Part 5: Greed

"Then He said to them, 'Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed;'..." Luke 12.15a.

Greed, "excessive or rapacious desire, especially for wealth or possessions." It's a desire that is never satisfied and always needs more. It never gives but hoards everything. It is the exact opposite of the Christian life style.

The word used in Luke 12 is pleonexias and it's translated as covetousness. This word means, "inordinately or wrongly desirous of wealth or possessions; greedy." It's a desire for more, and it has no place in the life of a Christ follower.

In Luke 12 Jesus warns us to be on our guard against every from of greed, and then tells the parable of the rich fool. Ephesians 5.3 says, "But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;" We're told in the first two verses of the chapter to imitate God, and to walk in love as Christ did. Greed is in no way to be associated with us because it cannot be associated with God.

Greed has no place in our lives because it causes us to focus on wealth and possessions rather than on God. It ruins our lives. I think of Gehazi in 2 Kings 5. He's the servant of Elisha, probably in a role similar to what Elisha had with Elijah. In 2 Kings 5 Naaman comes to Elisha with leprosy, and Elisha tells him how to be healed. After the healing takes place Naaman returns and offers Elisha a reward, but he refuses to take it. Gehazi goes after Naaman and lies to receive part of the reward. He had a bright future, possibly as Elisha's successor, but greed cost him not only that, but also his health and the health of all of his descendants. 2 Kings 5.27, "'Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever.' So he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow."

Greed has no place in the life of those who seek to serve God. 1 Timothy 6.10 says, "For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." Earlier in 1 Timothy 3 Paul gives a list of the characteristics of Church leaders. In this list it says, "free from the love of money." Hebrews 13.5 says, "Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “ I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,”

Colossians 3:5 states, "Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry." Greed amounts to idolatry. Jesus said in Matthew 6.24, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." If we aren't serving God we're serving an idol.

There is nothing wrong with wealth or having nice things. I think Christians miss this point. Wealth is not evil, money is not evil. The love of money is evil, devotion to wealth is evil. The issue is not having wealth and possessions, but when that wealth and those possessions take the place of God and our desires are not for God but instead for more wealth. If our thirst is for God then it will be satisfied, Jesus talks about this in John 4. But if our thirst is for wealth it's like drinking salt water, the more you drink the thirstier you get. Wealth is never satisfied, greed is never satisfied. It's the perfect foothold of the devil because it keeps demanding more.

We cannot serve God and money, we cannot love both of them, Jesus said so. So which is it God or money? Generosity or greed? It's ok to have wealth, just use it humbly for the glory of God and for building His Kingdom.

If greed is a foothold that Satan has in your life, then I want to turn to the solution Jesus gives to a rich young man seeking eternal life. He's seeking God's quality of life, a life that is lived for the glory of God. Jesus says to Him, "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." In the parable of Luke 12, we are told to be rich towards God, and that we don't have to worry because God will take care of us.

I close with Psalm 37.25, "I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

Be generous, refuse to love and serve wealth and give the devil the foothold of greed in your life.

Peace be with you