在傳達重要概念時，最有效的方法之一是透過說故事。有人說這相當於 「在言語上畫一幅畫，並把一個重要的道理掛在上面」，故事會讓我們想傳達的理念更容易被記住。

耶穌基督是這方面的大師。祂用比喻（打動人心的簡短故事）來顯明我們人性的弱點。希伯來書4章15節說：「因我們的大祭司並非不能體恤我們的軟弱。他也曾凡事受過試探，與我們一樣，只是他沒有犯罪。」

祂還用比喻來向願意接受的聽眾介紹神國的秘密。正如耶穌在路加福音第8章第10節中，所解釋的：「他說：「神國的奧祕只叫你們知道；至於別人，就用比喻，叫他們看也看不見，聽也聽不明。」那些敞開心學習的人，才能抓住比喻所帶出的信息。

路加福音12章13-21節，敘述有一個場合：「眾人中有一個人 」要求耶穌告訴自己的兄弟姊妹，把他認為屬於自己的遺產分給自己。但是，耶穌不參與這個爭端，他說：「誰立我作你們斷事的官？」 反而，耶穌要人注意人類紛爭更深層次的根源，祂要聽眾們「你們要謹慎自守，免去一切的貪心，因為人的生命不在乎家道豐富。」

然後，耶穌講了一個比喻來進一步說明祂的觀點，我們當中的許多人，甚至在21世紀的商場上，都會心有戚戚焉。一個成功的商人（富人），要面對如何處理多餘「收成」的問題。故事中，財主沒有足夠存糧的地方，於是他決定蓋更大的倉庫，這樣他就能為自己收藏一切的糧食和財物了。「神卻對他說：『無知的人哪，今夜必要你的靈魂；你所預備的要歸誰呢？』凡為自己積財，在神面前卻不富足的，也是這樣。」(路加福音12章20-21節)

為什麽這個富人被稱為愚昧的人？有人可能會說，他幾乎沒有或根本沒有信仰，因為他完全沒有將神納入他的決策過程中。但是，當時猶太人認為財富是神祝福的一個具體表現，所以這個人應該是得到了神的祝福。但是耶穌的比喻，卻完全顛覆這樣的思維。祂警告說，不是擁有財富就代表得到神的祝福，而是如何使用財富，才能表明一個人對神有多少信心和愛。在祂的「登山寶訓」章節中，耶穌教導說：「不要為自己積攢財寶在地上……只要積攢財寶在天上….。因為你的財寶在哪裏，你的心也在那裏」（馬太福音6章19-21節）

愚昧人是把信心、盼望和愛放在自己和自己的財富上，而不是放在神身上，正如哥林多前書13章13節所告誡的。如果這個財主愛神，他就應該考慮用屬神的方法，處理多餘的收成（積攢財寶在天上）。毫無疑問的，這個人周遭有饑餓的鄰舍，和許多其他迫切需要幫助的人。但是根據這個比喻的描述，他選擇了「為自己積攢財寶」，卻錯過了「積攢財寶在天上」的絕佳機會。」

如果你我，作為基督徒，不禱告和詢問神如何好好善用我們的資源，我們就缺乏對神的愛和祂對我們的愛，也顯出我們的愚昧。我總是因為這個比喻，而覺得自己應該更謙卑。主啊！請幫助我以及讀到這篇文章的人，永遠善用我們的財富，積攢財寶在祢的國度裡。

James D. Firnstahl 自2011至2022 年擔任 CBMC國際總幹事，與來自90 個國家的商業和專業男性和女性團隊合作，他們共同熱衷於看到以耶穌基督的福音轉化全球工商職場。

備註：如果你手上有聖經，想要閱讀更多與這個主題相關的內容，請參考下面的經文：
路加福音17章6節
17:6 主說：「你們若有信心像一粒芥菜種，就是對這棵桑樹說：『你要拔起根來，栽在海裏』，它也必聽從你們。
約翰福音15章13節
15:13 人為朋友捨命，人的愛心沒有比這個大的。
羅馬書5章2-5節
5:2 我們又藉着他，因信得進入現在所站的這恩典中，並且歡歡喜喜盼望神的榮耀。
5:3 不但如此，就是在患難中也是歡歡喜喜的；因為知道患難生忍耐，
5:4 忍耐生老練，老練生盼望；
5:5 盼望不至於羞恥，因為所賜給我們的聖靈將神的愛澆灌在我們心裏。
羅馬書8章24-25節
8:24 我們得救是在乎盼望；只是所見的盼望不是盼望，誰還盼望他所見的呢？
8:25 但我們若盼望那所不見的，就必忍耐等候。
哥林多前書13章1-7節
13:1 我若能說萬人的方言，並天使的話語，卻沒有愛，我就成了鳴的鑼，響的鈸一般。
13:2 我若有先知講道(之能)，也明白各樣的奧祕，各樣的知識，而且有全備的信，叫我能夠移山，卻沒有愛，我就算不得甚麼。
13:3 我若將所有的賙濟(窮人)，又捨己身叫人焚燒，卻沒有愛，仍然與我無益。
13:4 愛是恆久忍耐，又有恩慈；愛是不嫉妒；愛是不自誇，不張狂，
13:5 不做害羞的事，不求自己的益處，不輕易發怒，不計算(人的)惡，
13:6 不喜歡不義，只喜歡真理；
13:7 凡事包容，凡事相信，凡事盼望，凡事忍耐。
希伯來書11章1節
11:1 信就是所望之事的實底，是未見之事的確據。

