April Fool’s Day. I have never been one for pranking others. Sure, every once in a while, it is fun to hide and scare someone (and in a church building, it happens often). Some people get into elaborate pranks; throughout the ages, companies, presidents, and even entire countries have tried to fool others on the first day of April. In the military, there were simple, harmless pranks where you would ask a new airman to get a fresh exhaust sample from a forklift, hand them a garbage bag, and watch the hilarity ensue.
The pulpit minister at my previous job was an expert prankster; some people changed his name from Rick Hankins to Rick “Prankins.” An electrician by trade, he made a practice of wiring metal doorknobs to provide low-voltage shocks for any unsuspecting victim. There was nothing and nowhere safe on the first day of April. I encountered my fair share of pranks, and onlookers always wondered if I ever wanted to get even with him. But this is the reality: there is no “getting even,” only a continual process of pranks progressively becoming more intense. One time, I thought I could prank Rick. I waited for him to go on vacation and filled his entire office with balloons. Only to find out the next time I left, he glitter-bombed my desk and then wrapped it in plastic wrap. So, I quickly concluded that at some point, I would always be the fool and give up trying to out-prank him.
Luke 12:13-21 – “Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.” 14 Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” 15 Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” 16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”‘ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ 21 “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
There is a type of fool who desires to chase the things of this world. It becomes an insatiable quest. Before Jesus tells this parable, the desire for the things of this world had come between two brothers; even more heartbreaking, it is happening as they grieve their father’s death. This is precisely the fool’s errand, to pursue something that has no end, to chase after something that becomes all-consuming. Paul would write to the church in Colosse mourning this mentality,
“They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. 20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.” (Philippians 3:19-20).
The contrast between these groups of people is evident. One chases after only things on this earth, and the other is secure because they are citizens in heaven, where gold has no value and where moths and rust do not destroy.
Foolishness. There is always a level of “one-up-man-ship” when pranking someone. However, in the end, both will inevitably be the fool. The only way to come out ahead is not to participate. The same goes for placing our hopes in the things of this world. If we chase the treasures of this world, we participate in a cycle that leaves us playing fools. It will harm our closest relationships and eventually disappear, and perhaps that is the greatest prank of all to invest time, energy, and resources into something that will not last forever. Instead, store up your relationship with God so you will not be considered foolish.