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“The Trouble With Bigger Barns”

Rev. Rebecca DePoe

Our Scripture reading for this morning comes from the gospel of Luke, chapter 12, beginning in verse 13. Hear now the word of God:

Luke 12:13-21

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” 16 Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17 And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

This is the word of the Lord, thank be to God.

When I was in seminary, I did an internship with a pastor close to retirement. When she announced her retirement, she got to work cleaning out her office. One day I showed up to the church and I found a box with my name on it in my office. I opened the box, and I found a stack of books my field education supervisor thought would be helpful to me in my future ministry. The box had old hymnals, books of common worship, even a book on how to talk to a child about the death of a loved one.  

Because I admired and respected this supervisor, I carted this box of books around with me for my first three pastoral calls. But as I was packing up my office to come here, I realized: I never once used the books in this box. All the books were doing were taking up space. On my bookshelves. And in my soul.  

In Luke 12, Jesus tells the story of a man with a different kind of storage problem. His barns were full, but his soul was empty. He had everything he thought he needed — and yet, God calls him a fool. Not because he was wealthy, but because he had forgotten what life is really for.

In our Scripture reading for this morning, a man asks Jesus to settle a family inheritance dispute. In the Ancient Near East, disputes over inheritance were common, and rabbis were often asked to mediate. But Jesus refuses get sucked into family dramas. Instead, Jesus tells the man to be on guard against greed.

The man comes to Jesus with what seems like a reasonable request: he wants help securing his share of a family inheritance. But Jesus hears something deeper- a heart consumed by having more, not just having what is fair. So instead of settling the dispute, Jesus issues a warning: “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12:15).

Greed, in this context, isn’t just about money- it’s about a misplaced sense of security, a distorted relationship with others, and a life centered on self. Jesus knows that unchecked greed can fracture families, damage communities, and crowd God out of our lives. It convinces us that we never have enough and that we must protect what we have at all costs. That’s why Jesus doesn’t just address the symptom- he confronts the deeper issue. He’s not just warning about financial behavior; he’s inviting the man (and us) to reimagine what a good, meaningful, God-centered life looks like.

In Luke’s Gospel, wealth functions as a kind of spiritual x-ray. It reveals the posture of the heart. Again and again, Luke draws a sharp contrast between accumulating wealth and participating in the kingdom of God. The danger isn’t wealth itself, but what it does to us when we treat it as ultimate. It tempts us to trust in our own self-sufficiency, to insulate ourselves from others, and to forget our dependence on God. A meaningful, God-centered life, by contrast, is one marked by open hands and open hearts- a life that sees material resources not as private possessions but as gifts to be shared.

Jesus calls the rich man a fool because he has made a tragic miscalculation: he believes his wealth can secure his future, but he has forgotten that his life is not his own. In the parable, the man talks only to himself- he makes plans to tear down barns, build bigger ones, store up grain, and “relax, eat, drink, and be merry.” But he never consults God. He never mentions his neighbor. His world is small, self-contained, and centered entirely on his own comfort.

In Luke’s gospel, the word fool (Greek, aphron) isn’t just about lacking intelligence- it’s about living as if God doesn’t exist. The rich man is a fool not because he is rich, but because he is spiritually short-sighted. He’s prepared for every scenario except the one that matters most: his own mortality and accountability to God. His barns are full, but his soul is empty. Jesus calls him a fool to shake us out of the lie that more stuff equals more life- and to invite us into a way of living that is rich in what truly matters.

To be rich toward God, in Luke’s framework, is to live with a sense of holy urgency and relational generosity. It means choosing community over comfort, compassion over control, and purpose over possessions. Think of the Good Samaritan, who used his time, energy, and money to care for a stranger. Or the 72 disciples Jesus commissions where the disciples took no purse, no bag, no sandal with them, and relied on the hospitality of the towns they entered. A God-centered life doesn’t ignore material realities- it reshapes them. It looks like showing up for your neighbor, loosening your grip on what you can’t take with you, and trusting that true abundance is found not in bigger barns, but in deeper love.

Luke wants us to see that the good life- the God-centered life is about living in a way that reflects God’s generosity. It’s about investing in the kinds of riches that don’t rust or fade: compassion, presence, community, and kindness.

And that might sound lofty, but it’s actually incredibly simple. Sometimes it looks like showing up with gentleness. Sometimes it looks like choosing to be fully present. I saw a glimpse of that kind of wealth just last week- at Idlewild of all places- standing in Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood with my niece…

For those who may not know, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is the modern-day animated spinoff of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. It features the children and grandchildren of the original puppet characters- like Daniel Striped Tiger, King Friday, and Lady Elaine. And carries forward the same spirit of kindness, emotional honesty, and gentle guidance.

Daniel Tiger, a preschooler, helps children navigate everyday experiences. Like feeling jealous, waiting their turn, or learning to say goodbye, with little songs and lessons, just like Fred Rogers did. It’s a new generation of children being taught the same timeless truths: that they are loved, that their feelings matter, and that they belong.

Fred Rogers — aka Mister Rogers — didn’t live in a mansion. An ordained Presbyterian minister, Fred Rogers day-to-day life was remarkably consistent, quiet, and intentional. He didn’t chase celebrity or wealth, even though he easily could have. In fact, he was known for eating the same lunch every day- a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of skim milk. He spent his days helping children feel seen, heard, and loved. He knelt to tie their shoes. He sang silly songs. He spoke slowly, kindly, like every child was worth his time.

In one interview, someone asked him about his success, and he said, “What really matters is helping others know that they are loved and capable of loving.” That’s what it looks like to be rich toward God. Being rich toward God isn’t about having more. It’s about pouring more of ourselves into what truly lasts- relationships, kindness, emotional honesty, and grace.

And I thought about Fred Rogers and his legacy, sitting on the trolly in the middle of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood at Idlewild with my niece. Watching her eyes light up as she waved to Miss Elaina, as if it were really taking her to the Land of Make Believe.

There was no money being made in that moment. No productivity. No prestige. Just presence. Love. Attention. And I thought to myself: This is what treasure in heaven looks like.

Jesus isn’t asking us to give up joy or fun or rest. He’s asking us to stop measuring life by what we own and start investing in what really lasts: people, presence, and purpose.

And that’s why this parable matters for us today. Because so much of the world tells us that what counts is what we accumulate. Our homes. Our retirement accounts. Our calendars packed with productivity. But Jesus tells a different story. He invites us to be rich toward God. To live lives that matter not because of what we own, but because of how we love. And friends, that kind of richness is available to everyone. It’s the kind of life you’re already living in bits and pieces. Jesus is simply inviting you to trust that those are the moments that matter most.

So much of life tries to convince us that we are only as valuable as what we earn, own, or achieve. But Jesus reminds us that our lives are not measured in square footage, retirement accounts, or how full our barns are. They’re measured in love. In presence. In generosity. In trust. The rich man in the parable thought he had everything figured out. But he had built his life around the wrong story. He was rich in possessions but poor in purpose. Jesus isn’t trying to scare us with this story- he’s trying to wake us up. To help us see what really matters before it’s too late.

And the good news? You don’t have to build bigger barns. You don’t have to strive for more. You already have what you need to be rich toward God: a heat that loves, hands that serve, and a life that still has breath in it. Whether you’re changing diapers, sitting by a friend’s hospital bed, writing a check to someone in need, or simply being present in the small moments- God sees that. That’s treasure in heaven. So go this week knowing that you are already deeply loved, already rich in grace- and invited to live like it.

Thanks be to God,

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.