THE MATERIAL FOOL
Luke 12:13-21
Jerry Vines
4/28/96
Ivan Boesky is the Wall Street investor who served a prison term and paid a million dollar fine
for inside trading. In the earlier years of his career he really was the darling of Wall Street. In many
ways he epitomized the age in which we live. We are living in a time where there is excessive
materialism and where there is excessive greed. For many people in our culture today they are caught
up in a maze of materialism. Their creed is greed and their god is gold. So, Ivan Boesky, in many
ways, symbolizes the materialism and the spirit of greed in our day. In fact, in the earlier years when he
was the darling of Wall Street, he was invited to give the commencement address at a major university.
In the course of that address let me read you some things he said.
"Greed is alright. I want you to know I think greed is healthy.
You can be greedy and still feel good about yourself."
The disturbing thing about what he said there is that when he said it the students greeted him
with laughter and applause. But to the Lord Jesus Christ greed is not a laughing matter. In fact the
Lord Jesus told the familiar parable of the rich fool in order to warn us against the dangers of greed and
the problems of materialism.
Actually this particular story Jesus told came as result of an interruption. Jesus was teaching on
some very important eternal matters. A man blurted into the middle of His message and said to Him,
"Master, I have a dispute between my brother. Tell him to divide mine inheritance."
Here was a man who had money on his mind and he wanted Jesus to be the arbitrator of the
dispute. I have a friend who is a millionaire and he said to me several years ago, "If you really want to
know what a person is, then touch their ...
Luke 12:13-21
Jerry Vines
4/28/96
Ivan Boesky is the Wall Street investor who served a prison term and paid a million dollar fine
for inside trading. In the earlier years of his career he really was the darling of Wall Street. In many
ways he epitomized the age in which we live. We are living in a time where there is excessive
materialism and where there is excessive greed. For many people in our culture today they are caught
up in a maze of materialism. Their creed is greed and their god is gold. So, Ivan Boesky, in many
ways, symbolizes the materialism and the spirit of greed in our day. In fact, in the earlier years when he
was the darling of Wall Street, he was invited to give the commencement address at a major university.
In the course of that address let me read you some things he said.
"Greed is alright. I want you to know I think greed is healthy.
You can be greedy and still feel good about yourself."
The disturbing thing about what he said there is that when he said it the students greeted him
with laughter and applause. But to the Lord Jesus Christ greed is not a laughing matter. In fact the
Lord Jesus told the familiar parable of the rich fool in order to warn us against the dangers of greed and
the problems of materialism.
Actually this particular story Jesus told came as result of an interruption. Jesus was teaching on
some very important eternal matters. A man blurted into the middle of His message and said to Him,
"Master, I have a dispute between my brother. Tell him to divide mine inheritance."
Here was a man who had money on his mind and he wanted Jesus to be the arbitrator of the
dispute. I have a friend who is a millionaire and he said to me several years ago, "If you really want to
know what a person is, then touch their ...
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