The document discusses Jesus' warning against greed, emphasizing that true worth and happiness in life do not stem from material possessions. It argues that a man's life should be defined by moral and ethical actions rather than wealth, and highlights the importance of balancing wealth with benevolence and responsibility toward others. Covetousness is portrayed as a dangerous vice that diverts focus from spiritual wellbeing and leads to unhappiness, reinforcing the idea that wealth should be used for the greater good, rather than for selfish gains.

1. JESUS WAS WARNINGABOUT GREED
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Luke 12:15 15Then he said to them, "Watchout! Be
on your guard againstall kinds of greed; life does not
consistin an abundanceof possessions."
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
A Man's Life
Luke 12:15
W. Clarkson
What is the worth of a man's life? Clearly that does not depend merely on
duration. For while to the insectthe term of seventyyears would seema most
noble expanse, on the other hand, comparedwith the age of a mountain or the
duration of a star, it is an insignificant span. The truth is that the value of
human life depends on what is done within its boundaries. Here quality is of
the chief account. To the insensible stone all the ages are as nothing; to the
dormant animal time is of no measurable value. To a thinking, sensitive spirit,
with a greatcapacityfor joy and sorrow, one half-hour may hold an
inestimable measure of blessedness orof woe. There are three things it may
include; we take them in the order of value, beginning at the least.

2. I. HAVING WHAT IS GOOD. "The things which a man possesseth" are of
value to him. "Moneyis a defense," and it is also an acquisition, for it stands
for all those necessariesand comforts, all those physical, socialand intellectual
advantages whichit will buy. But it is a miserable delusion - a delusion which
has slain the peace and prospects of many a thousand souls - that the one way
to secure the excellencyof life is to gain amplitude of material resources.
1. Muchness ofmoney does not even ensure human happiness. The wealth
that lives in fine houses and sits down to sumptuous tables and moves in
"goodcircles" is very often indeed carrying with it a heavy heart, a burdened
spirit, an unsatisfied soul. This is not the imagination of envy; it is the
confessionofsorrowfulexperience, uttered by many voices, witnessedby
many lives.
2. Muchness ofmoney does not constitute the excellencyofhuman life. In a
country where "business" means as much as it does in England, we are under
a strong temptation to think that to have grownvery rich is, by so doing, to
have succeeded. Thatis a part of some men's success;but it does not
constitute success inany man's life. A man may be enormously rich, and yet
he may be an utter and pitiable failure. "In every society, and especiallyin a
country like our own, there are those who derive their chief characteristics
from what they have; who are always spokenofin terms of revenue, and of
whom you would not be likely to think much but for the large accountthat
stands in the ledger in their name So completelydo they paint the idea of their
life on the imagination of all who knew them, that, when they die, it is the fate
of the money, not of the man, of which we are apt to think. Having put vast
prizes in the funds, but only unprofitable blanks in our affections, they leave
behind nothing but their property, or, as it is expresslytermed, their effects.
Their human personality hangs as a mere label upon a mass of treasure" (Dr.
Martineau). A man's life should rise higher than that.

3. II. DOING WHAT IS JUST AND KIND. Farbetter is it to do the just and
kind actionthan to have that which is pleasantand desirable. Life rises into
real worth when it is spent in honorable and fruitful action. In sustaining
right and useful relationships in the great world of business, carrying out our
work on principles of righteousness and equity; in ruling the home firmly and
kindly; in espousing the cause of the weak, the ignorant, the perishing; in
striking some blows for national integrity and advancement - in such a
healthful, honorable, elevating action as this "a man's life" is found. But this,
in its turn, must rest on -
III. BEING WHAT IS RIGHT. For"out of the heart are the issues oflife."
Men may do a large number of goodthings, and yet be "nothing "in the sight
of heavenly wisdom (see 1 Corinthians 13:1-3). The one true mainspring of a
worthy human life is "the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." To
love God, and therefore to love all that is good;to love God, and therefore to
interest ourselves in and try to help all those who are so nearly relatedto him;
to love God, and therefore to be moving on and up in an ever-ascending line
toward Divine wisdom and worth; - this is the one victorious and successful
thing. Without this, "a man's life" is a defeat and a failure, hold what it may;
with it, it has the beginnings of a true success - it is already, and will be more
than it now is, eternallife. - C.
Biblical Illustrator
Take heedand beware of covetousness.
Luke 12:15
Business life
J. O. Dykes, D. D.

4. I shall try to keepin view the chief risk to the moral and religious nature
which are incident to a business life, and my aim will be to show you where
the bestsafeguardagainstit is to be sought.
I. THE CHIEF DANGERS, WHAT ARE THEY? It is a misfortune in the
path of a commercialtrader to be kept in perpetual contactwith the purely
material value of all possible substances. The public sentiment of great
business centres is apt to reckona man's worth by his business profits. It is
always tempted to erectan ignoble or defective ideal of successin life. I do not
speak of the vulgar dangers to honesty and truthfulness which indeed beset
men in all professions andclasses.
II. WHAT ARE THE SAFEGUARDS?
1. Cultivate to the utmost a youthful thirst for truth, and a youthful sympathy
with what is ideal, unselfish, grand in conduct.
2. Cultivate a sympathizing contactwith men and women in other than mere
business relationships. These are safeguards of the secondaryorder.
3. The only primary and sufficient safeguardfor any of us is the religionof
Jesus Christ. See how the Christian man is guarded againstsettling down into
a selfishworldling.(1) Religionopens the widest, freestoutlook for the mind
into the eternal truth, enlarging a man's range of spiritual sight, and enabling
him to judge of all things in both worlds in their true proportion.(2) It
supplies us for that reasonwith the only true and perfect standard by which
to test the value of things, and so corrects the one-sidedmaterialistic standard
of business.(3)It transforms business itself from an ignoble to a noble calling,
because it substitutes for the principle of mere profit the ideal of service.

5. (J. O. Dykes, D. D.)
On covetousness
H. W. Beecher.
1. It is not wrong to amass wealth. It is not wrong to increase it if you have the
beginnings of it. Neither is it wrong to make provision for its safety. There is
no moral wrong in the ownership and administration, or in the increase of
wealth. It is not wealth that everis a mischief. It is what it does to you that
makes it injurious or beneficial. It is what you do with it that makes it
injurious or beneficial.
2. It is not wrong, either, to be richer than other men. The essentialdifference
of power in different individuals settles the question as to the Divine economy
in this regard. Men are made of different executive forces, ofdifferent
acquiring powers. And in the factthat men are made relatively weak or
strong, that they are in ranks and gradations of inferiority or superiority with
respectto natural endowments, there is the most unequivocal evidence that
human societywas not meant to be one long, fiat prairie-level, but that it was
meant to be full of hills and valleys and gradations of every kind. And there is
no harm in that. I am not injured by a man that is superior to me, unless he
employs his superiority to tread me down. I am benefited by him if he employs
it to lift me up. Superiority is as powerful to draw the inferior up as to pull
them down, and it is comprised in the Divine plan of beneficence. And the
same is true of wealth.
3. All the roads which lead to wealththat are right to anybody are right to
Christians. What a Christian has not a right to do nobody has a right to do.
Moralobligations rest on grounds which are common to me and to you. If
there is any distinction here, the Christian has rights which the infidel has not.
As a son of God, and as one who is attempting to carry himself according to
the commands of God, the Christian may be supposed to have rights of
premium. Therefore, if it is right for you to sail a ship, it is right for me to sail

6. a ship; if it is right for you to traffic, it is right for me to traffic; if it is right
for you to loan money on interest, it is right for me to loan money on interest.
The circumstance ofa man's being a Christian does not change his relations in
any whir, except this, that if possible it gives him higher authority than others
have to do whateverit is right for any man to do. All things are yours because
you are a son of God.
4. Nay, the gift of acquiring wealth, commercialsagacity, creative industry,
financial ability — these are only so many ways by which one may bring his
gifts to bear upon the greatends of life and serve God. Some men, who are
capable mechanics, capable artists, capable business men, wish to do good,
and they say, "Do you not think I had better preach?" I think you had. I think
every man ought to preach. If you are a banker, behind the counter is your
pulpit, and you canpreach sermons there which no man in any other situation
can. By practising Christian integrity in a business where others take
permissions of selfishness, youcan preach more effectually than in any other
way. Every man must take his life, and serve God by it. If God has given a
man literary capacity, genius for poetry, or the powerof eloquence, it is to be
consecratedand employed for the glory of God and the goodof his fellow-
men. He is to serve, not himself alone, but the cause ofbeneficence with it. If
you have the skill of an artist, it is not given to you for your own selfish
gratificationand delight. These men that are made seers of truth through eyes
of beauty are under the most fearful responsibilities and the most sacred
obligations. If a man has given to him the skill of achieving results, the skill of
conducting business, or pecuniary skill, he can serve God by that, if not as
well, yet as really, as by any other consecratedpower. Therefore a man is not
forbidden either to have riches or to increase riches, orto employ any of the
ordinary ways by which it is right to increase riches. If he have a gift in that
direction, he is bound as a Christian man to develop it; and it is a talent for
which God will hold him accountable.

7. 5. It is the godlessnessofselfishness,then, that is so wickedin wealth, in the
methods of getting it, in the methods of keeping it, and in the methods of using
it. It is selfishness that leads a man to undertake to procure wealthby means
that disregardduty; it is selfishness thatleads a man to setup wealth as the
end of his life, for which he is willing to sacrifice allthe sweetaffections, all
the finer tastes, allthe sensibilities of conscience.The curse of wealth consists
in the getting of it in a way which emasculates a man, and degrades his moral
nature. The curse of wealth-getting is seenwhere a man amasseswealthonly
that it may shut him in from life, building himself round and round with his
money, until at last he is encavernedwith it, and dwells inside of it. Geologists
sometimes find toads sealedup in rocks. Theycrept in during the for nation
periods, and deposits closedthe orifice through which they entered. There
they remain, in long darkness and toadstupidity, till some chance blast or
stroke sets them free. And there are many rich men sealedup in mountains of
gold in the same way. If, in the midst of some convulsionin the community,
one of these mountains is overturned, something crawls out into life which is
calleda man! This amassing of wealth as only a means of imprisonment in
selfishness, is itself the thing that is wicked. The using of wealthonly to make
our own personaldelights more rare, without regard to the welfare of others
— this it is that is sinful. The Divine command is, "Bewarelestye be rich and
lay up treasure to yourself, and are not rich towardGod." If you have a
surplus of one thousand dollars, this command is to you; if you have a surplus
of ten thousand, it is to you; if you have a surplus of ten hundred thousand, it
is not a what more to you. Now, my Christian brethren, are you rich toward
God in the proportion in which you have been increasing your worldly
wealth? I can tell you, unless your sympathies increase, unless your charities
increase, unless your disposition to benefit your fellow-men increases, in the
proportion in which your riches increase, youcannot walk the life you are
walking without falling under the condemnation of this teaching of Christ.
Your life is one of getting, getting, getting! and there is but one safety-valve to
such a life; it is giving, giving, giving! If you are becoming less and less
disposedto do good;if you are becoming less and less benevolent; if you are
less and less compassionatetoward the poor; if you say, "I have worked
myself almostto death to getmy property, and why can I not be allowedto
enjoy it?" if you hug your gold, and say, "This is my money, and my business

8. is to extract as much pleasure from it as I can" — then, my friend, you are in
the jaws of destruction; you are sold to the devil; he has bought you! But if,
with the increase ofyour wealth, you have a growing feeling of responsibility;
if you have a real, practicalconsciousnessofyour stewardship in holding and
using the abundance which God is bestowing upon you; if you feelthat at the
bar of God, and in the day of judgment, you must needs give an accountof
your wealth — then your money will not hurt you. Riches will not hurt a man
that is benevolent, that loves to do good, and that uses his bounties for the
glory of God and the welfare of men. But your temptations are in the other
direction. I beseechofyou, beware.
(H. W. Beecher.)
The nature and evil of covetousness
Archbishop Tillotson.
I. THE MANNER OF THE CAUTION.
1. The great dangerof this sin.
(1)How apt we are to fall into it.
(2)Of how pernicious a consequenceit is to those in whom it reigns.
2. The great care men ought to use to preserve themselves from it.
II. THE MATTER OF THE CAUTION. The vice our Saviour warns His
hearers againstis covetousness.

9. 1. The nature of this vice. The shortestdescription that I can give of it is this:
that it is an inordinate desire and love of riches; but when this desire and love
are inordinate, is not so easyto be determined. And, therefore, that we may
the better understand what the sin of covetousnessis, which our Saviourdoth
so earnestly cautionagainst, it will be requisite to considermore particularly
wherein the vice and fault of it doth consist;that, whilst we are speaking
againstcovetousness, we may not under that generalword condemn anything
that is commendable or lawful. To the end, then, that we may the more clearly
and distinctly understand wherein the nature of this vice doth consist, I shall
— First, Endeavour to show what is not condemned under this name of
covetousness,eitherin Scripture or according to right reason;and —
Secondly, What is condemned by either of these, as a plain instance or branch
of this sin.
I. WHAT THINGS ARE NOT CONDEMNEDUNDER THE NAME OF
COVETOUSNESS,eitherin Scripture or according to right reason, which yet
have some appearance ofit; namely, these three things:
1. Nota provident care about the things of this present life.
2. Nota regular industry and diligence for the obtaining of them; nor —
3. Every degree of love and affection to them. I mention these three, because
they may all seemto be condemned by Scripture, as parts or degrees ofthis
vice, but really are not.
II. I COME NOW TO SHOW WHAT IS CONDEMNEDIN SCRIPTURE
UNDER THE NAME OF COVETOUSNESS;and by this we shall best

10. understand wherein the nature of this sin doth consist. Now covetousness is a
word of a large signification, and comprehends in it most of the irregularities
of men's minds, either in desiring, or getting, or in possessing, andusing an
estate.
2. The evil and unreasonablenessofthis sin.
(1)Becauseit takes men off from religion and the care of their souls.
(2)Becauseit tempts men to do many things which are inconsistentwith
religion and directly contrary to it.
(3)Becauseit is an endless and insatiable desire.
(4)Becausethe happiness of human life doth not consistin riches.
(5)Becausefiches do very often contribute very much to the misery and
infelicity of men.
III. I come now, in the lastplace, to make some application of this discourse to
ourselves.
1. Let our Saviour's caution take place with us, let these words of His sink into
our minds: "Take heedand beware of covetousness."Our Saviour doubles
the caution, that we may double our care. It is a sin very apt to stealupon us,
and slily to insinuate itself into us under the specious pretence of industry in

11. our callings, and a provident care of our families: but howeverit may be
colouredover, it is a greatevil dangerous to ourselves, andmischievous to the
world. Now to kill this vice in us, besides the considerations before mentioned
takenfrom the evil and unreasonablenessofit, I will urge these three more:
(1)That the things of this world are uncertain.
(2)That our lives are as uncertain as these things; and —
(3)That there is another life after this.
2. By way of remedy againstthis vice of covetousness, it is goodfor men to be
contentedwith their condition.
3. By way of direction, I would persuade those who are rich to be charitable
with what they have.
(Archbishop Tillotson.)
The evil and folly of covetousness
Bishop Abernethy.
I. To EXPLAIN THE ARGUMENT BEFOREUS, AND TO JUSTIFY IT,
that is, to show the meaning of the assertion, "thata man's life doth not
consistin the abundance of his possessions,"and to show that it is strictly
true.

12. 1. That the being and preservation of life doth not consistin nor hath any
dependence on these things, every one must be sensible. No man imagineth
that riches contributed to his existence, orthat they are essentialto the human
constitution; not one powerof nature is either the more or the less perfectfor
our having or wanting them.
2. As the being and the preservation of a man's life do not consistin nor
depend on the abundance of the things that he possesseth, so neither do the
highest and bestends of it.
3. The enjoyment of life doth not consistin riches; and as this is the only end
which they have any pretence or appearance of answering, if upon a fair
inquiry it shall be found that they come short of it, then it must be owned they
are what our Saviour calleth them, deceitful; and His assertionin the text is
true, that life doth not in any sense consistin them, which therefore is a strong
argument to the purpose He applieth it to, namely, againstcovetousness.It is
necessaryto observe here, what every man must be convincedof upon the
leastreflection, that riches are not the immediate objectof any original desire
in the human nature. If we examine our whole constitution, with all the
primary affections which belong to it, we shall find that this hath no place
among them. And yet it is certain that the love of riches is become a very
powerful lust in the human nature, at leastin some minds, and they are
thought of greatimportance to the comfortable enjoyment of life. Whence
doth this arise? How doth happiness consistin them? It is plain that the total
amount of their usefulness to the purposes of enjoyment is only this, that when
other circumstances concurto render a man capable, they afford the larger
means of it in various kinds.
1. Of sensualgratifications.

