Jesus had been talking about the loving care of the Heavenly Father, and
one of the listeners interrupted him with a request that he would talk
to his brother and get him to divide equally between them the property
that had been left. Jesus asked him who he thought made him a judge, or
a divider over them; and then, by the story he told them, he showed the
covetous thought that was in the man’s heart. He reminded them that the
important thing in a man’s life was not to have a great deal of property.
Said he: “There was a certain man who grew rich; his harvests were so
great that he wondered what he should do with all his grain. At last he
decided to pull down his barns and build larger ones, and then say to
his soul, ‘Soul, you have plenty of food, enough to last you many years;
take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.’ But just then God spoke to him;
He said, ‘Foolish man, this night your soul shall be called to leave the
body; then who will have all these things which you have provided?’—Now,”
said Jesus, “the man who plans for himself, laying up treasures for
himself, and has none of the riches that God could give him, is like this
poor, foolish man in the story.” Then He turned to His disciples and
told them that living meant more than simply keeping the body alive and
clothed.
[Illustration: CONSIDER THE LILIES HOW THEY GROW.—Luke xii. 27.]