Edna Lister on the Parable of the Rich Fool

And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will 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. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. – Luke 12:16-21.

Jesus said: There was a rich man who had many possessions. He said: I will use my possessions to sow and reap and plant, to fill my barns with fruit, that I may have need of nothing. Those were his thoughts in his heart; and in that night he died. He who has ears, let him hear. – Gospel of Thomas, Saying 63.

The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Merchants

This Edna Lister wrote this parable as a message for her Cleveland, Ohio groups, to be read at their November 13, 1938 Sunday Service.

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. – Luke 12:15.

Jesus said: There was a rich man who had many possessions. He said: I will use my possessions to sow and reap and plant, to fill my barns with fruit, that I may have need of nothing. Those were his thoughts in his heart; and in that night he died. He who has ears, let him hear. – Gospel of Thomas, Saying 63.

A parable give I unto you. A merchant there was, great in his vision, whose service unto God was great. When those who buy came unto him, he served them greatly. More of his goods gave he unto them than they could ask. His shelves, when empty, were always being filled again from the storehouse.

He waxed and prospered, for his merchandise was always fresh and of goodly flavor and quality. Therefore, his fellow citizens came ever increasingly unto him and his fame went abroad and his justice and generosity became known.

It came to pass that he called in much help and built many granaries and enlarged his buildings to hold more shelves, which in turn he emptied speedily, giving always more than was asked "Because," said he, "the Lord hath prospered me. Therefore shall I tithe unto Him in praise."

And to the buyer of goods saith he, "This give I unto you because of thy help in prospering me before all men." He grew in stature and all men, even from far countries came in unto him to find the way of law.

Hear of the second merchant. He thought that he must needs save a tiny bit on each one coming in unto him to buy so that he might make his goods last a little longer, and that he might collect just a little more for his goods than his neighbor.

Thought he, "My neighbor will soon be impoverished with his over-fullness of giving. Therefore shall I always withhold a little from what I sell so that when my neighbor is undone, I may have plenty and to spare for those who come to me a-buying."

So he sold not that which he had, until the few who came to buy found false claims and inferior products that were stale and shopworn, until they came not at all, but went where goods were sweet to the nostrils, flavorful to the tongue and where they received more than was asked.

Hear then of the fate of the one who withheld. Mold and rust crept into his saved stores, nothing moved from his shelves, or storehouse.

His goods had no circulation of life through giving, and that man lost his trade for lack of giving, and his mind because of blaming others for his own selfishness and greed.

Finally, he lost his high estate in the kingdom of Heaven because he crystallized his endowment of Substance, Power, Life and Light upon earth and could bring none back unto the Father in Heaven. That man must make many trips out into earth to release, and carry back that which God has entrusted unto him in the beginning.

Therefore, accept this message from God the Father, who hath charge of all Substance, Power, Life and Light under Him and cannot allow a creator servant to pass into His kingdom eternally without due accounting and return of all which he brought forth to use in his pilgrimage to earth and upon earth as a creator god.

When called upon, always give more than is asked of thee of time, effort, love, compassion, strength and the greatest of these is gratitude. Give of this in abundance, lest what thou didst bring with thee in the beginning shall crystallize, and thou mayest not enter the higher realms of the kingdom of Heaven.

The Parable of the Rich Fool

Edna Lister created this sermon outline for May 29, 1960. Scriptures: Luke 12:15-21.

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will 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. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. – Luke 12:15-21.

If you think to lay up treasures for self, you are not conscious of being rich toward God. Seeking treasures on earth leads you into a wilderness of debts and needs, obligations for clothing, food, and material objects.

When you feel right toward God, you always think of God pouring out and giving. What you give God makes you rich.

A faith that is focused upward does not lean or create an impoverished consciousness. To grow this faith, you must love enough.

I am become rich, I have found me out substance. – Hosea 12:8. When you are rich in God, you are wealthy in harmony, joy and love, eternal youth and immortality.

The world asks God to give, and He does, but miracles come only when you feel rich toward God. cherubim and seraphim surround you, protect you, but to whom do they belong? Every living thing, including your soul, belongs to the Father.

Declare, "I am rich toward God. I spread my wings and hold them up, as do the seraphim and cherubim before the throne of the Almighty God."