Beware of Greed
In Luke 12:13-21, Jesus was asked to settle a dispute on money, specifically between brothers over an inheritance. One could take from the text, that one brother got all the inheritance while the other was left out of the will and a family feud then descended into a public spectacle. Sound familiar? Can you identify with the one brother that felt left out? On the surface, our sense of justice wants to empathize with his request to simply get a "fair share". It seems his request to "divide" is a reasonable one. However, we don't know the actual motives of whether this brother was angling for more than was just. Nevertheless, Jesus was quick to reject taking sides on this matter and then provided a solemn warning:
"Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, for a man's life does
not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
The exclamatory statement "watch out" preceding this warning is meant to alarm us to the subtle seduction of greed in all its various forms. We shouldn't suppose that the warning of greed is just for the wealthy or the "other guy" running in his excess. We should examine ourselves and ask "what kind of greed am I susceptible to?"
It's interesting to note that the Lord used the example of a "fair share" inheritance to teach us about greed. He could have used another extreme case to make his point such as an avaricious self-seeking business man bent on running everyone over to get want he wanted, or he could have used the tax collector who illegally pocketed money from the taxpayers. Perhaps in today's society, we would point to the Enron executives who plotted and schemed to make money for themselves at the expense of others as the prime example of greed. Yet, Jesus takes an elemental example for addressing greed in a much more relevant situation to the average guy--a simple everyday dispute over money.
What "kind of greed" is it that possibly plagues us? Are we feeling bitter about our employer paying us less than our perceived value? Did we get treated unfairly by a family member, a friend, a customer or vendor or one who owes us money? Are we so attached to money that we're willing to sacrifice relationships or even forsake our commitments to pay our bills or not take pity on our poor neighbor or even skip out on giving our offerings to God? In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul said we should rather be wronged or cheated than to take action in our disputes. He then goes on to say that the greedy (along with the thieves and other various sexual reprobates) shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Make no mistake - the Lord detests greed as much as any sin. In Matthew 23, Jesus condemned the Pharisees for their greed and self-indulgence while maintaining an appearance of religious conformance. He knew their hearts and he knows ours too.
Yes, there will be times where money disputes are necessary, but let's be watchful for any subtle "kind of greed" gaining a foothold in us. We should guard our hearts against the certain gravitational pull of greed's deception (especially in the area of money disputes) and hold on to our possessions very lightly. This attitude of yielding and compromise in the area of money disputes of course is most difficult to embrace, yet demonstrates how much one really trusts in God's arm of justice. For God's measure of our true abundance is not what we hold on to or achieve in material terms, but rather by what we do unselfishly for Him and for others.
posted by Haggai @
10:08 AM
