The Dangers of Greed

 

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘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.” (Luke 12:13-21 ESV).

 

Greed is an intense, selfish, and unending desire for more wealth, possessions, or other forms of gain, often beyond one's needs or what is fair. It can manifest as excessive covetousness, a lack of self-control, or a rapacious yearning for material or social advantages, and is Scripturally listed as one of the seven deadly sins. Jesus warns us to watch out for all kinds of greed. Many believe the kind of greed most often seen has to do with very wealthy people wanting more. But Jesus doesn’t focus on that kind of greed in our reading today.

 

In the context of this passage, a man is arguing with his brother over their inheritance. The family has enough to hand down, but Jesus sees that this man is still worried if he will truly have enough. He is greedy not for luxury but for security. Many people don’t even know that kind of greed exists. But many of us have it. We want a little bit more so that we don’t have to worry.

 

Jesus points us away from greed based on worry. So long as we aim to live God’s way, aligning ourselves with God’s purpose for us in this world (seeking his kingdom), and so long as it is not yet time for our heavenly inheritance, God will give us what we need to live for him each day. Wanting more than that is a type of greed. And that will distract us from fully living the life of joy and peace we are created for. So, let’s repent and learn to let go of our worry-based greed.