13. 2. The pleasures of the fancy or imagination.
3. Of doing goodto his fellow-creatures,eitherhis own near relations or
others, as his disposition inclineth him.This is, I think, stating the case fairly,
and allowing all to riches which can be demanded for them. Let us now
considereachof these particulars, that we may see of what importance they
are to happiness, so far, I mean, as they are supplied, and the opportunities of
them enlargedby riches. And, first, the pleasures of sense are of the very
lowestkind, which a man considering as common with us to the brutal species
cannot but think far from the chief happiness of a reasonable nature, and that
the advantage offurnishing us with great plenty and variety of them is not
extremely to be valued or gloried in. Besides,there are certainbounds fixed
by nature itself to the appetites, beyond which we cannot pass in the
gratificationof them without destroying enjoyment and turning it into
uneasiness. Anothersort of pleasures are those of the imagination, arising
from the beauties of nature or art, of which we have an internal sense,
yielding delight, as we have the sensations ofcolours, sounds, and tastes, from
external material objects, by our bodily organs which convey them. These, it is
certain, afford greatentertainment to the human life, though in various
degrees, according to the different measure of exquisiteness or perfection in
the sense itself, which is improved in some beyond others by instruction,
observation, and experience;and according to the knowledge menhave of the
objects. Yet we must remember that these pleasures are not appropriated to
the rich, nor do depend on riches, which are only the means of acquiring the
property of them, in which the true enjoyment doth not consist. The beauties
of nature are unconfined, and every man who hath a true sense ofthem may
find objects enoughto entertain it. The last, and indeed the truest and highest,
enjoyment of life, is in doing good, or being useful to mankind. And of this
riches affords the largestmeans, which enjoyeth life in the best manner,
maketh the best provision for his own comfortin this world. But as this is not
the case ofthe covetous man, it is perfectly agreeable to the text, which
declareththat life, that is, enjoyment, doth not consistin abundant
possessions;not that it doth not consistin parting with those possessionsfor
the uses of charity. To setthis matter in a just light, let it be observed, that the

14. moderate desire and pursuit of riches is not at all inconsistentwith virtue; so
far from it, industry is a virtue itself, as being really beneficialto society, as
well as to the person who useth it, furnishing him with the conveniences oflife,
and especiallywith the means of being useful to his fellow-creatures. But when
a man hath used honest industry, so far he hath dischargedhis duty, and laid
a foundation for all the true enjoyment which can arise from riches; for that
doth not depend on success, orthe actualobtaining of large possessions,but
principally on the inward dispositions of the mind.
III. Having thus explained our Saviour's assertionin the text, and showedthe
truth of it, let us next considerTHE PURPOSE TO WHICH HE APPLIETH
IT, NAMELY, AS A DISSUASIVE FROM COVETOUSNESS. All that
covetousness aimethat is, the obtaining of large worldly possessions.Now
supposing them to be obtained, which yet is very uncertain, but supposing it,
and it is the most favourable supposition for the covetous man, what is he the
better? If neither the being and preservationof life, nor the ends, nor the
enjoyment of it, dependeth on this.(BishopAbernethy.)
Christ's warning againstcovetousness
EssexRemembrancer.
I. Covetousnessis an INNATE sin. It was a principal part of the first
transgression. In this first preference of temporal goodto spiritual obedience
and the favour of God may be seen, as in a glass, all after covetousness. From
that fatal hour to the present, mankind universally have, "by nature,"
"worshippedthe creature more than the Creator," proving themselves to be
influenced by an innate propensity to graspat earthly things, and to follow
them in the place of God.
II. Covetousness is a DECEPTIVE sin. The same may be saidindeed of all
sins; but of this more especially, becauseit is a decent sin. Other sins alarm,
because oftheir interference with the passions and interests of our
neighbours; and have, on that account, discredit and shame attachedto them.

15. Lying interrupts confidence, and weakens the bonds of society;murder lays
its hand on the persons, and theft on the property of men; adultery invades
the most sacredrights and breaks the dearestties; even drunkenness, by its
brutality and offensiveness to peace and order, is regardedwith general
disgust and odium. But where is the disgrace ofcovetousness? How regulara
man may be, how sober, how industrious, how moral, and yet be the slave of
this vice!
III. Covetousnessis a MULTIPLYING sin. This also may be saidof most
other sins, but eminently so of covetousness. Itleads to prevaricationand
falsehood. Thencomes hardness of heart. He that sets his affections onmoney,
will love it more than he will love his fellow-man. He will have little pity for
the sufferings of the poor, or if he have a little he will stifle it, lest his pity
should costhim something. Still less will he compassionatethe spiritually
wretched.
IV. Covetousnessis an AGGRAVATED sin. It is not merely an omissionof
duty, or a transgressionof law; but it is an abuse of much mercy. For who
gives a man power to getwealth? whence come health, ability, and labour,
skill, opportunity, success;— come they not from God? — could any man
earn one shilling if Goddid not enable him? — and if any man have property,
not of his own earning, could he have been possessedofit but for the kind
providence of God? And we know that He bestows it that it may be employed
in His service and for His glory. But covetousness refusesso to employ it.
V. Covetousness is a GREAT sin. It originates in mistrust of God, and
unbelief in His word.
VI. Covetousnessis a DESTRUCTIVE sin. Other sins slaytheir thousands,
but this slays its ten thousands. Many other sins are confined to the openly

16. ungodly, and have their victims exclusively from among those that are
without; but this sin enters into the visible Church, and is the chief instrument
in the hands of Satan of destroying .the souls of professors.
(EssexRemembrancer.)
Warning againstcovetousness
Henry S. Kelsey.
I. COVETOUSNESSBREEDS DISCONTENT,ANXIETY, ENVY,
JEALOUSY. And hence it comes about that covetousness takes allthe
sweetness andpeace out of our life. It makes us dissatisfiedwith our homes
and surroundings. It keeps us for ever anxious as to our relative position. It
sets us continually on comparison. It underestimates the pleasures and joys of
life, and overvalues and magnifies its troubles. It makes the poor man
wretchedin his poverty, and hardens his heart againstthe rich. It energizes
the man of competence with new vigour to compass overflowing abundance,
and pushes forward the wealthy in the struggle for pre-eminence and power.
In the prosperous it naturally develops into greedor recklessextravagance;in
the disappointed, into hawking envy or green-eyedjealousy. It invades and
spoils our religious life. It embitters us during the week by thoughts of our
inferiority. It frets continually at the ordering of Providence. It destroys sweet
confidence in God's wise and loving care. It sees evidences ofthe Divine
partiality in the inequalities of the human lot. The goodgraciouslygranted
turns to ashes on the lips because anotherhas it in greaterabundance. It
keeps many a one from the house of God. It follows many another to the
sanctuary to spoil the worship, and, through the sight of the eyes, to gangrene
the soulmore perfectly, and send it home burning with a deeper envy.
II. COVETOUSNESSMISLEADS AND PERVERTS THE JUDGMENT.
Covetousnessis to the mind what a distorting or colouredmedium is to the
eye. Just as everything in a landscape seenthrough such a medium is out of
proportion or falsely coloured, so everything in life seenthrough the medium

17. of covetousnessappears under fearful distortion or most deceptive colouring.
It breaks up the white light of truth into prismatic hues of falsehoodand
deceit.
III. IT HARDENS THE HEART AND DESTROYS THE BENEVOLENT
AFFECTIONS. A cherishedcovetousnessgraduallycrystallizes into habit and
principle. It narrows and pinches the entire being. It grows strong by
indulgence. The more it has the mere it wants. The more it gets the tighter it
grasps it. An avaricious millionaire will haggle for a halfpenny as quickly as a
day labourer. No meaner or more metallic being canbe found than he in
whom covetousness has done its legitimate work. And hence comes much of
the heart-ache of individuals, the misery of families, and the trouble of society.
It leads men to deprive themselves of the comforts of life. It is deaf to the voice
of natural affection.
IV. IT TENDS TO AND ENDS IN CRIME. A strong desire to get confuses the
judgment as to the proper means of getting, and gradually becomes
unscrupulous in the use of means; ultimately all hesitationis overcome, all
restraints broken through, all dangers braved. Get, it will at all hazards. Not
that every covetous man becomes a criminal; but this is the tendency in every
case. And when we remember that all overreaching, allpetty deceptionand
cheating, is in reality crime, it will go hard with the covetous man to clear his
skirts. There is a vast amount of crime unseenby the law, but perfectly open
to the view of heaven. "There's no shuffling there." But much of the known
crime of the world — some of it the most atrocious and unnatural — springs
directly from covetousness.Whence comes the recklessspeculation, the stock-
jobbing and gambling, which agitate the markets and unsettle trade? Whence
the defalcations, breachesoftrust, the forgeries which startle us by their
frequency and enormity? Whence the highway robberies, burglaries,
murders, which have affrighted every age, and still fill our sleeping hours with
danger? The answeris plain: From a desire to get, cherished until it would not
be denied. Such a desire in time becomes overmastering;it balks at nothing.

18. Out of it spring crimes of every name and form, from the littlest to the most
colossal, from the murder of a reputation to the murder of a nation, from the
betrayal of a trust to the betrayal of the Son of God.
V. IT RUINS THE SOUL. In aiming to getthe world, man loses himself.
Every considerationheretofore urged tends to this. The reallife is neglected;
God and His claims are forgotten. In sensualenjoyment the soul is drowned,
and suddenly the end comes.
(Henry S. Kelsey.)
Wealth not necessaryto an ideal life
W. J. Butler, M. A.
"He became poor." My brethren, what a thought is this! The Lord of heaven,
God the Almighty, the All-rich, the All-possessing, chose, whenHe came
among His creatures, to come as a poor man. He who is in the form of God,
"took upon Him the form of a servant." Earthly poverty, in the fullest sense of
the word, He acceptedas His own. Born more hardly than the very poorest
peasantamong us, evenin a stable, cradled in a manger, brought up in a poor
mechanic's cottage, His food rough barley loaves, His sleeping-place ever
uncertain, His disciples poor men like Himself, hard-working fishermen —
finally, stripped of His very garments, and left absolutely naked, to die!
Surely, if riches and possessions were indeedthe highestend of man's being,
He who came to restore man to dignity and happiness would have come
among us rich and great. So far as our human minds can fathom, the work of
our salvationmight have been accomplishedby one who was rich in earthly
things, as well as by One who was poor. The sacrifice might still have atoned.
It is even possible to imagine an aspectunder which the contrastof the
sacrifice itselfwould have been heightened, had a rich man rather than a poor
man died for his fellow-men. Yet, at a time when riches and the goodthings

19. which riches procure abounded in the world, He chose, deliberatelyand
willingly chose, the lot of the poor, and is among His own creatures "as He
that serveth." All "the kingdoms of the earth, and the glory of them," He
deliberately castaside. And since, indeed, He, the typical Man, the Head of the
new Creation, the "Firstborn of every creature," chosethus to be stripped,
and bare, and poor, does He not, I pray you, teachthis lesson, that the highest
condition, the very perfectionof man's nature is even such as this? Nay, more.
I hesitate not to saythat from the moment Christ came thus among us,
poverty — yea, poverty — has its own specialblessing.
(W. J. Butler, M. A.)
Covetousness
J. Burns, D. D.
I. THE NATURE AND GENERALCAUSES OF COVETOUSNESS.
1. It does apt consistin a lawful care about the things of this life, or in a
proper regardto the principles of prudence and frugality. But it consists in
too eagera desire after the things of this life. Setting our hearts upon them.
2. It may be known by the tenacity with which we hold the things of this life.
Treating them as our chief good.
3. The generalcauses ofcovetousness are principally these:
(1)A corrupt and perverted state of mind.
(2)Discontentwith, and distrust of, the providence of God.

20. (3)Forgetfulness ofthe soul, and those things which are eternal.
II. ITS EVIL AND PERNICIOUS EFFECTS. Consider —
1. Its effects personally. It is the source of many vices. "Theywho will be
rich," &c. (1 Timothy 6:9). It tempts men to base and unjust means to get
money. It hardens the heart, blunts the feedings, and renders the soul callous
and sordid. It fills the mind with distraction, and prevents all true and solid
enjoyment. It keeps outChrist and salvation.
2. Its effects on society. A covetous man is a misanthrope to his species.
3. Its effects in reference to God.
4. Its effects as exhibited in the examples revelation furnishes. Let us then
notice the means necessary.
III. FOR ITS PREVENTION AND CURE.
1. Serious considerationofthe shortness and uncertainty of life. How madlike,
inordinately to love what must so shortly be takenfrom us!
2. A reflectionon our responsibility to God for all we possess. Stewards. Day
of reckoning will arrive, Godwill judge us. All give an account, and receive
according as our works shall be.

21. 3. A renewalof our hearts by the grace and Spirit of God.
4. Imitation of Christ's blessedexample.
5. Repeatedand prayerful examination of our hearts before God.
(J. Burns, D. D.)
The warning againstcovetousness
R. Newton, D. D.
Covetousnessis like a dangerous rock in the sea of life, over which we have to
sail. Multitudes of wrecks are scatteredallaround it. The warning of our text
is like a light-house, which G d has causedto be built upon this rock, to give us
notice of the danger to be found here, in order that we may avoid it.
I. COVETOUSNESSWILL DESTROYOUR HAPPINESS.
II. COVETOUSNESSWILL INJURE OUR USEFULNESS.
III. COVETOUSNESS WILL LESSEN, OR LOSE, OUR REWARD. Two
Christian friends calledon a wealthy farmer one day, to getsome money for a
charitable work in which they were engaged. He took them up to the cupola,
on the top of his house, and showedthem farm after farm, stretching far
away, on the right hand, and on the left, and told them that all that land
belongedto him. Then he took them to another cupola, and showedthem
greatherds of horses, and sheep, and cattle, saying, as he did so — "Those are

22. all mine too. I came out here a poor boy, and have earnedall this property
myself." One of his friends pointed up to heaven, and said — "And how much
treasure have you laid up yonder?" After a pause, he said, as he heaved a
sigh, "I'm afraid I haven't gotanything there." "And isn't it a greatmistake,"
said his friend, "that a man of your ability and judgment should spend all
your days in laying up so much treasure on earth, and not laying up any in
heaven?" The tears trickled down the farmer's cheeks as he said — "It does
look foolish, don't it?" Soonafter this, that farmer died. He left all his
property for others to use, and went into the presence ofGod only to find that
his love of money, and the wrong use he had made of it, had causedhim to lose
all the reward which he might have had in heaven. Some years ago, near
Atlanta, in Georgia, there lived a man who was a member of the Church. He
was a personof some influence in that neighbourhood. But he was a covetous
man, very fond of money, and always unwilling to pay his debts. He had a
little grand-daughter, about nine years old, who was living with him. She was
a bright, intelligent young Christian. She had heard of her grandpa's love of
money, and his unwillingness to pay his debts, spokenof, and it grieved her
very much. One morning, as they were sitting at breakfast, she said —
"Grandpa, I had a dream about you, last night." "Did you? Well, tell me what
it was." "Idreamed that you died last night. I saw the angels come to take you
to heaven. They took you in their arms, and began to go up till they were
almost out of sight. Then they stopped, and flew round awhile, but without
going any higher. Presently they came down with you, and laid you on the
ground, when their leadersaid — 'My friend, you are too heavy for us. We
can't carry you up to heaven. It's your debts that weighyou down. If you
settle with those you owe, we will come for you againbefore long.'" The old
gentleman was very much touched by this. He saw the danger he was in from
his covetousness. He resolvedto struggle againstit. The first thing after
breakfast, he went to his room, and in earnestprayer askedGod to forgive his
sin. and to help him to overcome it. Then he went out and paid all his debts;
and after that was always prompt and punctual in paying what he owed. So he
minded the warning of the text, and was kept from losing his reward.
(R. Newton, D. D.)

