Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me." He replied to him, "Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?" Then he said to the crowd, "Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possessions." Then he told them a parable. "There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, 'What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?' And he said, 'This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, "Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!" But God said to him, 'You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?' Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God." (Lk 12:13-21)
Jesus refuses to be a judge between brothers. Brothers are fighting for their right to share of property. Only people of greed fight for property and they go to judges to demand for shares. Jesus also says that life does not consist in possessions. Right from day one Jesus was very sure of his moves. God was everything for him and Godly kingdom.
Parable also communicates the same message. Man might think that all what he has (possesses) will make him happy and live long. But life is not in his control. There is someone beyond him and his planning. It is God who controls the events of life. Man cannot plan for his life. Man may have everything he wants but to plan for the future is not in his hands. He has to fall into the plan of God.
The rich man is not the one who possesses lots of things on this earth. Richness consists in possessing things of God. Jesus was sure of this and he continued to preach on this. He lived his life also accordingly. We are in this world but we do not belong to this world. We are all creatures of God and we are to return to God. Only those who are aware of this and live accordingly are truly rich.
