John Calvin Commentary Luke 12:16

"And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:" — Luke 12:16 (ASV)

And he spoke a parable to them. This parable presents to us, as in a mirror, a lively portrait of this truth: that people do not live by their abundance. Since the life even of the richest people is taken away in a moment, what good does it do them that they have accumulated great wealth? Everyone acknowledges this to be true, so Christ says nothing here that is not perfectly common, and what everyone constantly says.

But where is the person who honestly believes it? Do not all, on the contrary, regulate their lives and arrange their plans and pursuits so that they withdraw to the greatest distance from God, basing their lives on a present abundance of good things? It is therefore necessary that all should immediately awaken, so that, by imagining their happiness to consist in riches, they do not entangle themselves in the snares of covetousness.

This parable shows us:

1. That the present life is short and transitory.
2. It points out to us that riches are of no use for prolonging life.
3. We must add a point, which is not explicitly stated but can easily be inferred from the other two: that it is an excellent remedy for believers to ask the Lord for their daily bread and to rely on his providence alone, whether they are rich or poor.