23. Covetousness
J. Jessop, M. A.
I. THE NATURE OF COVETOUSNESS. It is the love of money. A passion
that grows upon men. We begin by loving it for the advantages it procures,
and then we learn insensibly to love it for its own sake, orperhaps for some
imaginary uses to which we flatter ourselves we shall apply it at some future
time. We avoid certain extremes, and thus escape the imputation of
covetousness,but we are not on that accountthe less influenced by the
greediness offilthy lucre — we have given our hearts none the less to it on
that account. And this passiongrows in a most remarkable manner. Men
encourage it in one another, and many a look seems, evenwithout a word, to
say, "Taste, andsee how goodmoney is." Thus, by degrees, the love of money
manifests and extends itself, making of him who cherishes it, in the words of
our Lord, "a servant of mammon." Verily He was wise who said, "Take head,
and beware of covetousness."Further, this love of money takes different
forms and changes its name among men, without howeverbeing in any
respectchangedin the sight of Him who kneweththe heart.
1. One man loves money to keep — this is the covetous man properly so called
— the covetous man according to the true meaning of the word. He may
possibly succeedin avoiding the odium of the title, but to separate him from
his treasure would be to separate him from a part of his existence, and he
could willingly say of money what God has saidof blood, "Money, it is the
life."
2. Another man loves money to spend it. This is the prodigal. A man may be at
the same time covetous and prodigal. These two dispositions, instead of
excluding one another, mutually encourage eachother. Thus a Roman
historian who knew human nature well, mentions this trait among others in
the characterofthe notorious Cataline:"He was covetous ofthe wealth of
ethers, lavish of his own."

24. 3. A third man loves money for the sake ofpower. This is the ambitious man.
It is not the desire of hoarding that rules him — it is not the love of spending
which possesseshim, but the delight of his eyes and the pride of his heart is to
witness the influence which money gives him. Of these three forms of
covetousness,miserly covetousnessis especiallythe vice of old age;prodigal
covetousness thatof youth; and ambitious covetousnessthatof manhood. But
covetousness belongs to all ages and conditions.
II. THE SIN OF COVETOUSNESS. Iimagine we too generallyunderrate the
judgment which God passes uponcovetousness. We think that we are at full
liberty to enrich ourselves as much as we can, and then to do what we please
with the wealththat we have acquired. Thus we give ourselves up to
covetousness.We should not actthus with respectto intemperance, to theft,
but it seems that covetousness is quite anothersort of sin. Whilst these vices
disgrace those who are guilty of them — whilst they entail consequences
injurious to the peace and tranquility of society, covetousnesshas something
more plausible, more prudent, more respectable aboutit. It generally lays
claim to honest worthy motives, and the world will dignify it by the name of
natural ambition, useful industry, praiseworthyeconomy. I may even go a
step further. A covetous man may be in a certain sense a religious man. He
may be quite an example in his respectfulattention to the worship and
ordinances of God. In fact(the love of money is almostthe only vice a man can
entertain while he preserves the appearance ofpiety. And there is great
reasonto fear that of all sins, this one will ruin the greatestnumber of those
who profess to serve God. Instances:Balaam, Achan, Gehazi, Judas, etc. In
fact, a man cannot turn to the Lord but covetousnessmust perpetually oppose
him, from the earliestpreception of religious impressions, to the most
advancedperiod of his faith. Has he only just been called by the Lord and
bidden to the feast? Covetousness persuadestwo out of three to excuse
themselves on the plea: "I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go
and till it" — or, "I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must needs go and
prove them." Has he begun to listen with interest to the truth and receivedthe

25. goodseedin his heart? Covetousnessplants thorns there also:"soonthe cares
of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the Word, and it becomes
unfruitful." Has he advancedstill further in the way, and gone some time in
the paths of piety? Covetousnessstill despairs not of turning him out of them,
and of including him amongstthe number of those who, "having coveted
money, have erred from the faith." Happy indeed is he, if, "taking the whole
armour of God," he knows how to "withstand in the evil day, and having done
all to stand." Happy if he does not imitate those imprudent travellers, whom
Bunyan describes as leaving, on the invitation of Demas, the way to the holy
city to visit a silver mine in the hill Lucre. "Whether," says this truly spiritual
writer, "they fell into the pit by looking over the brink thereof; or whether
they went down to dig; or whether they were smothered in the bottom by the
damps that commonly arise — of these things I am not certain; but this I
observed, that they were never seenagainin the way." Ah! dear brethren,
"take heed, and beware of covetousness!"
III. We have now, however, to considerTHE CONDEMNATIONGOD
RESERVES FOR COVETOUSNESS. And this condemnation and
punishment begins in this life. There is no passionwhich renders its victims
more truly miserable. Solomon tells us that the lover of money cannot satisfy
himself with money. His cares increasewith his wealth. Every one. enjoys it
excepthimself.
(J. Jessop, M. A.)
A warning againstcovetousness
W. Reeve, M. A.
The greatpoint of instruction in this chapter is, dependence on God; that He
is all-sufficient for the happiness of the soul, and that He will give what is
needful for the body. The particular point of the text is, a warning against

26. covetousness;and never was there a day in which the warning was more
needed, when a most inordinate thirst of money-getting is abroad, when
speculations ofthe most extensive kind are afloat, and when money-crimes of
the most extravagantkind have shockedthe public mind.
I. THE WARNING. Covetousnessis like a fire, one of the four things which
are never satisfied(Proverbs 30:15). You may heap fresh fuel upon it, but it
only burns the higher, and its demands are greater. Let me ask, does your
present prosperity lead you to regard the warning of the text more? to believe
that there is danger in your present position? If your soul be in a healthy
condition you will pay more attention to the text. But you may say, "Oh! my
gains as yet are very slight, I have made but little money, I scarcelyfeelthe
warning can be applicable to me; when I have made a fortune, then I will
consider." "Takeheed, and beware of covetousness," saiththe Lord. But
suppose your successin business should continue, that you reachthe very
point at which you aim, would you then be more likely to acceptour Lord's
warning than now? Nay, less likely; for you would then be more confirmed in
disregardof what He says than you are now; you would be less a believer in
His Word than now. Take heednow.
II. THE REASON FOR THIS WARNING.
1. Becausemoneycannot save the soul, and therefore cannot secure happiness
in the next life.
2. Becauseriches make to themselves wings and fly away, and a man may thus
be deprived of what he builds on for happiness.
3. Becauseofthe uncertainty of life. The parable which succeedsthe text
illustrates this. Although this rich man had ample provision for the body so
long as it lasted, yet his goods could not ward off death; still less could they

27. provide for the happiness of the soul when God required it in another state of
existence. These considerationsare enoughto show us that "a man's life
consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."Youmay
ask, then, What does a man's life consistin?
1. In a heart at peace with God through Jesus Christour Lord; in pardon of
sin; in acceptancewith God; in the knowledge thatthis poor dying life is not
all, but that there is a life beyond the grave, blessedand everlasting,
purchased by the blood of Christ, and to which believers shall be kept by the
powerof God through faith.
2. In a well-founded hope of eternallife; in the knowledge ofwhat Jesus
Christ has done for sinners; in a spiritual understanding of the value of
Christ's obedience unto death, His resurrectionand ascension;in the
assurance thatall the promises of Scripture are "Yea and Amen in Christ,"
and will be fulfilled to all who trust Him.
3. In being contented with the station in which Godhas placed us, and the
means which God has given us, feeling assuredthat if we could have served
God better in anotherstation there He would have placed us, and if we could
have used more means rightly and for His glory, He would have given them to
us; in a heart which recognizes God's hand in all dispensations, and which is
able to say "Amen " to all He does in the way of submission, and "Alleuia" in
the wayof praise (Philippians 4:11, and Revelation19:4).
4. In an earnestdesire to serve God and our neighbour. There is no real
happiness without a desire and endeavourto do goodand to obey God's
Word; and, as I have already said, our usefulness will ever be in proportion to
our conformity to the image of the Son of God. This is true happiness: not
exemption from trial and discipline, but the assurance ofthe sympathy of

28. Christ under it, and the belief that "all things shall work together for goodto
them that love God" — the confidence that my Father, the Father who loves
me, rules all. This will be the greatestsafeguardagainstthe love of money,
and the crimes which spring out of it; this will keepa man humble, moderate,
prayerful, holy, and happy, and enable him better to resist temptation in
whatevershape it may presentitself.
(W. Reeve, M. A.)
On covetousness
S. Lavington.
I. CAUSES OF COVETOUSNESS.
1. A corrupt and perverted judgment. We form a false opinion of the world,
and think more highly of it than it merits.
2. Distrust of the providence of God.
3. Involving ourselves too much in the world.
4. Neglecting to look at things unseen and eternal.
II. BAD EFFECTSAND CONSEQUENCESOF COVETOUSNESS,
1. It tempts men to unlawful ways of getting riches.

29. 2. It tempts men to base and sinful ways of keeping what they have thus
procured.
3. It fills the soul with disquietude and distraction.
4. It prevents all good, and is an inlet and encouragementto evil. Nothing so
soonand so effectually stops the ear and shuts the heart againstreligious
impressions.
5. It excludes from the kingdom of God.
III. CONSIDERATIONSFOR THE PREVENTION AND CURE OF
COVETOUSNESS.
1. Endeavour to be convinced of the vanity of all worldly possessions.Theyare
insufficient and uncertain.
2. Seek Divine grace to enable you to set bounds to your desires.
3. Learn to order your affairs with discretion.
4. Castall your cares upon God.
(S. Lavington.)

30. Our Lord's warning againstcovetousness
W. Burkitt.
Here observe —
1. THE MANNER of our Lord's caution; He doubles it; not saying, "Take
heed" alone, or "beware"only; but, "Takeheed," and "beware" both. This
argues, that there is a strong inclination in our natures to this sin; the great
danger we are in of falling into it, and of what fatal consequence it is to them
in whom this sin reigns.
2. THE MATTER of the caution, of the sin of which our Saviour warns his
hearers against, and that is covetousness:"Takeheed, and beware of
covetousness";where, under the name and notion of covetousness, our
Saviour doth not condemn a provident care for the things of this life, nor a
regular industry and diligence for obtaining of them, nor every degree of love
and affectionto them; but by covetousnessis to be understood an eager and
insatiable desire after the things of this life, or using unjust ways and means to
get or increase anestate;seeking the things of this life, with the neglectof
things infinitely better, and placing their chief happiness in riches.
3. THE REASON of this caution; "because a man's life consistethnot in the
abundance of the things which he possesseth." Human life is sustainedby a
little; therefore abundance is not necessary, eitherto the support or comfort
of it. It is not a greatestate and vast possessionthatmakes a man happy in
this world; but a mind suited to our condition, whateverit be.
(W. Burkitt.)

31. Sin maskedby wealth
W. J. Butler, M. A.
What could be more natural, they would ask, than that he should make
arrangements for the accommodationofthe vast increase ofhis wealth? Why
should he not make the most of what he had? Why should he not spend time
and thought on a matter of so greatimportance? Alas! this is exactlywhat our
Lord calls "the deceitfulness of riches." "Some sins are open beforehand,
going before to judgment." Every one admits their sinfulness. It is not so with
riches. Neither the possessorsofriches nor those about them perceive in them
danger, or the possibility of sinning in their use. Often rich men actually know
not that they are rich. There is a respectabilityin being rich which masks a
hundred forms of evil. Mostof the sins which are admitted to be sins are such
as are injurious to society. But the habits which wealthbrings are exactly
those in which societymostdelights, and therefore no warning voice, no hand
of chastisement, are lifted againstthe selfishness, unthankfulness, self-
satisfaction, vanity, pride, which follow too often in the train of riches. Against
drunkenness, dishonesty, falsehood, and the like, we all hold up our bands and
eyes, but these may pass.
(W. J. Butler, M. A.)
A man's life consistethnot in the abundance.
A man's life
H. J. Wilmot Buxton, M. A.
I. WHAT A MAN'S LIFE IS NOT. "A man's life consistethnot in the
abundance of the things which he possesseth." It is a very common mistake to
suppose that a true life is a successfullife, a prosperous and wealthy man is
said to have succeededin life. But that is not the sort of life to which Jesus
refers in the text. He shows us in one place the picture of a man who had been
prosperous, one who wore purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every
day; one whom many had envied. Yet his life was not a success,and there are

32. none of us who would care to change places with him. The gospelalso shows
us another example of a mistakenlife. It shows us a young ruler who had
greatpossessions, and many goodqualities, yet his life was not a success:he
went awayfrom the true Life, he went awayfrom Jesus. No, a man's life
consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
II. WHAT A MAN'S LIFE IS. It matters not whether we are rich or poor,
successfulor unfortunate, cleveror dull; the secretofa true life consists in
trying to do our duty towards God and our neighbour in that stationof life to
which it has pleasedGod to call us. This is the only true life, the only life
worth living, the only life which brings comfort here, and happiness hereafter,
since "the path of duty is the way to glory." Some one has said very truly,
"The word duty seems to me the biggestword in the world, and is uppermost
in all my serious doings." When Lord Nelsonlay dying, in the hour of his last
greatvictory, at Trafalgar, his last words were, "Thank God, I have done my
duty." Believe me, brethren, his is the only true life who can say at the last,
feeling all his failures and mistakes, and humbly consciousofhis weakness,
"Thank God, I have tried to do my duty." There is only one path for us to
tread in as Christian people, and that is the path of duty marked out for us by
God.
1. This life, if truly carried out, will be an earnestlife. To do work well, we
must be in earnest. If a labourer is setto cleara field of weeds, and if he is in
earnest, he takes two hands to his work. So if we are to get rid of the weeds of
evil habits and besetting sins, if we are to sweepthe house, and search
diligently till we find the precious treasure which we have lost, we must put
two hands to the work. Every man who wants to live a true life must have a
definite object, and be in earnestin reaching it. Those who succeedare those
who aim high. The schoolboywho is contentedwith the secondplace in his
class will never be first. The man who is contentto sleepin the valley will
never reach the mountain-top of success. Atrue life is one of duty towards
God and our neighbour, done earnestlyand with our might; a life which aims
at heaven, a life whose ruling principle is the will of God.

33. 2. And again, the true life is not only an earnestlife, but also an unselfish life.
God will not only have us goodourselves, but will have us make others good.
We all influence our fellow-men for goodor evil, lust as we ourselves are good
or evil. A bad man in a parish or community is like a plague-spot, he is not
only bad himself, but he makes others bad. A goodman in a similar place is
like a sweetflowerin a garden, beautiful in himself, and by shedding
sweetness aroundhim making the lives of others beautiful. Believe me, the
best sermon is the example of a goodlife.
(H. J. Wilmot Buxton, M. A.)
Covetousness
J. R. Thomson, M. A.
I. WHAT COVETOUSNESSIS. Mainly an inordinate respectand desire for
earthly property. Its worstform is the desire for earthly goods atthe expense
of others.
II. WHERE COVETOUSNESS HAS ITS ROOTS. Love of creature more
than Creator. A vice which degrades human nature; and a sin which
dishonours God, and violates His law.
III. How COVETOUSNESS SHOWS ITSELF. Agrasping habit.
Dissatisfactionwith present possessions. The covetousman's sole interestin
life lies in his accumulations.
IV. WHITHER COVETOUSNESS IS PRONE TO LEAD. Hardened heart.

