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.” And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. . . . But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. . . . Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Luke 12:13-56)Since the line, “be on your guard against all covetousness” jumped out at me, I checked the meaning of covetousness. One Bible definition says, “a strong desire after the possession of worldly things and it assumes sometimes the more aggravated form of avarice, which is the mark of cold-hearted worldliness.”
AI says it this way: Covetousness is a sin of desiring what belongs to another, which is forbidden in the Ten Commandments and equated with idolatry and root sin. It stems from a lack of contentment and can lead to other sins like theft, lust, and violence. To overcome covetousness, the Bible encourages gratitude, patience, contentment with one's possessions, and a focus on spiritual wealth over material wealth.”
Not wishing to beat up on myself, I still want to take this to heart. If I don’t need what I have, that could very well mean that God wants someone else to have it. In oblivious ignorance, those books, or dishes, or clothes in my closet belong to someone else and I’m hanging on to them without consideration for their need. It is not that I am discontent and want more stuff, but that I am too content to deal with the stuff someone else might need.
Caring for others means being willing to give what I can. One of the issues is not caring enough to take the time to do it. Sometimes a mediator helps, like the Salvation Army, or thrift stores, and a place in our city called FIND that is near the university and a big blessing to loan-poor students. Yet I still need to get it to them.
Another definition says that no one can be covetous and thankful at the same time, as this sin kills contentment, joy, and peace. With that, I can say I don’t want what others have and my problem is not that, yet at the same time, God says not to be so content that I forget about those who struggle to even keep warm or have enough to eat.
PRAY: Jesus, our granddaughter is flying home and will be in a wheelchair for some time. She needs our care and time. A widow next door is struggling to downsize and move into a smaller home. Our city has a large homeless population. I have stuff that others might need. Give me wisdom and the generosity of heart to get at it. And forgive my excuse-making and lack of action.
Note: Airline gets GD into Canada from SE Asia, but stopped her at the coast deciding she is not fit to travel farther. She was taken by ambulance to a hospital nearby and is being assessed there. Prayer please.
