaching the crowds…

The crowds that were constantly growing in size…

And out of nowhere – a person from within the crowd yells out – and requests that Jesus “intervene” in a “family dispute” about “inheritance.”

Now, Jesus was “no fool.” And almost said as much – when he refused to decide between the brothers…
I am not to be the one to “judge” or be the “decider” in those matters, Jesus answered back.

Everyone knew “what” was written in the law of Moses. The first born male inherited 2/3’s of his father’s property. All other remaining males would have to divide the remaining one third among themselves. That was the law. It was no doubt “the younger brother” that raised the question. And he was opposed to “his older brother” receiving “the lions share” of the inheritance. There was no real wiggle room there, it was the law. Carved in stone!

An “inheritance dispute,” really? You want me to stop teaching and address that? NOW?

Umm, can’t you see I was mid-sentence here…but let me tell you this…my advice to you…is “DO NOT BE GREEDY.”

Life’s “substance,” “its essence,” who you are…has absolutely nothing to do with “what you own”…and why would you think it were so?

“Your stuff” is not going to save you! Only God saves…blessed be he! Your “obsessive accumulation of material things” is not at all important. It is just “stuff.”

So Jesus told them “the parable” of the rich “barn” guy. It was all about him. His barns. His happiness. His profits. His crops… Him…him…him…

Jesus knew his audience pretty well. 90% (if not 95% of the people) that followed him lived in poverty. They were not working. They were following around this itinerant preacher. Most of them were already “displaced” or would be soon! The rich man talked only to himself and cared only about himself, he disregarded his neighbors and God.
IT IS ABOUT PRIORITIES! WHAT IS IMPORTANT? Amen.