When the Bible talks about riches, it refers to spiritual wealth, not worldly wealth -- ideas and knowledge about the Lord and spiritual things, not money or other earthly possessions. The rich men in the Lord's various parables, then, were people who were educated in the Scriptures and knowledgeable about the Lord and the ways He wants us to behave. Of course, having lots of money does not necessarily mean you're going to spend it wisely and use it to make the world a better place; wealth is often used as a negative in the Bible, representing people who have a great deal of knowledge but use it to selfish ends.