This piece was inspired by one of Dr. Martin Luther King’s sermons based on the parable of the Rich Man from Luke 12:16-21. I rarely find anyone who knows anything beyond the “I Have A Dream” speech. Dr. King’s sermon [with the same title] showed extraordinary foresight into the future. He describes how the farmer was a fool and how similar thinking continues to keep the United States in bondage to this day.
In the parable, so similar to today, people are surrounded by those of means and those without means, the very prosperous aloof, and the hopeless clinging to whatever they have. The prosperous seem to have so much, but their inclination to show compassion to the poor is miniscule.
Depending on who you ask, 2026 could be considered troublesome. Markets seem inclined to discriminate against those not deemed favorable to serve. The rich invest in corporations solely vested in profit disdaining taxes, philanthropy or dividend distribution. Now there’s Artificial Intelligence that enables factories to run unhindered 24 hours a day eliminating jobs and health benefits to put more money “in the barn”.
This is the climate that the proverbial foolish man found himself in where his AI and crude oil investments showed huge returns and he was looking for ways to do more investment. His figurative barns were bursting as he considered hedging some investments or closing some businesses that did not deliver the results he assumed he was due.
Suddenly, as he finds himself with a larger profit line than he had projected, he has an epiphany. He has outdone himself; his business acumen and prowess have delivered again. Everything said about him was true. He really is a mogul for the ages! His past failures are irrelevant.
His response to the good fortune? In 2026 he says “I am going to do what I need to do to consolidate my earnings and celebrate my good fortune. Call my broker and set up new accounts for my fortune. They say the Mediterranean is remarkable this time of year and that seems like the perfect place to enjoy my exquisite privilege”.
One[GH1] of the many benefits of a strong relationship with God is finding our way through troublesome times. As it seems, 2026 is a beginning stage to more troublesome times. Markets are turbulent and unrelenting due to wars and changing conditions. These are times like the old adage say the “rich get richer and the poor get poorer.”
“The question Christ leaves us with is simple: if death claims the man tonight, who inherits the fortune? Modern corporate culture assumes that greed is the necessary price of productivity—a logic that justifies tax evasion, worker elimination, and executive payouts 300 times that of the average employee. But Christ’s parable exposes the fatal flaw in that math: eliminating greed isn’t an economic strategy; it is an ethical imperative.
“Life is not defined by what you have, even if you have a lot” Luke 12:15b from The Message
The truth displayed the word of God is hardly hidden from anyone, yet people seem upset when their confusion becomes apparent. Unfortunately, this wisdom may be hidden from those who are estranged from God and his Kingdom. As it is written: But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means
