What was the rich man supposed to do?

"So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God"  Luke 12.21


What is the rich man supposed to do?
He has too much grain.
His barns are not large enough to store it all.
He needs larger barns.


On the surface, it is a straight forward business problem.  Something about excess resources and not sufficient storage.  Leverage the loan for the new barns with a lien on the existing grain.  Get a low interest rate.  Not a hard problem actually.

Except that Jesus is not happy with this man and that causes us to pause and consider what the problem is exactly.

Was the man rich because he was a miser  toward all?
Was the man rich because hewas unscruppulous in business?
Is Jesus unhappy because the man is rich?

Or, was the man arrogant, parading his existing wealth and his new found luck in front of all the village people?
Was he the last man in the village anyone wanted anything good to happen to?
Is Jesus unhappy because the rich man is a serious pain in the neck?

Or, was the man so consumed by his own good fortune that he was blind to everyone and everything around him?
Was he a hoarder?
Is Jesus unhappy because this man is selfish and self centered?

Or, was the man so amazingly pleased with himself that he offered nothing to anyone, not even a word of thanksgiving to God for his abundant harvest?
Is Jesus unhappy because this man failed to praise God for this bounty that has fallen into his lap?

As much as we might look at this as a simple business problem, Jesus is very clear that this little parable is about greed.  Greed:  wanting it all for yourself.  Not just what you need, but whatever you can get your hands on.  Regardless of the needs of those around you.

Greed makes us blind: to others around us, to our own embarrassing behavior and to the God who gave us not just grain, but the opportunity to be a blessing to others.  This rich man squandered his chance to live out the mercy that our Lord so freely offered him.  He didn't even think about it.

As he lay there, dreaming of his brand new red barns, the undertaker was pulling up out front.  The opportunity was lost.  The barns were lost.  The money to be gained from the wheat was lost.

The rich man was lost.  I think, in the end, it was this that left Jesus sorrowing.