After my previous blog on the “super-rich,” I thought I would continue with additional thoughts on money and wealth.

I recently read that eleven of Jesus’ parables are teachings on money and what we should be doing (and not doing) with it. So clearly, this was an important topic to Christ and we should take note of that. One of the most well-known money parables is Luke 12:16-21. It is called the Parable of the Rich Fool.

And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a certain rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do since I have no place to store my crops.’ And he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

It is important to recognize that this man is described as “a rich man.” He was not coming up with a plan to get rich, he was already wealthy. His business was very productive, which was a good thing.

He then began to think about how he could expand his business. This in itself is also a good thing. It can be good for the community in that it produces jobs and increases the tax base.

Yet clearly God had a problem with this man’s intentions. Notice how often the rich man uses the word “I” and “me.” He is already wealthy but wants to store up even more for himself.

Do you think God would have seen him differently if his first reaction had been, “Since I am already rich, just think of all I could do for others and for my community with all this additional prosperity.”

You see his view of his wealth when he says, “Soul you have many goods laid up for many years to come.” It is in one sense about security—I have the future covered, I will not have to worry about money, I will be set for life.

I remember in an old sermon by Tim Keller, he said there are two main psychological reasons that people become what he calls “money centric,” where money is at the center of their lives.

Keller says first is what you see in this parable, it is a source of security. This man is saying, “I will now have control of the future. I will have control over a world that is uncontrollable for most people.”

Think about how ludicrous this is. To think, “If I have money, then I will be safe from the dangers of life.” Do you see how foolish this is?

According to Keller, the second psychological reason people have an inordinate love of money is that it is a way to make themselves attractive to other people. They will think we are important. If this is true of my life I will look for ways to spend money that will impress others. And Keller then says, if this is your psychological approach to money, In the end you will have no idea whether anyone likes you for you.

So we must understand that if you are looking for money to be your security or you are looking for it to make you attractive to others, you are in effect looking to money to give you that which only God can provide.

This is why God calls this man a fool. In the Bible, a fool is someone who does not think well, does not think clearly. He is someone who is out of touch with reality, particularly spiritual reality.

Money made this man a fool and it particularly made him spiritually blind. He thought he was secure and he was not, he was a fool. He stored up his wealth as if this world was all there is and is the only thing that really matters.

Jesus told this man you are going to die tonight, and none of your wealth is going with you. This man failed to account for his mortality. It reminds me of Jesus’ words in Mark 8:36-37:

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Richard E Simmons III is the founder and Executive Director of The Center for Executive Leadership and a best-selling author.