34. V. THE END TO WHICH UNREPENTED COVETOUSNESS BRINGSTHE
VICTIM AT THE LAST.
(J. R. Thomson, M. A.)
Money valued at more than money's worth
W. Arnot.
I. THE AILMENT; — THE SPIRITUAL CONDITION OF MEN, WHICH
DRAWS DOWN THIS REPROOF FROMTHE LORD. The precise point
with which we are at presentconcernedis this: An erroneous estimate of
wealth pervades this community. Money is valued at more than money's
worth. This lies at the root of the evil. The high esteemin which money is held,
gives impetus to the hard race with which it is chased. The aim follows the
estimate. Whateveris in a community by common consentaccountedmost
valuable, will be practically followedwith the greatesteagerness. Afalse
reckoning has been castup as to where the chief goodof a country lies, and
the mass is moving on in a direction many points aside from the course of
safety. They give awayfor it that which is far more precious than it. One of
the oldestmemories of my mind relates to a case entirely analogous.The event
lies far back in childhood — I might even sayinfancy. The French prisoners
in a Government depot (now the generalprison at Perth), were allowedto
hold a kind of fair, where they sold from within their railings a variety of
curious articles of their own manufacture, to visitors whom curiosity had
attractedto see the strangers. ThitherI was takenone day, with all my money
in my pocket, to see the Frenchmen. During a momentary absence ofthe
person in charge, I set my heart upon a rude bit of wooddaubed with gaudy
colours, and called Napoleon. The man who possessedit, seeing me alone,
accostedme, told me in broken Englishthat nothing could be more suitable
for me, and offered to sell it: at once I gave him all the money I possessed, and
carried off my prize. Searchwas made for the man who had cheatedme, but
he had disappearedbehind his comrades, andwe never saw him more. I was

35. obliged to return home with a sadheart, and an empty hand, destitute of
sundry useful articles which I had been led to expect, and which my pence
would have purchased, if they had rightly been laid out. I distinctly remember
yet the deep melancholy that came over my spirit, as the reality came home to
me that the money was gone, and that there was no remedy. It is lawful to
obtain a lessonby comparing greatthings with small Men are like silly
children in the market-place of life. They are takenby the glitter of a
worthless toy. They buy it. They give their all for it. If you give your time,
your hands, your skill, your heart for wealth, you are takenin. Even the
wealth you have obtained cannotbe kept. This habit of accounting money the
principal thing, a habit caught up in childhood from the prevailing tone of
society, and strengthenedby the example of those whom the world honours —
it is this that lays bare our defences, and makes us an easyprey to the
destroyer. Those who have money usually plume themselves upon the
possessionofit, without reference to any other claim on the respectof
mankind. Simply in virtue of their gold, they take a high place, assume an
important air, and expectthe homage of the multitude. A rich man will
despise a poor man, though the poor man inherits a nobler genius and leads a
better life. The claim made might expose the folly of a few;but the claim
concededfastens folly down as a generalcharacteristic ofthe community.
How few there are who will measure the man by his soul — who will neither
fawn upon wealth, nor envy it — who on accountof it will neither setits
possessorup nor down — who, in judging of his character, willignore
altogetherthe accidentof his wealth, and awardthe honour which is due to
the man, according as he fears God and does goodto his brethren I In the
practicalestimation of this community, riches covera multitude of sins. Oh, if
men would learn to weighit in the balance of the sanctuary, to see it in the
light of eternity; if we could get now impressed on our minds the estimate of
money which we will all have soon, it would not be allowedto exercise so
much effectin our lives.
II. THE WARNING WHICH SUCH A MORAL CONDITION DREW
FORTHFROM THE LORD, AND THE REASON BY WHICH IT IS
ENFORCED:"Take heedand beware of covetousness,fora man's life
consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." The best

36. method of applying the caution will be to expound the specific ground on
which it is here made to rest. There are three different sensesin which "a
man's life" may be understood, all of them obvious, and eachchargedwith a
distinct practicallesson.
1. Life in its literal and natural sense — the life of the body — does not consist
in the "abundance" of the things which one may possess.The life is in no
degree dependent on the "surplus " over and above the supply of nature's
wants. A very small portion of the fruit of the earth suffices to supply a man's
necessities. The main elements are, a little food to appease hunger, and some
clothing to ward off the cold. In this matter, God has brought the rich and the
poor very near to eachother in life, and at death the slight difference that did
exist will be altogetherdone away. As a generalrule, it may be safelyaffirmed
that the life of the rich is as much endangeredby the luxuries of their
abundance, as that of the poor by the meanness of their food. The air and
exercise connectedwith his labour go as far to preserve his health as the
shelter and ease which the rich man enjoys. Looking simply to life — mere
animal being and wellbeing — we are justified in affirming that abundance,
or overplus of goods, is no advantage to it. This is a wise arrangementof our
Father in heaven. He is kind to the poor. He has protected them by laws that
men cannot touch — laws imbedded in the very constitution of the universe.
In this view of the case, itis not consonantwith right reasonto make the
acquisition of wealth the main object of desire and effort.
2. "A man's life" may be consideredas the proper exercise and enjoyment of a
rational, spiritual, immortal being — that use of life which the all-wise
Creatormanifestly contemplatedwhen He arrangedthe complex constitution
of man. Hitherto we have been speaking of animal life merely, common to us
with the lowerorders of creatures;now we speak of such a life as becomes a
creature made in the image of God, and capable of enjoying Him for ever. To
this life, how very little is contributed by the surplus of possessionsoverand
above what nature needs! Indeed, that surplus more frequently hinders than

37. helps the highestenjoyment of man's life. The parable which immediately
follows the text bears, and was intended to bear, directly on this subject.
Besides the folly of the rich man, in view of death and eternity, he made a
capital mistake even in regardto his life in this world, when he said to his
soul, "Soul, thou hastmuch goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat,
drink, and be merry." The increase of riches does not increase a soul's
enjoyment. In proportion as a rich man is indifferent to his wealth, his
enjoyment of life does not spring from it, but from other sources. In
proportion as his heart is given to his wealth, his enjoyment of life decreases.
It is a law — a law of God which misers feel — that, if a man loves money,
then the more money he gets, the less he enjoys it.
3. Life in the highest sense, the life of the soul, obviously does not depend in
any degree on the abundance of earthly possessions. The whole world gained
cannot prevent the loss of the soul. Considerthe first object, a man's life. It is
the life of the dead in sin, the life by regeneration, the life quickened by the
Spirit and sustained in Christ, the life which, being hid with Christ in God,
shall never die. This is a greatthing for a man. Hear the word of the Lord —
that abundance is not your life. It is not so needful as your life. If you take it
too near your heart, it will quench your life. Ye cannotserve two masters.
Expressly, ye cannot serve these two, God and Mammon. Money, like fire, is a
goodservant, but a bad master. It is this surplus, this superabundance, that is
the dangerous thing. When it is soughtas if it were life to a soul, it becomes to
that soul death. When a man falls into deep water, he could easily preserve his
life if he would permit his whole body to lie beneath the surface, exceptso
much of his mouth and nostrils as is necessaryfor the admission of air. It is
the instinctive, but unwise, effort to raise portions of the body above the
water, that sinks the whole beneath it. It is the weight of that portion which
has been, by a convulsive effort, unnecessarilyraised, that presses downthe
body, and drowns the man. It is by a similar law in the province of morals
that avarice destroys the life of the soul. The whole amount of money that a
man obtains for the purpose of using, and actually does legitimately use, does
no harm to the interests of his soul. It may be great, or it may be small, while
it is kept beneath the surface, so to speak — kept as a servant, and used as an

38. instrument for legitimate objects — it is as to spiritual matters indifferent. So
far as money is concerned, the man is in equilibrium, and his spiritual
characterwill depend on other influences. But when some portion is raised
above the line — when it is taken from a servant's place, and raisedto that of
a master — when a surplus is sought, not for use but for its own sake — when
the love of money begins — when it is set up by the man above himself, as an
objectof his affection— then that surplus, whether greator small, presses
down the soul, and the man sinks in spiritual death. It is this lust that "drowns
men in perdition" (1 Timothy 6:11).
(W. Arnot.)
The miser's misery
There was once a nobleman living in Scotlandwho was very rich. But his
covetousness,orlove of money, was very great. Whenever he receivedany
money, he turned it into gold and silver, and stowedit awayin a greatchest
which he kept in a strong vault, that had been built for this purpose down in
the cellar. One day a farmer, who was one of his tenants, came to pay his rent.
But when he had counted out the money, he found that it was just one
farthing short; yet this rich lord was such a miser that he refusedthe farmer a
receipt for the money, until the other farthing was paid. His home was five
miles distant, lie went there, and came back with the farthing. He settled his
bill, and got his receipt. Then he said, "My lord, I'll give you a shilling if you'll
let me go down into your vault and look at your money." His lordship
consented, thinking that was an easyway to make a shilling. So he led the
farmer down into the cellar and opened his big chest, and showedhim the
greatpiles of gold and silver that were there. The farmer gazed at them for
awhile, and then said: "Now, my lord, I am as well off as you are." "How can
that be?" askedhis lordship. "Why, sir," said the farmer, "you never use any
of this money. All that you do with it, is to look at it. I have lookedatit too,
and so I'm just as rich as you are." Thatwas true. The love of that selfish lord
for his money, made him think of it day and night, and the fearlest some

39. robber should stealit, took awayall his comfort and happiness, and made him
perfectly miserable.
The terrible evil of covetousness
Three men, who were once travelling together, found a large sum of money on
the road. To avoid being seen, they went into the woods near by, to count out
the money, and divide it among themselves. Theywere not far from a village,
and as they had eatenup all their food, they concluded to send one of their
number, the youngestin the company, into the village to buy some more food,
while they would waitthere till he came back. He startedon his journey.
While walking to the village, he talkedto himself in this way: "How rich my
share of this money has made me! But how much richer I should be if I only
had it all! And why can't I have it? It is easyenough to getrid of those other
two men. I can getsome poisonin the village, and put it into their food. On my
return I can say that I had my dinner in the village, and don't want to eatany
more. Then they will eatthe food, and die, and so I shall have all this money
instead of only having one-third of it." But while he was talking to himself in
this way, his two companions were making a different arrangement. They said
to eachother: "It is not necessarythat this young man should be connected
with us. If he was out of the way, we could eachhave the half of this money
instead of only a third. Let us kill him as soonas he comes back." So they got
their daggers ready, and as soonas the young man came back they plunged
their daggers into him and killed him. They then buried his dead body, and
satdown to eat their dinner of the poisonedfood which had been brought to
them. They had hardly finished their dinner before they were both seized with
dreadful pains, which soonended in their death. And here we see how the
happiness and the lives of those three men were destroyed by the love of
money.
Covetousness
Sunday SchoolTimes.
Two students had been competing at a university for the same prize, and one
gained it by a few marks. The defeatedcandidate had set his heart on the
prize, and was bitterly disappointed. In his room that evening, along with two

40. friends, he beganto speak of his defeat, and as he spoke sucha look of anger
and greedcame into his face that one of his friends said in an undertone to the
other, "See!the wolf! the wolf!" This exclamationdid not hit far from the
truth. Covetousness brings a man to the level of the beasts. That a man's life
consists not in the abundance of the things he has is wellbrought out in the
classic fable of King Midas, who found from bitter experience how fatal a gift
was the touch that converted all things into gold. There is an Arabian story
which tells how, at the sack ofa city, one of the rulers was shut up in his
treasure-chambers, and starvedto death among bars of gold and sparkling
gems. True as this is of the physical nature, it is more true of the spiritual. The
man with the muck-rake in Bunyan saw nothing of the golden crownthat was
offered him. Many a man, intent on gathering his grain into his barns, forgets
therewith to lay hold of the better bread of life!
(Sunday SchoolTimes.)
Oriental covetousness
Sunday SchoolTimes.
To beware of covetousnessis a lessonthat has always beenspecially neededin
the East. The grasping for more is fearful. It is usually consideredthe only
worthy objectin life. The ordinary Oriental simply cannot comprehend how a
European cantravel for pleasure, or spend money for archaeological
investigation, or in any of the pursuits we think higher than that of money.
Yet, on the other hand, the declarationthat "a man's life consistethnot in the
abundance of the things which he possesseth" is one that is taught the great
mass of the Orientals by a hard experience. Abundance they cannot know.
Conceding that "the things which he possesseth" are necessaryfor his life in
this world, whether higher or lower, the life is not in their superfluity. An
Oriental is rich who is not in danger of immediate want, who knows where he
can getall his meals for to-morrow. Though the Greek of this clause seems
difficult to many, it seems to the writer difficult only in its capability of
rendering into English; especiallybecause one who wishes to turn it into good
English must choose atthe start which of two allowable idiomatic forms he

41. must choose. ButOriental conditions throw upon it a beautiful light: "Fornot
in their superfluity to any one is his life (does his life come) from his
possessions";or, not in having superfluity does a man have his life out of his
goods. It may be admitted that the grammaticalgovernment of one word is
not altogethercertain;but there are many cases, nearlyor quite parallel, in
classic Greek, where the author, for greaterpiquancy, has purposely left the
constructionof a word thus in suspense, to be governed by either of two
others; the canon of the iron-bound grammarians, that every word in a given
sentence has a fixed construction, to the contrary notwithstanding.
(Sunday SchoolTimes.)
Covetousness
The Rev. R. Gray tells of a certain duke that has a passionfor costly
diamonds; and what is the consequence?His house resembles a castle rather
than a mansion, and is surrounded with a lofty wall, one which no one can
climb without giving alarm. His treasure is kept in a safe let in the wall of his
bedroom, so that it cannot be reachedwithout first waking or murdering the
owner; the safe is so constructedthat it cannot be forced without discharging
four guns, and setting an alarm-bell a-ringing in every room. His bedroom,
like a prisoner's cell, has but one small window, and the bolt and lock of the
massive door are of the stoutestiron. In addition to these precautions, a case,
containing twelve loaded revolvers, stands by the side of his bed. Might we not
inscribe over it, "Diamonds are my portion; therefore do I fear"?
Possessionsdo not constitute life
R. Bickersteth, M. A.
Does a man's life consistin "the abundance of the things which he possesses?"
Does amplitude of possessionnecessarilyconferhappiness? and is it such
happiness as is sure to last? Nay; try abundance of possessions by this test,
and you will find that it miserably fails. Wealth, or large possessions, may
bring happiness — this we do not deny; it may confersplendour, of which
men are proud; power, which they delight to exercise;comforts, which they

42. cannot but cherish; and luxuries, which they undoubtedly enjoy. But are all
these things so necessarilyand uniformly the results of affluence, as that they
always follow from it? — or, rather, does not splendour sometimes become
overpoweringlyirksome, and do not men sometimes shrink from the
responsibilities of power as a burden almostintolerable? And may there not
be other concomitants ofwealth or of ample possessions, whichtend to make
the comforts or the luxuries which affluence confers but a very poor
compensationfor counter trials to which it exposes?Riches willnot ward off
pain or disease;the ownerof immense property may be rackedwith pain, or
he may languish in sickness, alike withthe humblest menial or the poorest
peasant. Let us, however, suppose a different case;let there be nothing to
disturb the enjoyment of those pleasures which result from affluence;nay, I
will even imagine, that, in addition to those alreadymentioned, the owner of
vast possessions has other blessings poured into his lap, such as money alone
will not purchase. God has given to him wealth freely to enjoy, and he has
around him the costlierand more precious possessions-childrenby whom he is
revered and loved — the esteemand respectof his fellows — and, what no
man can afford to despise, the good-will and affection of the humblest and the
poorestwho live in his neighbourhood. And had we the powerof sketching
vividly such a case as this — could we delineate to you the owner of some
ample property, whom, nevertheless, ancestralhonours have not made proud,
but who demeans himself alike to all with the gentle courtesyand
condescension, whichare the true elements of real nobility; who employs what
God hath given him, not merely for his own selfishgratification, but finds
happiness in diffusing around him what may minister to the comfortof others
— could we picture to you that man, around whom his children and his
children's children delight to cluster, with feelings of veneration and affection;
or who, when he walks abroad, receives the unbought benediction of the poor,
because they respecthim for his virtues, and love him for his charities — even
in a case like this, there would be no contradictionto the truth that "his life"
— his real life — "consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he
possesseth." And supposing Christianity to have exerted its influence on this
man's heart, and brought him as a penitent suppliant to sue for mercy at the
feet of the Redeemer, and led him to rejoice in the hope which is laid up for a
believer, oh! he will be the very last to deem that his reallife could consistin

43. the abundance of his possessions, He might lawfully thank God, who had
conferredupon him means of scattering so many blessings around him, and
sources ofso much comfort to himself; but, above all, he would rather thank
God for having taught him to "use this world without abusing it" — to regard
himself as no more than the tenant at will, with but a passing interest in the
possessionconfidedto his trust; to recollect, and to actupon the recollection,
of a coming period, when every earthly possession, be it howsoevercostlyor
large, will have to be forsakenand thus he would be foremostto confess,that
"a man's life consistethnot in the things which he possesseth." Alas!he might
well say, for those who actas though it doth; a thousand causes mayarise to
embitter the enjoyment which springs from possession;or, if these in God's
providence are warded off, then the more unsullied the temporal happiness,
the more confounding is the thought that death will interrupt it. And surely
this is enough to vindicate the accuracyofwhat is declared in our text.
(R. Bickersteth, M. A.)
Covetousnessa tyranny
C. H. Spurgeon.
The muscles of the arm if you never exert them exceptin one fashion, will
become set, so that you cannotmove them, like the Indian Fakir, who held his
arm aloft so long that he could not take it down again. Man, continuing in sin,
becomes fixed in its habit. Only the other day we read of a greatmillionaire in
New York, who once was weak enoughto resolve to give a beggara penny. He
had grownold in covetousness,and he recollectedhimself just as he was about
to bestow the gift, and said, "I should like to give you the penny, but you see I
should have to lose the interest of it for ever, and I could not afford that."
Habit grows upon a man. Everybody knows that when he has been making
money, if he indulges the propensity to acquire, it will become a perfectly
tyrannical master, ruling his own being.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)

44. The vice of covetousness
Henry R. Burton.
It is a vice that increasesin those who harbour it, making them miserable and
utterly mean. A very wealthy Frenchbanker, worth many hundred thousand
francs, would not purchase for himself a little meat when he was almost dying
for want of the nourishment. A Russianmiser used to go about his house at
night barking like a dog, to prevent robbers coming to get any of his great
wealth, and because he would not be at the expense of keeping a dog. Are not
covetous people punished as the dog in the fable was, which, in snatching at
the shadow in the water, lost the meat he had in his mouth? or as Tantalus
was, of whom the ancients said he was up to the neck and surrounded with all
goodthings, but he could never getor enjoy one of them? Covetous persons
are also like the old man of whom Bunyan tells, who spent his life in raking
togetherdirt, straw, and worthless things; whilst he never heeded the
immortal crown an angeloffered him. RowlandHill said, "Covetous persons
should be hung up by their heels, that all their money might fall from their
pockets, forit would do them goodto lose it, and others goodto get it."
(Henry R. Burton.)
The dangerof covetousness
Hervey's Manual of Revivals.
A shepherd boy, of small experience, was one day leading his little flock near
the entrance of a mountain cavern. He had been told that precious stones had
often been discoveredin such places. He was, therefore, tempted to leave his
charge, and turn aside to explore the dark recessesofthe cavern. He began to
crawlin, but as he proceededhis face took on a veil of cobwebs, andhis hands
mittens of mud. He had not gone far when he saw two gems of a ruby glow
lying near eachother. He put forth his eagerfingers to seize them, when a
serpent bit him. In pain and fear he crawledquickly back to the light of day,
and ran home to the chief shepherd to obtain some remedy for the bite. The
goodman, who was also his elder brother, suckedthe poisonfrom the wound,

45. and applied to it a healing balm. Neverafterwards did that shepherd covet the
treasures which may lie concealedbehind mountain rocks.
(Hervey's Manual of Revivals.)
No profit in possessions
A. Farindon.
What is Alexander now the greaterfor his power? What is Caesarthe higher
for his honour? What is Aristotle the wiserfor his knowledge?Whatdelight
hath Jezebelin her paint? Or Ahab in his vineyard? What is a delicious
banquet to Dives in hell? Or, what satisfactioncanthe remembrance of these
transitory delights bring? All the beauty, honour, riches, and knowledge in
the world will not purchase one moment's ease. All the rivers of pleasure,
which are now run out and dry, and only flow in our remembrance, will not
coola tongue (Colossians 2:22).
(A. Farindon.)
Riches cannotpurchase satisfaction
Abp. Leighton.
Think you that greatand rich persons live more content? Believe it not. If
they will dealfreely, they can but tell you the contrary; that there is nothing
but a show in them, and that great estatesand places have great grief and
cares attending them, as shadows are proportioned to their bodies
(Ecclesiastes 2:1-11).
(Abp. Leighton.)
The true standard of riches
H. W. Beecher.

