The Dangers of Greed and Wealth: A Study of Luke 12:13-21

Jesus used different pedagogical methods in driving the Gospel message home to his listeners such as parables. Through these methods He wanted to modify human attitude towards wealth acquisition and management. Luke12:13-21 addresses the problem of covetousness. It was told in response to the invitation of a younger brother for Christ to intervene in a family dispute over their inheritance. The particular dispute of these two brothers about the acquisition and management of wealth were of little concern to Christ in terms of his mission for humanity. Yet Christ through this parable provided principles that are very applicable to our contemporary society where the inordinate urge for wealth often leads people to engage in corrupt practices. This paper discusses the parable and draws contextual implications for Nigerian society.