Have you ever known someone who thinks only of money, making or obtaining more and more of it. They never seem to be satisfied, always wanting a bit more, and then again a little bit more. Maybe you are like that. We all know that we need enough to put a roof over our head, food on the table, and clothes on our back. We need to provide for our family. There is nothing wrong with desiring enough money to provide for that. However when wanting more and more seems to take over, there is a problem. The Lord Jesus told a parable about just such a man. Let’s see what He has to tell us today.
One day, as Luke recounts in his Gospel, a man came up to Jesus and asked Him to tell his brother to split the inheritance with him (vs. 13-15). He wanted his share of what their deceased father left to the family. In a Jewish family during Biblical times the eldest son inherited a double portion. Perhaps this man was a younger son, and wanted more than he was entitled to under Jewish law. Whatever the specific situation was, this man was impatient and wanted as much money as he could get, and wanted it right then. He thought Jesus might resolve his dispute in his favor, but he was wrong.
This man’s heart was focused on worldly gain rather than spiritual truth. If he had ever really listened to what Jesus had to say throughout His ministry, he would know that this was not a request one would make to the Lord. Jesus’ mission was spiritual, not political or economic. Maybe this man had mounting bills and was worried. The extra money would help, if only his brother would give it. There is such a thing as “greed based worry” which Jesus is referring to when he spoke to this man. It is being greedy over security to where we worry about it. We continually want a little bit more so that we don’t have to worry. God will give us what we need in order to live for Him each day. Wanting more than that is a type of greed.
Jesus warned His listeners, and us today as well, to beware of being covetous, desiring to have what someone else has. Being covetous is breaking one of the Ten Commandments, and the Bible also says it is a form of idolatry (Colossians 3:5). It replaces trust in God with trust in material wealth. A fulfilled life is found in Jesus Christ, not in possessions.
The Lord then proceeded to tell the crowds a parable about greed and covetousness (vs. 16-21). A wealthy landowner’s ground was producing an exceptionally large and abundant harvest, possibly for multiple years, and he had become rather wealthy. His barns and storage facilities were not large enough, so he decided to tear them down and build bigger barns. With his immense wealth, he planned on living well, living “the good life”. This man repeatedly used the words “I” and “my”, showing very self-centered thinking. He wanted to control his future, ignoring God’s sovereignty, equating material security with peace and satisfaction.
However, little did this rich man know that God was going to give His verdict on his life that very night. He died that night, and then who got all of the riches he had so greedily accumulated? The man was a fool, not because he was rich, but because he was not rich towards God. He had provided for himself but not for others. He provided for his body but not his spirit, and he provided for this life but not the one to come. The man was wealthy in this world, but he died with a bankrupt soul. He tried so hard to keep all that he had, and yet ended up with nothing of eternal value.
The antidote for greed is being rich towards God. This means investing in eternal things such as faith, obedience to God’s Word, and generosity to others (I Timothy 6:17-19). We do this by pursuing, appreciating, and loving God above all, where He remains our chief delight.
Covetousness is a sin. It reflects a heart that is not submitted to God. Wealth is not evil, but hoarding it selfishly is. Jesus notices what we keep, as well as what we give. Our real values in life are revealed by what we keep and what we give to others, whether it be time, money, or devotion. Jesus watched when the widow gave her last pennies (Mark 12:41-44), and He saw when the rich man hoarded his wealth into bigger barns.
What about you? Are you more concerned with earthly gain or with your eternal reward? We need to trust in God to provide for our daily needs, and resist the pull of materialism. As Jesus taught us here, be rich towards God. Invest in heavenly treasures and not in earthly ones.
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