46. No man can tell whether he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the
heart that makes a man rich. He is rich or poor according to what he is, not
according to what he has.
(H. W. Beecher.)
Avarice, a fearful disease
Percy.
Cortes was askedby various MexicanStates, whatcommodites or drugs he
wanted, and was promised an abundant supply. He and his Spaniards, he
answered, had a disease attheir hearts, which nothing but gold could cure;
and he had receivedintelligence that Mexico abounded with it. Under the
pretence of a friendly conference, he made Montezuma his prisoner, and
ordered him to pay tribute to Charles V. Immense sums were paid; but the
demand was boundless. Tumults ensued. Cortes displayed amazing
generalship;and some millions of the natives were sacrificedto the disease of
his heart.
(Percy.)
Greedof avarice
T. Adams.
We see the most rich worldlings live the most miserably, slavedto that wealth
whereofthey keepthe key under their girdles. Esuriunt in popina, as we say,
"they starve in a cook's shop." A man would think that, if wealthcould do any
good, it could surely do this good, keepthe ownerfrom want, hunger, sorrow,
care. No, even these evils riches do not avoid, but rather force on him.
Whereofis a man covetous but of riches? When these riches come, you think
he is cured of his covetousness:no, he is more covetous;though the desires of
his mind be granted, yet this precludes not the accessofnew desires to the
mind. So a man might strive to extinguish the lamp by putting oil into it; but

47. this makes it burn more. And as it is with some that thirstily drink harsh and
ill-brewed drinks, have not their heatallayed, but inflamed; so this
worldling's hot eagernessofriches is not cooled, but fired, by his abundance.
(T. Adams.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(15) Take heed, and beware of covetousness.—The betterMSS. give, “ofall
(i.e., every form of) -covetousness.”Our Lord’s words show that He had read
the secretofthe man’s heart. Greedwas there, with all its subtle temptations,
leading the man to think that “life” was not worth living unless he had a
superfluity of goods. The generaltruth is illustrated by a parable, obviously
selectedby St. Luke, as specially enforcing the truth which he held to be of
primary importance. (See Introduction.)
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
12:13-21 Christ's kingdom is spiritual, and not of this world. Christianity does
not meddle with politics; it obliges all to do justly, but wordly dominion is not
founded in grace. It does not encourage expectations ofworldly advantages by
religion. The rewards of Christ's disciples are of another nature. Covetousness
is a sin we need constantly to be warned against;for happiness and comfort
do not depend on the wealthof this world. The things of the world will not
satisfy the desires of a soul. Here is a parable, which shows the folly of carnal
worldling while they live, and their misery when they die. The character
drawn is exactlythat of a prudent, worldly man, who has no gratefulregard
to the providence of God, nor any right thought of the uncertainty of human
affairs, the worth of his soul, or the importance of eternity. How many, even

48. among professedChristians, point out similar characters as models for
imitation, and proper persons to form connexions with! We mistake if we
think that thoughts are hid, and thoughts are free. When he saw a greatcrop
upon his ground, instead of thanking God for it, or rejoicing to be able to do
more good, he afflicts himself. What shall I do now? The poorestbeggarin the
country could not have said a more anxious word. The more men have, the
more perplexity they have with it. It was folly for him to think of making no
other use of his plenty, than to indulge the flesh and gratify the sensual
appetites, without any thought of doing goodto others. Carnal worldlings are
fools;and the day is coming when God will call them by their own name, and
they will callthemselves so. The death of such persons is miserable in itself,
and terrible to them. Thy soul shall be required. He is loth to part with it; but
God shall require it, shall require an accountof it, require it as a guilty soul to
be punished without delay. It is the folly of most men, to mind and pursue that
which is for the body and for time only, more than that for the souland
eternity.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
Beware ofcovetousness -One of these brothers, no doubt, was guilty of this
sin; and our Saviour, as was his custom, took occasionto warn his disciples of
its danger.
Covetousness -An unlawful desire of the property of another; also a desire of
gain or riches beyond what is necessaryfor our wants. It is a violation of the
tenth commandment Exodus 20:17, and is expresslycalledidolatry Colossians
3:5. Compare, also, Ephesians 5:3, and Hebrews 13:5.
A man's life - The word "life" is sometimes taken in the sense of happiness or
felicity, and some have supposed this to be the meaning here, and that Jesus
meant to saythat a man's comfortdoes not depend on affluence - that is, on
more than is necessaryfor his daily wants;but this meaning does not suit the
parable following, which is designed to show that property will not lengthen
out a man's life, and therefore is not too ardently to be sought, and is of little
value. The word "life," therefore, is to be taken "literally."

49. Consistethnot - Rather, "dependeth" not on his possessions.His possessions
will not prolong it. The passage, then, means: Be not anxious about obtaining
wealth, for, however much you may obtain, it will not prolong your life.
"That" depends on the will of God, and it requires something besides wealth
to make us ready to meet him. This sentiment he proceeds to illustrate by a
beautiful parable.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
15. unto them—the multitude around Him (Lu 12:1).
of covetousness—The bestcopies have "all," that is, "every kind of
covetousness";because as this was one of the more plausible forms of it, so He
would strike at once at the root of the evil.
a man's life, &c.—a singularlyweighty maxim, and not less so because its
meaning and its truth are equally evident.
Matthew Poole's Commentary
The pleonexia, here translatedcovetousnessimmoderate desire of having of
this world’s goods, whichdiscovers itselfeither by unrighteous acts in
procuring, or uncharitable omissions for the keeping, of the things of this life.
It is that filarguria, love of money, which the apostle determines to be the root
of all evil. It is also discoveredby a too much thoughtfulness what we shall eat,
drink, or put on, or by the too greatmeltings of our hearts into our bags of
gold or silver. All these come under the notion of that covetousnesswhichis
here forbidden. In short, whatsoeverit is that hindereth our contentment with
the portion God giveth us upon our endeavours, though it amounts to no more
than food and raiment, according to the apostle’s precept, 1 Timothy 6:8
Hebrews 13:5. This is what Christ warns his disciples to beware of; he gives us

50. the reason, fora man’s life consistethnot in the abundance of what he
possesseth:which is true, whether we understand by life the subsisting and
upholding of our life, or (as life is often taken) for the happiness and felicity of
our lives. Abundance is not necessaryto uphold our lives. Ad manum est quod
satest, saith Seneca,Nature is content with a little. Sudamus ad supervacanea,
( saith he), We sweatonly to get superfluities. Norwill abundance protect our
lives; it will not keepoff an enemy, but rather tempt him; nor fence out a
disease, but rather contribute to it, as engaging us in immoderate cares or
labours to procure and keepit, or as exposing us to temptations to riot and
debauchery, by which men’s lives are often shortened. Nor doth the happiness
of life lie in the abundance of what we possess.Some philosophers determined
rightly, that something of this world’s goodis necessaryto our happiness of
life, but abundance is not. The poor are as merry, and many times more
satisfied, more healthy, and at more ease, than those that have abundance. It
is a golden sentence, whichdeserves to be engravenin every soul.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
And he said unto them,.... Either to the two brethren, or to his disciples, as the
Syriac and Persic versions read, or to the whole company:
take heed, and beware of covetousness;of all covetousness, as readthe
Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, and some copies;that is,
of all sorts of covetousness,and every degree of it, which of all vices is to be
avoided and guarded against, being the root of all evil; and as the Persic
version renders it, is worse than all evil, and leads into it:
for a man's life consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he
possesseth;of flocks and beasts, as the Persic versionrenders it: a man's
natural life cannot be prolonged by all the goodthings of the world he is
possessedof; they cannotprevent diseases nordeath; nor do the comfort and
happiness of life, lie in these things; which are either not enjoyed by them, but
kept for the hurt of the owners of them, or are intemperately used, or some
way or other imbittered to them, so that they have no peace nor pleasure in
them: and a man's spiritual life is neither had nor advantagedhereby, and

51. much less is eternal life to be acquired by any of these things; which a man
may have, and be lostfor ever, as the following parable shows.
Geneva Study Bible
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of{c} covetousness:for a
man's life {d} consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he
possesseth.
(c) By covetousness is meant that greedydesire to get, commonly causing hurt
to other men.
(d) God is the author and preserverof man's life; goods are not.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
Luke 12:15. Jesus recognisedπλεονεξία as that which had stirred up the
quarrel betweenthe brothers, and uses the occasionto utter a warning against
it.
πρὸς αὐτούς]i.e. πρὸς τὸν ὄχλον, Luke 12:13.
ὅτι οὐκ ἐν τῷ περισσεύειν κ.τ.λ.]for not by the fact of a man’s possessing
abundance does his life (the support of his life) consistin his possessions.
This—the factthat one’s life consists in one’s possessions—is notdependent
on the abundance of the possession, but—this, the contrastunexpressed, but
resulting from Luke 12:30—onthe will of God, who calls awaythe selfish
collectoroftreasures from the midst of his abundance. The simple thought
then is: It is not superfluity that avails to support a man’s life by what he

52. possesses.“Vivitur parvo bene.” To this literal meaning, moreover, the
following parable corresponds, since it does not authorize us to understand
ζωή in its pregnant reference:true life, σωτηρία, or the like (Kuinoel,
Bornemann, Olshausen, Ewald, and the older commentators);on the other
hand, Kaeuffer, De ζωῆς αἰων. not. p. 12 f.[156]Observe, moreover, that οὐκ
has been placedat the beginning, before ἐν τῷ περισσ., because ofthe contrast
which is implied, and that τινί, according to the usual construction, that of the
Vulgate, goes mostreadily with περισσευειν (Luke 21:4; Tob 4:16; Dion. Hal.
iii. 11), and is not governedby what follows. An additional reasonfor this
constructionlies in the factthat thus the following αὐτοῦ is not superfluous.
Finally, it is to be noted that εἶναι ἐκ is the frequent proficisciex, prodire ex.
De Wette is wrong in saying:“for though any one has superfluity, his life is
not a part of his possessions,i.e. he retains it not because he has these
possessions.”In this manner εἶναι ἐκ would mean, to which belong; but it is
decisive againstthis view entirely that οὐκ ἐν τῷ περισσεύειν must be taken
together, while in respectthereof, according to the former view, no contrast
can be conceived;for the life is in no case a part of our possessions (in the
above sense).
[156]Kuinoel: “Non si quis in abundantia divitiarum versatur, felicitas ejus a
divitiis pendet.” Bornemann (Schol. p. 82, and in the Stud. u. Krit. 1843, p.
128 ff.): “Nemini propterea, quod abunde habet, felicitas paratur ex opibus,
quas possidet(sed ex pietate et fiducia in Deo posita).” Olshausensays that
there are two propositions blended together:“Life consists not in superfluity”
(the true life), and “nothing spiritual can proceedfrom earthly possessions.”
Ewald says:“If man has not from his external wealth in generalwhat canbe
rightly calledhis life, he has it not, or rather he has it still less by the fact that
this, his external wealth, increases by his appeasing his covetousness.”
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
15. beware of covetousness]The better reading is “ofall covetousness,”i.e. not
only beware of avarice, but also of selfishpossession. Boththe O. and N. T.
abound with repetitions of this warning. Balaam, Achan, Gehazi are awful

53. examples of this sin in the O. T.; Judas Iscariot, the Pharisees andAnanias in
the New. See 1 Timothy 6:10-17.
a man’s life consistethnot] i.e. a man’s true life—his zoe: his earthly natural
life—his bios, is supported by what he has, but his zoe is what he is. Such
phrases as that a man ‘is worth’ so many thousands a year, revealing the
current of worldly thought, shew how much this warning is needed. The order
of words in this paragraphis curious. It is literally, “Fornot in any marts
abundance is his life (derived) from his possessions,”or(as De Wette takes it)
“is his life a part ^his possessions.”The EnglishVersion well represents the
sense. Comp. Sen. ad Helv. ix. 9, “Corporis exigua desideria sunt.... Quicquid
extra concupiscitur, vitiis non usibus laboratur.”
Bengel's Gnomen
Luke 12:15. Πρὸς αὐτοὺς, unto them) viz. to the two brothers, or else, to His
hearers:comp. Luke 12:16.[116]The discourse returns to the disciples [to
whom it was at first addressed], at Luke 12:22.—πλεονεξίας, covetousness)
which may possibly lurk beneath, even in the case ofa cause howeverjust:
Luke 12:13.—ἐκ τῶν) These words are to be construedwith ζωή.[117]Life is
well lived on little.[118]
[116]Where also πρὸς αὐτοὺς occurs:the parable there would probably be
addressedto all His hearers.—ED. andTRANSL.
[117]i.e. “In the case ofone’s having abundance, his life is not derived from
one’s goods.” ButEngl. Vers. joins ἐκ τῶν with ἐν τῷ περισσεύειν, in the
abundance of the things which he possesseth.—ED. andTRANSL.
[118]If there be contentment and the grace of God.—ED. andTRANSL.
Pulpit Commentary

54. Verse 15. - And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness:
for a man's life consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he
possesseth. The older authorities read, "beware ofevery kind of
covetousness." No vice is more terribly illustrated in the Old Testamentstory
than this. Prominent illustrations of ruin overtaking the covetous man, evenin
this life, are Balaam, Achan, and Gehazi. Has not this ever been one of the
besetting sins of the chosenrace, then as now, now as then? Jesus, as the
Readerof hearts, saw what was at the bottom of the question: greed, rather
than a fiery indignation at a wrong endured. "A man's life." His true life,
would be a fair paraphrase of the Greek word used here. The Master's own
life, landless, homeless, penniless, illustratednobly these words. That life, as
far as earth was concerned, was his deliberate choice. The world, Christian as
well as pagan, in eachsucceeding age, witha remarkable agreement, utterly
declines to recognize the greatTeacher's view of life here. To make his
meaning perfectly clear, the Lord told them the following parable-story,
which reads like an experience or memory of something which had actually
happened.
STUDYLIGHTRESOURCES
Adam Clarke Commentary
Beware ofcovetousness -Or rather, Beware ofall inordinate desires. I add
πασης, all, on the authority of ABDKLM-Q, twenty-three others, both the
Syriac, all the Persic, all the Arabic, Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, Vulgate, all
the Itala, and severalof the primitive fathers.