反省與問題討論

1. 在保羅寫給哥林多教會的第一封信中，也就是第13章，使徒保羅宣稱：信、望、愛永遠常存，但其中最大的是愛 (哥林多前書13章13節）如果你發現自己像 「財主」一樣擁有多餘的財富，作為基督徒，你要如何把財寶積攢在天上，來證明你對神的愛呢？ 
2. 接下來，讓我們分別來思考，哥林多前書第13章中引用的那些其他要素：信心、盼望和信靠。如果你要說：「我對神的信心（信靠）使我能夠……」，你會如何完成這個句子呢？
3. 如果你要說：「我對神的盼望驅使我……」，你會如何完成這個句子呢？     
4. 如果你要說：「我對神的愛讓我……」，你會如何完成這個句子呢？
5. 最後一個問題，從你在工作職場的角色來看，在你執行日常職責時，信、望、愛對你有什麽意義呢？

THE STORY OF THE FOOLISH BUSINESSPERSON

By Jim Firnstahl

In trying to communicate critical concepts, one of the most effective ways for doing this is through the use of stories. As someone has described it, this amounts to “painting a verbal picture on which to hang an important principle.” Stories that embody ideas we desire to convey make ideas easier to remember.

Jesus Christ was the master at this. He told parables (poignant, short stories) to reveal our human weaknesses. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.”  

He also used parables to introduce receptive hearers to secrets of the kingdom of God. As Jesus explained in Luke 8:10, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’” Those open to learning would grasp the messages of His parables.

On one occasion recounted in Luke 12:13-21, “someone in the crowd” asked Jesus to tell a sibling to give him some of an inheritance to which he felt entitled. However, Jesus seemed to separate Himself from the dispute by saying, “who made me a judge or arbitrator over you” (and your brother)?  Instead, Jesus drew attention to a deeper root cause of human disputes, urging His listeners to “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 

Then Jesus told a parable to amplify His point, one to which many of us even in the 21^st century marketplace can relate. It seemed a successful businessman (“rich man”) faced a decision on what to do with an excess “crop.” Lacking enough storage space for it, he decided to build more space so he could keep it all for himself. Then God entered the story, saying: “Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?  So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Why was this rich man called a fool? One might say he had little or no faith because he did not factor God into his decision-making process. However, the Jews of the time would have considered this man to be in God’s favor simply because he had wealth. They regarded riches as a tangible sign of God’s favor. Jesus’ parables had a way of turning thinking like this upside-down. It was not the possession of riches, He was warning, but the use of them that indicated how much faith a person had in God and love for Him. In His “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus taught things like, “Do not lay up treasures on earth…but lay up treasures in heaven…. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). 

The fool is one who places his faith, hope and love in himself and his riches rather than in God, as 1 Corinthians 13:13 admonishes. If the rich man loved God, he should have considered godly options (treasures in heaven) for the use of his excess crops. No doubt this man had hungry neighbors and many others who needed help desperately. Instead, as the parable states, he chose to “lay up treasure for himself” and missed a wonderful opportunity to be “rich toward God.” 

If you and I, as Christ-followers, do not pray and inquire regarding the best use of our resources, we lack love for God and the love of God, exposing our foolishness. I am always humbled by this parable. Lord help me – and those reading this – to use our riches always to lay up treasures in Your kingdom. 

© 2023. James D. Firnstahl recently retired as President of CBMC International, serving from 2011 to 2022 with a team of business and professional men and women in 85 countries who share a passion to see the global marketplace transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Questions for Discussion and Reflection:

1. In his first letter to the Corinthian church, chapter 13, the apostle Paul declares that faith, hope, and love abide (stand out), but that love is the greatest of all! (1 Corinthians 13:13) How could you, as a Christ-follower, demonstrate love by laying up treasures in heaven if you found yourself with an excess of riches like the “rich man”?   
2. Next, let’s consider individually those other elements cited in 1 Corinthians 13: faith, hope, and trust. If you were to say, “My faith (trust) in God allows me to…,” how would you complete that sentence?
3. If you were to say, “My hope in God compels me to…,” how would you complete that sentence?       
4. If you were to say, “My love of God causes me to…,” how would you complete that sentence?
5. As a final question, from the perspective of your role in the workplace, what are the significance of faith, hope and love as you carry out your everyday responsibilities? 

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages: Luke 17:6; John 15:13; Romans 5:2-5, 8:24-25; 1 Corinthians 13:1-7; Hebrews 11:1

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