Life Application Story

Once upon a time, in a bustling village square, a young boy named Simon tugged at the sleeve of a kind teacher named Joshua, who was known for his wisdom and his wonderful stories.

“Teacher Joshua,” Simon implored, “my brother and I can’t agree on how to share our family’s treasures since our father passed away. Can you tell him to give me my fair share?”

Joshua looked at Simon with gentle eyes and replied, “Oh, young friend, I’m here to share wisdom, not to settle squabbles. Remember, having more toys and coins doesn’t fill your heart the way kindness and love do.”

To help Simon understand, Joshua shared a story, as the other children gathered around, their eyes wide with curiosity.

“In a village not so different from ours, there lived a very rich farmer named Mr. Abundio. One year, his fields were so full of wheat that he didn’t know what to do with it all. He pondered, ‘My barns are too small for such a big harvest!'”

Mr. Abundio came up with what he thought was a brilliant idea. “I will tear down my old barns and build the grandest ones in the land. Then I can store all my wheat and be merry for years to come!”

The children giggled at the thought of such enormous barns, imagining them towering over the village like castles filled with golden grain.

But that night, the Angel of the Lord spoke to Mr. Abundio in his dream, ‘Oh Mr. Abundio, you’ve been silly indeed! Tonight, you’re going on a long journey from which you won’t return. Now, who will enjoy all this wheat you’ve stored just for yourself?’

The children gasped, and Joshua continued, “You see, storing up treasures just for ourselves is like building castles of sand by the sea. They might be washed away before we even get to play in them.”

He knelt down, so he was eye-to-eye with Simon and the other children. “Instead, we should build treasures of friendship, kindness, and love—these are the treasures that make us rich in the heart, and that’s what pleases Jesus our Lord and Savior.

And from that day on, Simon learned to share not just toys and coins, but also kindness, as he and his brother found the greatest treasure of all—love for each other. And all the children in the village learned from Teacher Joshua’s story to be rich in ways that made everyone happier and the village a much brighter place.

Parable of the Rich Fool Scripture Luke 12:13-21

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Parable of the Rich Fool Prayer

Dear God in heaven, so good and true,

Help me to live with heart like You.

Not to gather toys in a towering stack,

But to love and give, and not hold back.

Teach me to share, not to keep,

To sow kindness, love to reap.

Like the man with barns so wide,

Let not my heart be filled with pride.

Remind me that life’s not just for me,

But to care for others, as You decree.

I don’t want to be like the man who lost,

His chance to love, at such a cost.

So, I’ll hold my treasures in open hands,

Ready to share, in line with Your plans.

And when I have more than I need,

I’ll give away, not driven by greed.

Help me be rich in love and deeds,

To be giving, like You, to all who have needs.

This is my prayer, simple and true,

To live a life that honors You.

In Jesus Name Amen.