55. Inordinate desires. Πλεονεξιας, from πλειον, more, and εχειν, to have; the
desire to have more and more, let a personpossesswhateverhe may. Such a
disposition of mind is never satisfied;for, as soonas one object is gained, the
heart goes out after another.
Consistethnot in the abundance - That is, dependeth not on the abundance. It
is not superfluities that support man's life, but necessaries. Whatis necessary,
God gives liberally; what is superfluous, he has not promised. Nor cana man's
life be preservedby the abundance of his possessions:to prove this he spoke
the following parable.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Bibliography
Clarke, Adam. "Commentary on Luke 12:15". "The Adam Clarke
Commentary". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/acc/luke-
12.html. 1832.
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Albert Barnes'Notes onthe Whole Bible
Beware ofcovetousness -One of these brothers, no doubt, was guilty of this
sin; and our Saviour, as was his custom, took occasionto warn his disciples of
its danger.
Covetousness -An unlawful desire of the property of another; also a desire of
gain or riches beyond what is necessaryfor our wants. It is a violation of the

56. tenth commandment Exodus 20:17, and is expresslycalledidolatry Colossians
3:5. Compare, also, Ephesians 5:3, and Hebrews 13:5.
A man‘s life - The word “life” is sometimes takenin the sense ofhappiness or
felicity, and some have supposed this to be the meaning here, and that Jesus
meant to saythat a man‘s comfortdoes not depend on affluence - that is, on
more than is necessaryfor his daily wants;but this meaning does not suit the
parable following, which is designed to show that property will not lengthen
out a man‘s life, and therefore is not too ardently to be sought, and is of little
value. The word “life,” therefore, is to be taken “literally.”
Consistethnot - Rather, “dependeth” not on his possessions.His possessions
will not prolong it. The passage, then, means: Be not anxious about obtaining
wealth, for, however much you may obtain, it will not prolong your life.
“That” depends on the will of God, and it requires something besides wealth
to make us ready to meet him. This sentiment he proceeds to illustrate by a
beautiful parable.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Bibliography
Barnes, Albert. "Commentaryon Luke 12:15". "Barnes'Notesonthe Whole
Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bnb/luke-12.html.
1870.
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The Biblical Illustrator

57. Luke 12:15
Take heedand beware of covetousness
Business life
I shall try to keepin view the chief risk to the moral and religious nature
which are incident to a business life, and my aim will be to show you where
the bestsafeguardagainstit is to be sought.
I. THE CHIEF DANGERS, WHAT ARE THEY? It is a misfortune in the
path of a commercialtrader to be kept in perpetual contactwith the purely
material value of all possible substances. The public sentiment of great
business centres is apt to reckona man’s worth by his business profits. It is
always tempted to erectan ignoble or defective ideal of successin life. I do not
speak of the vulgar dangers to honesty and truthfulness which indeed beset
men in all professions andclasses.
II. WHAT ARE THE SAFEGUARDS?
1. Cultivate to the utmost a youthful thirst for truth, and a youthful sympathy
with what is ideal, unselfish, grand in conduct.

58. 2. Cultivate a sympathizing contactwith men and women in other than mere
business relationships. These are safeguards ofthe secondaryorder.
3. The only primary and sufficient safeguardfor any of us is the religionof
Jesus Christ. See how the Christian man is guarded againstsettling down into
a selfishworldling.
On covetousness
1. It is not wrong to amass wealth. It is not wrong to increase it if you have the
beginnings of it. Neither is it wrong to make provision for its safety. There is
no moral wrong in the ownership and administration, or in the increase of
wealth. It is not wealth that everis a mischief. It is what it does to you that
makes it injurious or beneficial. It is what you do with it that makes it
injurious or beneficial.
2. It is not wrong, either, to be richer than other men. The essentialdifference
of power in different individuals settles the question as to the Divine economy
in this regard. Men are made of different executive forces, ofdifferent
acquiring powers. And in the factthat men are made relatively weak or
strong, that they are in ranks and gradations of inferiority or superiority with
respectto natural endowments, there is the most unequivocal evidence that
human societywas not meant to be one long, fiat prairie-level, but that it was
meant to be full of hills and valleys and gradations of every kind. And there is
no harm in that. I am not injured by a man that is superior to me, unless he
employs his superiority to tread me down. I am benefited by him if he employs
it to lift me up. Superiority is as powerful to draw the inferior up as to pull
them down, and it is comprised in the Divine plan of beneficence. And the
same is true of wealth.

59. 3. All the roads which lead to wealththat are right to anybody are right to
Christians. What a Christian has not a right to do nobody has a right to do.
Moralobligations rest on grounds which are common to me and to you. If
there is any distinction here, the Christian has rights which the infidel has not.
As a son of God, and as one who is attempting to carry himself according to
the commands of God, the Christian may be supposed to have rights of
premium. Therefore, if it is right for you to sail a ship, it is right for me to sail
a ship; if it is right for you to traffic, it is right for me to traffic; if it is right
for you to loan money on interest, it is right for me to loan money on interest.
The circumstance ofa man’s being a Christian does not change his relations
in any whir, exceptthis, that if possible it gives him higher authority than
others have to do whateverit is right for any man to do. All things are yours
because you are a son of God.
4. Nay, the gift of acquiring wealth, commercialsagacity, creative industry,
financial ability--these are only so many ways by which one may bring his
gifts to bear upon the greatends of life and serve God. Some men, who are
capable mechanics, capable artists, capable business men, wish to do good,
and they say, “Do you not think I had better preach?” I think you had. I think
every man ought to preach. If you are a banker, behind the counter is your
pulpit, and you canpreach sermons there which no man in any other situation
can. By practising Christian integrity in a business where others take
permissions of selfishness, youcan preach more effectually than in any other
way. Every man must take his life, and serve God by it. If God has given a
man literary capacity, genius for poetry, or the powerof eloquence, it is to be
consecratedand employed for the glory of God and the good of his fellow-
men. He is to serve, not himself alone, but the cause ofbeneficence with it. If
you have the skill of an artist, it is not given to you for your own selfish
gratificationand delight. These men that are made seers of truth through eyes
of beauty are under the most fearful responsibilities and the most sacred
obligations. If a man has given to him the skill of achieving results, the skill of
conducting business, or pecuniary skill, he can serve God by that, if not as
well, yet as really, as by any other consecratedpower. Therefore a man is not
forbidden either to have riches or to increase riches, orto employ any of the

60. ordinary ways by which it is right to increase riches. If he have a gift in that
direction, he is bound as a Christian man to develop it; and it is a talent for
which God will hold him accountable.
5. It is the godlessnessofselfishness,then, that is so wickedin wealth, in the
methods of getting it, in the methods of keeping it, and in the methods of using
it. It is selfishness that leads a man to undertake to procure wealthby means
that disregardduty; it is selfishness thatleads a man to setup wealth as the
end of his life, for which he is willing to sacrifice allthe sweetaffections, all
the finer tastes, allthe sensibilities of conscience.The curse of wealth consists
in the getting of it in a way which emasculates a man, and degrades his moral
nature. The curse of wealth-getting is seenwhere a man amasseswealthonly
that it may shut him in from life, building himself round and round with his
money, until at lasthe is encavernedwith it, and dwells inside of it. Geologists
sometimes find toads sealedup in rocks. Theycrept in during the for nation
periods, and deposits closedthe orifice through which they entered. There
they remain, in long darkness and toadstupidity, till some chance blast or
stroke sets them free. And there are many rich men sealedup in mountains of
gold in the same way. If, in the midst of some convulsionin the community,
one of these mountains is overturned, something crawls out into life which is
calleda man! This amassing of wealth as only a means of imprisonment in
selfishness, is itself the thing that is wicked. The using of wealthonly to make
our own personaldelights more rare, without regard to the welfare of others--
this it is that is sinful. The Divine command is, “Beware lestye be rich and lay
up treasure to yourself, and are not rich toward God.” If you have a surplus
of one thousand dollars, this command is to you; if you have a surplus of ten
thousand, it is to you; if you have a surplus of ten hundred thousand, it is not
a what more to you. Now, my Christian brethren, are you rich towardGod in
the proportion in which you have been increasing your worldly wealth? I can
tell you, unless your sympathies increase, unless your charities increase, unless
your disposition to benefit your fellow-men increases, in the proportion in
which your riches increase, youcannot walk the life you are walking without
falling under the condemnation of this teaching of Christ. Your life is one of
getting, getting, getting!and there is but one safety-valve to such a life; it is

61. giving, giving, giving! If you are becoming less and less disposedto do good;if
you are becoming less and less benevolent; if you are less and less
compassionatetowardthe poor; if you say, “I have workedmyself almost to
death to getmy property, and why can I not be allowedto enjoy it?” if you
hug your gold, and say, “This is my money, and my business is to extract as
much pleasure from it as I can”--then, my friend, you are in the jaws of
destruction; you are sold to the devil; he has bought you! But if, with the
increase ofyour wealth, you have a growing feeling of responsibility; if you
have a real, practical consciousness ofyour stewardshipin holding and using
the abundance which God is bestowing upon you; if you feel that at the bar of
God, and in the day of judgment, you must needs give an accountof your
wealth--then your money will not hurt you. Riches will not hurt a man that is
benevolent, that loves to do good, and that uses his bounties for the glory of
God and the welfare of men. But your temptations are in the other direction. I
beseechofyou, beware. (H. W. Beecher.)
The nature and evil of covetousness
I. THE MANNER OF THE CAUTION.
1. The great dangerof this sin.
2. The great care men ought to use to preserve themselves from it.
II. THE MATTER OF THE CAUTION. The vice our Saviour warns His
hearers againstis covetousness.

62. 1. The nature of this vice. The shortestdescription that I can give of it is this:
that it is an inordinate desire and love of riches; but when this desire and love
are inordinate, is not so easyto be determined. And, therefore, that we may
the better understand what the sin of covetousnessis, which our Saviourdoth
so earnestly cautionagainst, it will be requisite to considermore particularly
wherein the vice and fault of it doth consist;that, whilst we are speaking
againstcovetousness, we may not under that generalword condemn anything
that is commendable or lawful. To the end, then, that we may the more clearly
and distinctly understand wherein the nature of this vice doth consist, I shall--
First, Endeavour to show what is not condemned under this name of
covetousness,eitherin Scripture or according to right reason;and--Secondly,
What is condemned by either of these, as a plain instance or branch of this sin.
I. WHAT THINGS ARE NOT CONDEMNEDUNDER THE NAME OF
COVETOUSNESS,eitherin Scripture or according to right reason, which yet
have some appearance ofit; namely, these three things:
1. Nota provident care about the things of this present life.
2. Nota regular industry and diligence for the obtaining of them; nor--
3. Every degree of love and affection to them. I mention these three, because
they may all seemto be condemned by Scripture, as parts or degrees ofthis
vice, but really are not.

63. II. I COME NOW TO SHOW WHAT IS CONDEMNEDIN SCRIPTURE
UNDER THE NAME OF COVETOUSNESSandby this we shall best
understand wherein the nature of this sin doth consist. Now covetousness is a
word of a large signification, and comprehends in it most of the irregularities
of men’s minds, either in desiring, or getting, or in possessing, andusing an
estate.
2. The evil and unreasonablenessofthis sin.
III. I come now, in the lastplace, to make some application of this discourse to
ourselves.
1. Let our Saviour’s caution take place with us, let these words of His sink into
our minds: “Take heedand beware of covetousness.”Our Saviour doubles the
caution, that we may double our care. It is a sin very apt to stealupon us, and
slily to insinuate itself into us under the specious pretence ofindustry in our
callings, and a provident care of our families: but howeverit may be coloured
over, it is a greatevil dangerous to ourselves, andmischievous to the world.
Now to kill this vice in us, besides the considerations before mentioned taken
from the evil and unreasonablenessofit, I will urge these three more:
2. By way of remedy againstthis vice of covetousness, it is goodfor men to be
contentedwith their condition.
3. By way of direction, I would persuade those who are rich to be charitable
with what they have. (Archbishop Tillotson.)

64. The evil and folly of covetousness
I. To EXPLAIN THE ARGUMENT BEFOREUS, AND TO JUSTIFY IT,
that is, to show the meaning of the assertion, “thata man’s life doth not
consistin the abundance of his possessions,”and to show that it is strictly
true.
1. That the being and preservation of life doth not consistin nor hath any
dependence on these things, every one must be sensible. No man imagineth
that riches contributed to his existence, orthat they are essentialto the human
constitution; not one powerof nature is either the more or the less perfectfor
our having or wanting them.
2. As the being and the preservation of a man’s life do not consistin nor
depend on the abundance of the things that he possesseth, so neither do the
highest and bestends of it.
3. The enjoyment of life doth not consistin riches; and as this is the only end
which they have any pretence or appearance of answering, if upon a fair
inquiry it shall be found that they come short of it, then it must be owned they
are what our Saviour calleth them, deceitful; and His assertionin the text is
true, that life doth not in any sense consistin them, which therefore is a strong
argument to the purpose He applieth it to, namely, againstcovetousness.It is
necessaryto observe here, what every man must be convincedof upon the
leastreflection, that riches are not the immediate objectof any original desire
in the human nature. If we examine our whole constitution, with all the
primary affections which belong to it, we shall find that this hath no place
among them. And yet it is certain that the love of riches is become a very
powerful lust in the human nature, at leastin some minds, and they are

65. thought of greatimportance to the comfortable enjoyment of life. Whence
doth this arise? How doth happiness consistin them? It is plain that the total
amount of their usefulness to the purposes of enjoyment is only this, that when
other circumstances concurto render a man capable, they afford the larger
means of it in various kinds.
1. Of sensualgratifications.
2. The pleasures of the fancy or imagination.
3. Of doing goodto his fellow-creatures,eitherhis own near relations or
others, as his disposition inclineth him.
This is, I think, stating the case fairly, and allowing all to riches which can be
demanded for them. Let us now considereachof these particulars, that we
may see of what importance they are to happiness, so far, I mean, as they are
supplied, and the opportunities of them enlargedby riches. And, first, the
pleasures of sense are of the very lowestkind, which a man considering as
common with us to the brutal species cannotbut think far from the chief
happiness of a reasonable nature, and that the advantage of furnishing us with
greatplenty and variety of them is not extremely to be valued or gloried in.
Besides, there are certain bounds fixed by nature itself to the appetites,
beyond which we cannotpass in the gratificationof them without destroying
enjoyment and turning it into uneasiness. Another sortof pleasures are those
of the imagination, arising from the beauties of nature or art, of which we
have an internal sense, yielding delight, as we have the sensations ofcolours,
sounds, and tastes, from external material objects, by our bodily organs which
convey them. These, it is certain, afford great entertainment to the human life,
though in various degrees, according to the different measure of exquisiteness
or perfection in the sense itself, which is improved in some beyond others by

66. instruction, observation, and experience;and according to the knowledge men
have of the objects. Yet we must remember that these pleasures are not
appropriated to the rich, nor do depend on riches, which are only the means
of acquiring the property of them, in which the true enjoyment doth not
consist. The beauties of nature are unconfined, and every man who hath a
true sense ofthem may find objects enough to entertain it. The last, and
indeed the truest and highest, enjoyment of life, is in doing good, or being
useful to mankind. And of this riches affords the largestmeans, which
enjoyeth life in the best manner, maketh the best provision for his own
comfort in this world. But as this is not the case ofthe covetous man, it is
perfectly agreeable to the text, which declareth that life, that is, enjoyment,
doth not consistin abundant possessions;not that it doth not consistin
parting with those possessionsforthe uses of charity. To setthis matter in a
just light, let it be observed, that the moderate desire and pursuit of riches is
not at all inconsistentwith virtue; so far from it, industry is a virtue itself, as
being really beneficialto society, as well as to the personwho useth it,
furnishing him with the conveniences oflife, and especiallywith the means of
being useful to his fellow-creatures. Butwhen a man hath used honest
industry, so far he hath dischargedhis duty, and laid a foundation for all the
true enjoyment which can arise from riches;for that doth not depend on
success, orthe actual obtaining of large possessions,but principally on the
inward dispositions of the mind.
III. Having thus explained our Saviour’s assertionin the text, and showedthe
truth of it, let us next considerTHE PURPOSE TO WHICH HE APPLIETH
IT, NAMELY, AS A DISSUASIVE FROM COVETOUSNESS. All that
covetousness aimethat is, the obtaining of large worldly possessions.Now
supposing them to be obtained, which yet is very uncertain, but supposing it,
and it is the most favourable supposition for the covetous man, what is he the
better? If neither the being and preservationof life, nor the ends, nor the
enjoyment of it, dependeth on this.(BishopAbernethy.)

