A few weeks ago I received one of those amusing round robin emails. It was a story about a young man called Tom who had his eye on a rather attractive young woman. He manages to strike up a conversation with her and in his efforts to try and secure a date with her, he says that he knows that he is just an ordinary kind of guy and was not dashing and handsome. However, he added, he worked in his father’s company and that one day, when his father died, he would be very rich. The young lady seemed very interested and asked him for his details so he handed over a business card. Two weeks later she became Tom’s stepmother! That story probably comes under the heading of what could be described as a ‘cautionary tale’ of counting one’s chickens before they are hatched, possibly it is also a lesson in discretion.
When I thought about this story, I was reminded of the Parable of the Rich Fool told by Jesus (Luke 12:13 – 21). This concerned a wealthy land owner who thought up a grand scheme what would see him secure plenty of food, drink and good things and then he would take it easy and be able to live a life of luxury. God had other plans and said to him “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”
Another cautionary tale and counting chickens. Two examples of people who thought they had got it made.
Jesus concludes his parable by saying, This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich towards God.” Jesus is not saying that one cannot be wealthy but teaching that people who only interest is in storing up wealth for themselves will be held to account by God. We can put this alongside the account (Luke 21: 1 – 4) where Jesus noticed a poor widow put two small coins in the temple treasury and comments, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live
on.”
This widow was the one who was right with God, who ‘had it made’. Have you got it made?