<p>12:19 <i>And I will say to my soul: Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years</i>- see on Mt. 6:25; 1 Cor. 15:32. The rich fool reasoned that because he had had a big harvest, he would build bigger barns and relax, because he had enough to last him &ldquo;many years&rdquo; (Lk. 12:18,19). The unreal element here is that a harvest doesn&rsquo;t last many years, especially in a Middle Eastern climate with no way of effectively preserving it. And the lesson, on reflection, is obvious. Riches don&rsquo;t last for ever, he who earns big wages puts them into a bag with holes in&hellip; and yet there is the genuine conviction that they will last much longer than they do. Another unreal element here is that the rich man is described as speaking <i>with himself</i>. It's hard for some cultures to appreciate how Middle Eastern culture is a collective affair. Decisions are taken through much discussion with other people. Likewise, the rich man plans out how to enjoy his wealth <i>alone</i>. There is no speech to his family; he invites <i>himself</i> to rejoice with <i>himself</i>. But all these unreal elements about this man signpost to us the loneliness, insulation and selfishness which is brought about by excess wealth and the increase of investments. It's so relevant to the 21st century. By the way, there's a word play going on here. The man whose land brings forth many things (<i>eu-phoreo</i>) and therefore wants to be merry (<i>eu-phraino</i>) is actually a fool- <i>aphron</i>- an <i>a-phron</i> person, a person without those things. All those things were &quot;required&quot; of him, as a loan is required. They weren't really his. And as so often, the parable is left hanging, with no actual response from the man. We have to imagine where the man's mind turned, what he thought... and take the lesson.</p><p><i>Take your ease, eat, drink, be merry</i>- A direct quotation from Epicurean philosophers. The Lord is directly engaging with secular ideas current at the time. But no quotation marks or used, nor acknowledgment of sources given. Many of the Bible's 'difficult passages' are because of these kinds of allusions to contemporary phrases, ideas and literature, many of which are not preserved today.</p><p>For each aspect of true spirituality, there is a fake counterpart; an appearance of peace when a man has no peace with God; a semblance of prayer and Bible study when actually these are performed as exercises devoid of meaning. The pseudo-believer takes &ldquo;ease&rdquo; (Lk. 12:19) in his materialism; and yet this is the same word used about the true &ldquo;rest&rdquo; which the Lord gives in His ecclesia (Mt. 11:28). If we allow ourselves to be caught up in this, then we are effectively having our part in the spirit of antiChrist. There will not only be a fake Jesus, but there is already within our natures a shadow spirituality, which apes the real thing, and thereby seeks to persuade us that we can take the crown without the cross. In this lies the colossal practical relevance of this theme to the serious believer.</p>