67. Christ’s warning againstcovetousness
I. Covetousnessis an INNATE sin. It was a principal part of the first
transgression. In this first preference of temporal goodto spiritual obedience
and the favour of God may be seen, as in a glass, all after covetousness. From
that fatal hour to the present, mankind universally have, “by nature,”
“worshippedthe creature more than the Creator,” proving themselves to be
influenced by an innate propensity to graspat earthly things, and to follow
them in the place of God.
II. Covetousness is a DECEPTIVE sin. The same may be saidindeed of all
sins; but of this more especially, becauseit is a decent sin. Other sins alarm,
because oftheir interference with the passions and interests of our
neighbours; and have, on that account, discredit and shame attachedto them.
Lying interrupts confidence, and weakens the bonds of society;murder lays
its hand on the persons, and theft on the property of men; adultery invades
the most sacredrights and breaks the dearestties; even drunkenness, by its
brutality and offensiveness to peace and order, is regardedwith general
disgust and odium. But where is the disgrace ofcovetousness? How regulara
man may be, how sober, how industrious, how moral, and yet be the slave of
this vice!
III. Covetousnessis a MULTIPLYING sin. This also may be saidof most
other sins, but eminently so of covetousness. Itleads to prevaricationand
falsehood. Thencomes hardness of heart. He that sets his affections onmoney,

68. will love it more than he will love his fellow-man. He will have little pity for
the sufferings of the poor, or if he have a little he will stifle it, lest his pity
should costhim something. Still less will he compassionatethe spiritually
wretched.
IV. Covetousnessis an AGGRAVATED sin. It is not merely an omissionof
duty, or a transgressionof law; but it is an abuse of much mercy. For who
gives a man power to getwealth? whence come health, ability, and labour,
skill, opportunity, success;--come they not from God?--couldany man earn
one shilling if Goddid not enable him?--and if any man have property, not of
his ownearning, could he have been possessedofit but for the kind
providence of God? And we know that He bestows it that it may be employed
in His service and for His glory. But covetousness refusesso to employ it.
V. Covetousness is a GREAT sin. It originates in mistrust of God, and
unbelief in His word.
VI. Covetousnessis a DESTRUCTIVE sin. Other sins slaytheir thousands,
but this slays its ten thousands. Many other sins are confined to the openly
ungodly, and have their victims exclusively from among those that are
without; but this sin enters into the visible Church, and is the chief instrument
in the hands of Satan of destroying the souls of professors.(Essex
Remembrancer.)
Warning againstcovetousness

69. I. COVETOUSNESSBREEDS DISCONTENT,ANXIETY, ENVY,
JEALOUSY. And hence it comes about that covetousness takes allthe
sweetness andpeace out of our life. It makes us dissatisfiedwith our homes
and surroundings. It keeps us for ever anxious as to our relative position. It
sets us continually on comparison. It underestimates the pleasures and joys of
life, and overvalues and magnifies its troubles. It makes the poor man
wretchedin his poverty, and hardens his heart againstthe rich. It energizes
the man of competence with new vigour to compass overflowing abundance,
and pushes forward the wealthy in the struggle for pre-eminence and power.
In the prosperous it naturally develops into greedor recklessextravagance;in
the disappointed, into hawking envy or green-eyedjealousy. It invades and
spoils our religious life. It embitters us during the week by thoughts of our
inferiority. It frets continually at the ordering of Providence. It destroys sweet
confidence in God’s wise and loving care. It sees evidences ofthe Divine
partiality in the inequalities of the human lot. The goodgraciouslygranted
turns to ashes on the lips because anotherhas it in greaterabundance. It
keeps many a one from the house of God. It follows many another to the
sanctuary to spoil the worship, and, through the sight of the eyes, to gangrene
the soulmore perfectly, and send it home burning with a deeper envy.
II. COVETOUSNESSMISLEADS AND PERVERTS THE JUDGMENT.
Covetousnessis to the mind what a distorting or colouredmedium is to the
eye. Just as everything in a landscape seenthrough such a medium is out of
proportion or falsely coloured, so everything in life seenthrough the medium
of covetousnessappears under fearful distortion or most deceptive colouring.
It breaks up the white light of truth into prismatic hues of falsehoodand
deceit.

70. III. IT HARDENS THE HEART AND DESTROYS THE BENEVOLENT
AFFECTIONS. A cherishedcovetousnessgraduallycrystallizes into habit and
principle. It narrows and pinches the entire being. It grows strong by
indulgence. The more it has the mere it wants. The more it gets the tighter it
grasps it. An avaricious millionaire will haggle for a halfpenny as quickly as a
day labourer. No meaner or more metallic being canbe found than he in
whom covetousnesshas done its legitimate work. And hence comes much of
the heart-ache of individuals, the misery of families, and the trouble of society.
It leads men to deprive themselves of the comforts of life. It is deaf to the voice
of natural affection.
IV. IT TENDS TO AND ENDS IN CRIME. A strong desire to get confuses the
judgment as to the proper means of getting, and gradually becomes
unscrupulous in the use of means; ultimately all hesitationis overcome, all
restraints broken through, all dangers braved. Get, it will at all hazards. Not
that every covetous man becomes a criminal; but this is the tendency in every
case. And when we remember that all overreaching, allpetty deceptionand
cheating, is in reality crime, it will go hard with the covetous man to clearhis
skirts. There is a vast amount of crime unseenby the law, but perfectly open
to the view of heaven. “There’s no shuffling there.” But much of the known
crime of the world--some of it the most atrocious and unnatural--springs
directly from covetousness.Whence comes the recklessspeculation, the stock-
jobbing and gambling, which agitate the markets and unsettle trade? Whence
the defalcations, breachesoftrust, the forgeries which startle us by their
frequency and enormity? Whence the highway robberies, burglaries,
murders, which have affrighted every age, and still fill our sleeping hours with
danger? The answeris plain: From a desire to get, cherished until it would not
be denied. Such a desire in time becomes overmastering;it balks at nothing.
Out of it spring crimes of every name and form, from the littlest to the most

71. colossal, from the murder of a reputation to the murder of a nation, from the
betrayal of a trust to the betrayal of the Son of God.
V. IT RUINS THE SOUL. In aiming to getthe world, man loses himself.
Every considerationheretofore urged tends to this. The reallife is neglected;
God and His claims are forgotten. In sensualenjoyment the soul is drowned,
and suddenly the end comes. (Henry S. Kelsey.)
Wealth not necessaryto an ideal life
“He became poor.” My brethren, what a thought is this! The Lord of heaven,
God the Almighty, the All-rich, the All-possessing, chose, whenHe came
among His creatures, to come as a poor man. He who is in the form of God,
“took upon Him the form of a servant.” Earthly poverty, in the fullest sense of
the word, He acceptedas His own. Born more hardly than the very poorest
peasantamong us, evenin a stable, cradled in a manger, brought up in a poor
mechanic’s cottage, His food rough barley loaves, His sleeping-place ever
uncertain, His disciples poor men like Himself, hard-working fishermen--
finally, stripped of His very garments, and left absolutely naked, to die!
Surely, if riches and possessions were indeedthe highestend of man’s being,
He who came to restore man to dignity and happiness would have come
among us rich and great. So far as our human minds can fathom, the work of
our salvationmight have been accomplishedby one who was rich in earthly
things, as well as by One who was poor. The sacrifice might still have atoned.
It is even possible to imagine an aspectunder which the contrastof the
sacrifice itselfwould have been heightened, had a rich man rather than a poor
man died for his fellow-men. Yet, at a time when riches and the goodthings
which riches procure abounded in the world, He chose, deliberatelyand
willingly chose, the lot of the poor, and is among His own creatures “as He
that serveth.” All “the kingdoms of the earth, and the glory of them,” He

72. deliberately castaside. And since, indeed, He, the typical Man, the Head of the
new Creation, the “Firstborn of every creature,” chose thus to be stripped,
and bare, and poor, does He not, I pray you, teachthis lesson, that the highest
condition, the very perfectionof man’s nature is even such as this? Nay, more.
I hesitate not to saythat from the moment Christ came thus among us,
poverty--yea, poverty--has its ownspecialblessing. (W. J. Butler, M. A.)
Covetousness
I. THE NATURE AND GENERALCAUSES OF COVETOUSNESS.
1. It does apt consistin a lawful care about the things of this life, or in a
proper regardto the principles of prudence and frugality. But it consists in
too eagera desire after the things of this life. Setting our hearts upon them.
2. It may be known by the tenacity with which we hold the things of this life.
Treating them as our chief good.
3. The generalcauses ofcovetousness are principally these:
II. ITS EVIL AND PERNICIOUS EFFECTS. Consider--
1. Its effects personally. It is the source of many vices. “Theywho will be
rich,” &c. (1 Timothy 6:9). It tempts men to base and unjust means to get

73. money. It hardens the heart, blunts the feedings, and renders the soul callous
and sordid. It fills the mind with distraction, and prevents all true and solid
enjoyment. It keeps outChrist and salvation.
2. Its effects on society. A covetous man is a misanthrope to his species.
3. Its effects in reference to God.
4. Its effects as exhibited in the examples revelation furnishes. Let us then
notice the means necessary.
III. FOR ITS PREVENTION AND CURE.
1. Serious considerationofthe shortness and uncertainty of life. How madlike,
inordinately to love what must so shortly be takenfrom us!
2. A reflectionon our responsibility to God for all we possess. Stewards. Day
of reckoning will arrive, Godwill judge us. All give an account, and receive
according as our works shall be.
3. A renewalof our hearts by the grace and Spirit of God.
4. Imitation of Christ’s blessedexample.

74. 5. Repeatedand prayerful examination of our hearts before God. (J. Burns, D.
D.)
The warning againstcovetousness
Covetousnessis like a dangerous rock in the sea of life, over which we have to
sail. Multitudes of wrecks are scatteredallaround it. The warning of our text
is like a light-house, which G d has causedto be built upon this rock, to give us
notice of the danger to be found here, in order that we may avoid it.
I. COVETOUSNESSWILL DESTROYOUR HAPPINESS.
II. COVETOUSNESSWILL INJURE OUR USEFULNESS.
III. COVETOUSNESS WILL LESSEN, OR LOSE, OUR REWARD. Two
Christian friends calledon a wealthy farmer one day, to getsome money for a
charitable work in which they were engaged. He took them up to the cupola,
on the top of his house, and showedthem farm after farm, stretching far
away, on the right hand, and on the left, and told them that all that land
belongedto him. Then he took them to another cupola, and showedthem
greatherds of horses, and sheep, and cattle, saying, as he did so--“Thoseare
all mine too. I came out here a poor boy, and have earnedall this property
myself.” One of his friends pointed up to heaven, and said--“And how much
treasure have you laid up yonder?” After a pause, hesaid, as he heaved a sigh,
“I’m afraid I haven’t got anything there.” “And isn’t it a greatmistake,” said

75. his friend, “that a man of your ability and judgment should spend all your
days in laying up so much treasure on earth, and not laying up any in
heaven?” The tears trickled down the farmer’s cheeks as he said--“It does
look foolish, don’t it?” Soonafter this, that farmer died. He left all his
property for others to use, and went into the presence ofGod only to find that
his love of money, and the wrong use he had made of it, had causedhim to lose
all the reward which he might have had in heaven. Some years ago, near
Atlanta, in Georgia, there lived a man who was a member of the Church. He
was a personof some influence in that neighbourhood. But he was a covetous
man, very fond of money, and always unwilling to pay his debts. He had a
little granddaughter, about nine years old, who was living with him. She was a
bright, intelligent young Christian. She had heard of her grandpa’s love of
money, and his unwillingness to pay his debts, spokenof, and it grieved her
very much. One morning, as they were sitting at breakfast, she said--
“Grandpa, I had a dream about you, last night.” “Did you? Well, tell me what
it was.” “Idreamed that you died lastnight. I saw the angels come to take you
to heaven. They took you in their arms, and began to go up till they were
almost out of sight. Then they stopped, and flew round awhile, but without
going any higher. Presently they came down with you, and laid you on the
ground, when their leadersaid--‘My friend, you are too heavy for us. We
can’t carry you up to heaven. It’s your debts that weighyou down. If you
settle with those you owe, we will come for you againbefore long.’” The old
gentleman was very much touched by this. He saw the danger he was in from
his covetousness. He resolvedto struggle againstit. The first thing after
breakfast, he went to his room, and in earnestprayer askedGod to forgive his
sin and to help him to overcome it. Then he went out and paid all his debts;
and after that was always prompt and punctual in paying what he owed. So he
minded the warning of the text, and was kept from losing his reward. (R.
Newton, D. D.)
Covetousness

76. I. THE NATURE OF COVETOUSNESS. It is the love of money. A passion
that grows upon men. We begin by loving it for the advantages it procures,
and then we learn insensibly to love it for its own sake, orperhaps for some
imaginary uses to which we flatter ourselves we shall apply it at some future
time. We avoid certain extremes, and thus escape the imputation of
covetousness,but we are not on that accountthe less influenced by the
greediness offilthy lucre--we have given our hearts none the less to it on that
account. And this passiongrows in a most remarkable manner. Men
encourage it in one another, and many a look seems, evenwithout a word, to
say, “Taste, andsee how goodmoney is.” Thus, by degrees, the love of money
manifests and extends itself, making of him who cherishes it, in the words of
our Lord, “a servant of mammon.” Verily He was wise who said, “Take head,
and beware of covetousness.”Further, this love of money takes different
forms and changes its name among men, without howeverbeing in any
respectchangedin the sight of Him who kneweththe heart.
1. One man loves money to keep--this is the covetous man properly so called--
the covetous man according to the true meaning of the word. He may possibly
succeedin avoiding the odium of the title, but to separate him from his
treasure would be to separate him from a part of his existence, andhe could
willingly say of money what God has said of blood, “Money, it is the life.”
2. Another man loves money to spend it. This is the prodigal. A man may be at
the same time covetous and prodigal. These two dispositions, instead of
excluding one another, mutually encourage eachother. Thus a Roman
historian who knew human nature well, mentions this trait among others in
the characterofthe notorious Cataline:“He was covetous ofthe wealth of
ethers, lavish of his own.”

77. 3. A third man loves money for the sake ofpower. This is the ambitious man.
It is not the desire of hoarding that rules him--it is not the love of spending
which possesseshim, but the delight of his eyes and the pride of his heart is to
witness the influence which money gives him. Of these three forms of
covetousness,miserly covetousnessis especiallythe vice of old age;prodigal
covetousness thatof youth; and ambitious covetousness thatof manhood. But
covetousness belongs to all ages and conditions.
II. THE SIN OF COVETOUSNESS. Iimagine we too generallyunderrate the
judgment which God passes uponcovetousness. We think that we are at full
liberty to enrich ourselves as much as we can, and then to do what we please
with the wealththat we have acquired. Thus we give ourselves up to
covetousness.We should not actthus with respectto intemperance, to theft,
but it seems that covetousness is quite anothersort of sin. Whilst these vices
disgrace those who are guilty of them--whilst they entail consequences
injurious to the peace and tranquility of society, covetousnesshas something
more plausible, more prudent, more respectable aboutit. It generally lays
claim to honest worthy motives, and the world will dignify it by the name of
natural ambition, useful industry, praiseworthyeconomy. I may even go a
step further. A covetous man may be in a certain sense a religious man. He
may be quite an example in his respectfulattention to the worship and
ordinances of God. In fact(the love of money is almostthe only vice a man can
entertain while he preserves the appearance ofpiety. And there is great
reasonto fear that of all sins, this one will ruin the greatestnumber of those
who profess to serve God. Instances:Balaam, Achan, Gehazi, Judas, etc. In
fact, a man cannot turn to the Lord but covetousnessmust perpetually oppose
him, from the earliestpreception of religious impressions, to the most
advancedperiod of his faith. Has he only just been called by the Lord and
bidden to the feast? Covetousness persuadestwo out of three to excuse
themselves on the plea: “I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go
and till it”--or, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must needs go and
prove them.” Has he begun to listen with interest to the truth and receivedthe

78. goodseedin his heart? Covetousnessplants thorns there also:“soonthe cares
of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the Word, and it becomes
unfruitful.” Has he advancedstill further in the way, and gone some time in
the paths of piety? Covetousnessstill despairs not of turning him out of them,
and of including him amongstthe number of those who, “having coveted
money, have erred from the faith.” Happy indeed is he, if, “taking the whole
armour of God,” he knows how to “withstand in the evil day, and having done
all to stand.” Happy if he does not imitate those imprudent travellers, whom
Bunyan describes as leaving, on the invitation of Demas, the way to the holy
city to visit a silver mine in the hill Lucre. “Whether,” says this truly spiritual
writer, “they fell into the pit by looking over the brink thereof; or whether
they went down to dig; or whether they were smothered in the bottom by the
damps that commonly arise--ofthese things I am not certain; but this I
observed, that they were never seenagainin the way.” Ah! dearbrethren,
“take heed, and beware of covetousness!”
III. We have now, however, to considerTHE CONDEMNATIONGOD
RESERVES FOR COVETOUSNESS. And this condemnation and
punishment begins in this life. There is no passionwhich renders its victims
more truly miserable. Solomon tells us that the lover of money cannot satisfy
himself with money. His cares increasewith his wealth. Every one enjoys it
excepthimself. (J. Jessop, M. A.)
A warning againstcovetousness
The greatpoint of instruction in this chapter is, dependence on God; that He
is all-sufficient for the happiness of the soul, and that He will give what is
needful for the body. The particular point of the text is, a warning against
covetousness;and never was there a day in which the warning was more
needed, when a most inordinate thirst of money-getting is abroad, when

79. speculations ofthe most extensive kind are afloat, and when money-crimes of
the most extravagantkind have shockedthe public mind.
I. THE WARNING. Covetousnessis like a fire, one of the four things which
are never satisfied(Proverbs 30:15). You may heap fresh fuel upon it, but it
only burns the higher, and its demands are greater. Let me ask, does your
present prosperity lead you to regard the warning of the text more? to believe
that there is danger in your present position? If your soul be in a healthy
condition you will pay more attention to the text. But you may say, “Oh! my
gains as yet are very slight, I have made but little money, I scarcelyfeelthe
warning can be applicable to me; when I have made a fortune, then I will
consider.” “Takeheed, and beware of covetousness,” saiththe Lord. But
suppose your successin business should continue, that you reachthe very
point at which you aim, would you then be more likely to acceptour Lord’s
warning than now? Nay, less likely; for you would then be more confirmed in
disregardof what He says than you are now; you would be less a believer in
His Word than now. Take heednow.
II. THE REASON FOR THIS WARNING.
1. Becausemoneycannot save the soul, and therefore cannot secure happiness
in the next life.
2. Becauseriches make to themselves wings and fly away, and a man may thus
be deprived of what he builds on for happiness.

80. 3. Becauseofthe uncertainty of life. The parable which succeedsthe text
illustrates this. Although this rich man had ample provision for the body so
long as it lasted, yet his goods could not ward off death; still less could they
provide for the happiness of the soul when God required it in another state of
existence. These considerationsare enoughto show us that “a man’s life
consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”
You may ask, then, What does a man’s life consistin?
1. In a heart at peace with God through Jesus Christour Lord; in pardon of
sin; in acceptancewith God; in the knowledge thatthis poor dying life is not
all, but that there is a life beyond the grave, blessedand everlasting,
purchased by the blood of Christ, and to which believers shall be kept by the
powerof God through faith.
2. In a well-founded hope of eternallife; in the knowledge ofwhat Jesus
Christ has done for sinners; in a spiritual understanding of the value of
Christ’s obedience unto death, His resurrectionand ascension;in the
assurance thatall the promises of Scripture are “Yea and Amen in Christ,”
and will be fulfilled to all who trust Him.
3. In being contented with the station in which Godhas placed us, and the
means which God has given us, feeling assuredthat if we could have served
God better in anotherstation there He would have placed us, and if we could
have used more means rightly and for His glory, He would have given them to
us; in a heart which recognizes God’s hand in all dispensations, and which is
able to say “Amen “ to all He does in the way of submission, and “Alleuia” in
the wayof praise (Philippians 4:11, and Revelation19:4).

81. 4. In an earnestdesire to serve God and our neighbour. There is no real
happiness without a desire and endeavourto do goodand to obey God’s
Word; and, as I have already said, our usefulness will ever be in proportion to
our conformity to the image of the Son of God. This is true happiness: not
exemption from trial and discipline, but the assurance ofthe sympathy of
Christ under it, and the belief that “all things shall work togetherfor goodto
them that love God”--the confidence that my Father, the Father who loves me,
rules all. This will be the greatestsafeguardagainstthe love of money, and the
crimes which spring out of it; this will keepa man humble, moderate,
prayerful, holy, and happy, and enable him better to resist temptation in
whatevershape it may presentitself. (W. Reeve, M. A.)
On covetousness
I. CAUSES OF COVETOUSNESS.
1. A corrupt and perverted judgment. We form a false opinion of the world,
and think more highly of it than it merits.
2. Distrust of the providence of God.
3. Involving ourselves too much in the world.
4. Neglecting to look at things unseen and eternal.

82. II. BAD EFFECTSAND CONSEQUENCESOF COVETOUSNESS,
1. It tempts men to unlawful ways of getting riches.
2. It tempts men to base and sinful ways of keeping what they have thus
procured.
3. It fills the soul with disquietude and distraction.
4. It prevents all good, and is an inlet and encouragementto evil. Nothing so
soonand so effectually stops the ear and shuts the heart againstreligious
impressions.
5. It excludes from the kingdom of God.
III. CONSIDERATIONSFOR THE PREVENTION AND CURE OF
COVETOUSNESS.
1. Endeavour to be convinced of the vanity of all worldly possessions.Theyare
insufficient and uncertain.
2. Seek Divine grace to enable you to set bounds to your desires.

83. 3. Learn to order your affairs with discretion.
4. Castall your cares upon God. (S. Lavington.)
Our Lord’s warning againstcovetousness
Here observe--
1. THE MANNER of our Lord’s caution; He doubles it; not saying, “Take
heed” alone, or “beware”only; but, “Take heed,” and “beware”both. This
argues, that there is a strong inclination in our natures to this sin; the great
danger we are in of falling into it, and of what fatal consequence it is to them
in whom this sin reigns.
2. THE MATTER of the caution, of the sin of which our Saviour warns his
hearers against, and that is covetousness:“Takeheed, and beware of
covetousness”;where, under the name and notion of covetousness, our
Saviour doth not condemn a provident care for the things of this life, nor a
regular industry and diligence for obtaining of them, nor every degree of love
and affectionto them; but by covetousnessis to be understood an eagerand
insatiable desire after the things of this life, or using unjust ways and means to
get or increase anestate;seeking the things of this life, with the neglectof
things infinitely better, and placing their chief happiness in riches.
3. THE REASON of this caution; “because a man’s life consistethnot in the
abundance of the things which he possesseth.” Human life is sustainedby a
little; therefore abundance is not necessary, eitherto the support or comfort

84. of it. It is not a greatestate and vast possessionthatmakes a man happy in
this world; but a mind suited to our condition, whateverit be. (W. Burkitt.)
Sin maskedby wealth
What could be more natural, they would ask, than that he should make
arrangements for the accommodationofthe vast increase ofhis wealth? Why
should he not make the most of what he had? Why should he not spend time
and thought on a matter of so greatimportance? Alas! this is exactlywhat our
Lord calls “the deceitfulness of riches.” “Some sins are open beforehand,
going before to judgment.” Every one admits their sinfulness. It is not so with
riches. Neither the possessorsofriches nor those about them perceive in them
danger, or the possibility of sinning in their use. Often rich men actually know
not that they are rich. There is a respectabilityin being rich which masks a
hundred forms of evil. Mostof the sins which are admitted to be sins are such
as are injurious to society. But the habits which wealthbrings are exactly
those in which societymostdelights, and therefore no warning voice, no hand
of chastisement, are lifted againstthe selfishness, unthankfulness, self-
satisfaction, vanity, pride, which follow too often in the train of riches. Against
drunkenness, dishonesty, falsehood, and the like, we all hold up our bands and
eyes, but these may pass. (W. J. Butler, M. A.)
A man’s life consistethnot in the abundance
A man’s life
I. WHAT A MAN’S LIFE IS NOT. “A man’s life consistethnot in the
abundance of the things which he possesseth.” It is a very common mistake to

85. suppose that a true life is a successfullife, a prosperous and wealthy man is
said to have succeededin life. But that is not the sort of life to which Jesus
refers in the text. He shows us in one place the picture of a man who had been
prosperous, one who wore purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every
day; one whom many had envied. Yet his life was not a success,and there are
none of us who would care to change places with him. The gospelalso shows
us another example of a mistakenlife. It shows us a young ruler who had
greatpossessions, and many goodqualities, yet his life was not a success:he
went awayfrom the true Life, he went awayfrom Jesus. No, a man’s life
consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
II. WHAT A MAN’S LIFE IS. It matters not whether we are rich or poor,
successfulor unfortunate, cleveror dull; the secretofa true life consists in
trying to do our duty towards God and our neighbour in that stationof life to
which it has pleasedGod to call us. This is the only true life, the only life
worth living, the only life which brings comfort here, and happiness hereafter,
since “the path of duty is the way to glory.” Some one has said very truly,
“The word duty seems to me the biggestword in the world, and is uppermost
in all my serious doings.” When Lord Nelsonlay dying, in the hour of his last
greatvictory, at Trafalgar, his last words were, “Thank God, I have done my
duty.” Believe me, brethren, his is the only true life who can sayat the last,
feeling all his failures and mistakes, and humbly consciousofhis weakness,
“Thank God, I have tried to do my duty.” There is only one path for us to
tread in as Christian people, and that is the path of duty marked out for us by
God.
1. This life, if truly carried out, will be an earnestlife. To do work well, we
must be in earnest. If a labourer is setto cleara field of weeds, and if he is in
earnest, he takes two hands to his work. So if we are to get rid of the weeds of
evil habits and besetting sins, if we are to sweepthe house, and search
diligently till we find the precious treasure which we have lost, we must put

86. two hands to the work. Every man who wants to live a true life must have a
definite object, and be in earnestin reaching it. Those who succeedare those
who aim high. The schoolboywho is contentedwith the secondplace in his
class will never be first. The man who is contentto sleepin the valley will
never reach the mountain-top of success. Atrue life is one of duty towards
God and our neighbour, done earnestlyand with our might; a life which aims
at heaven, a life whose ruling principle is the will of God.
2. And again, the true life is not only an earnestlife, but also an unselfish life.
God will not only have us goodourselves, but will have us make others good.
We all influence our fellow-men for goodor evil, lust as we ourselves are good
or evil. A bad man in a parish or community is like a plague-spot, he is not
only bad himself, but he makes others bad. A goodman in a similar place is
like a sweetflowerin a garden, beautiful in himself, and by shedding
sweetness aroundhim making the lives of others beautiful. Believe me, the
best sermon is the example of a goodlife. (H. J.Wilmot Buxton, M. A.)
Covetousness
I. WHAT COVETOUSNESSIS. Mainly an inordinate respectand desire for
earthly property. Its worstform is the desire for earthly goods atthe expense
of others.
II. WHERE COVETOUSNESS HAS ITS ROOTS. Love of creature more
than Creator. A vice which degrades human nature; and a sin which
dishonours God, and violates His law.

87. III. How COVETOUSNESS SHOWS ITSELF. Agrasping habit.
Dissatisfactionwith present possessions. The covetousman’s sole interestin
life lies in his accumulations.
IV. WHITHER COVETOUSNESS IS PRONE TO LEAD. Hardened heart.
V. THE END TO WHICH UNREPENTED COVETOUSNESS BRINGSTHE
VICTIM AT THE LAST. (J. R. Thomson, M. A.)
Money valued at more than money’s worth
I. THE AILMENT--THE SPIRITUAL CONDITION OF MEN, WHICH
DRAWS DOWN THIS REPROOF FROMTHE LORD. The precise point
with which we are at presentconcernedis this: An erroneous estimate of
wealth pervades this community. Money is valued at more than money’s
worth. This lies at the root of the evil. The high esteemin which money is held,
gives impetus to the hard race with which it is chased. The aim follows the
estimate. Whateveris in a community by common consentaccountedmost
valuable, will be practically followedwith the greatesteagerness. Afalse
reckoning has been castup as to where the chief goodof a country lies, and
the mass is moving on in a direction many points aside from the course of
safety. They give awayfor it that which is far more precious than it. One of
the oldestmemories of my mind relates to a case entirely analogous.The event
lies far back in childhood--I might even say infancy. The French prisoners in a

88. Government depot (now the generalprison at Perth), were allowedto hold a
kind of fair, where they sold from within their railings a variety of curious
articles of their own manufacture, to visitors whom curiosity had attracted to
see the strangers. Thither I was takenone day, with all my money in my
pocket, to see the Frenchmen. During a momentary absence ofthe personin
charge, I set my heart upon a rude bit of wood daubed with gaudy colours,
and calledNapoleon. The man who possessedit, seeing me alone, accostedme,
told me in brokenEnglish that nothing could be more suitable for me, and
offered to sell it: at once I gave him all the money I possessed, andcarried off
my prize. Searchwas made for the man who had cheatedme, but he had
disappearedbehind his comrades, and we never saw him more. I was obliged
to return home with a sad heart, and an empty hand, destitute of sundry
useful articles which I had been led to expect, and which my pence would have
purchased, if they had rightly been laid out. I distinctly remember yet the
deep melancholy that came over my spirit, as the reality came home to me
that the money was gone, and that there was no remedy. It is lawful to obtain
a lessonby comparing greatthings with small Men are like silly children in
the marketplace oflife. They are takenby the glitter of a worthless toy. They
buy it. They give their all for it. If you give your time, your hands, your skill,
your heart for wealth, you are taken in. Even the wealth you have obtained
cannot be kept. This habit of accounting money the principal thing, a habit
caught up in childhood from the prevailing tone of society, and strengthened
by the example of those whom the world honours--it is this that lays bare our
defences, and makes us an easyprey to the destroyer. Those who have money
usually plume themselves upon the possessionof it, without reference to any
other claim on the respectof mankind. Simply in virtue of their gold, they
take a high place, assume an important air, and expect the homage of the
multitude. A rich man will despise a poor man, though the poor man inherits
a nobler genius and leads a better life. The claim made might expose the folly
of a few; but the claim concededfastens follydown as a general characteristic
of the community. How few there are who will measure the man by his soul--
who will neither fawn upon wealth, nor envy it--who on accountof it will
neither setits possessorup nor down--who, in judging of his character, will
ignore altogetherthe accidentof his wealth, and award the honour which is
due to the man, according as he fears God and does goodto his brethren I In

89. the practicalestimationof this community, riches cover a multitude of sins.
Oh, if men would learn to weighit in the balance of the sanctuary, to see it in
the light of eternity; if we could getnow impressed on our minds the estimate
of money which we will all have soon, it would not be allowedto exercise so
much effectin our lives.
II. THE WARNING WHICH SUCH A MORAL CONDITION DREW
FORTHFROM THE LORD, AND THE REASON BY WHICH IT IS
ENFORCED:“Takeheedand beware of covetousness,fora man’s life
consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” The best
method of applying the caution will be to expound the specific ground on
which it is here made to rest. There are three different sensesin which “a
man’s life” may be understood, all of them obvious, and eachchargedwith a
distinct practicallesson.
1. Life in its literal and natural sense--the life of the body--does not consistin
the “abundance” ofthe things which one may possess. The life is in no degree
dependent on the “surplus “ over and above the supply of nature’s wants. A
very small portion of the fruit of the earth suffices to supply a man’s
necessities. The main elements are, a little food to appease hunger, and some
clothing to ward off the cold. In this matter, God has brought the rich and the
poor very near to eachother in life, and at death the slight difference that did
exist will be altogetherdone away. As a generalrule, it may be safelyaffirmed
that the life of the rich is as much endangeredby the luxuries of their
abundance, as that of the poor by the meanness of their food. The air and
exercise connectedwith his labour go as far to preserve his health as the
shelter and ease which the rich man enjoys. Looking simply to life--mere
animal being and wellbeing--we are justified in affirming that abundance, or
overplus of goods, is no advantage to it. This is a wise arrangementof our
Father in heaven. He is kind to the poor. He has protected them by laws that
men cannot touch--laws imbedded in the very constitution of the universe. In

90. this view of the case, it is not consonantwith right reasonto make the
acquisition of wealth the main object of desire and effort.
2. “A man’s life” may be consideredas the proper exercise and enjoyment of a
rational, spiritual, immortal being--that use of life which the all-wise Creator
manifestly contemplatedwhen He arrangedthe complex constitution of man.
Hitherto we have been speaking ofanimal life merely, common to us with the
lowerorders of creatures;now we speak ofsuch a life as becomes a creature
made in the image of God, and capable of enjoying Him for ever. To this life,
how very little is contributed by the surplus of possessionsoverand above
what nature needs!Indeed, that surplus more frequently hinders than helps
the highestenjoyment of man’s life. The parable which immediately follows
the text bears, and was intended to bear, directly on this subject. Besides the
folly of the rich man, in view of death and eternity, he made a capitalmistake
even in regard to his life in this world, when he said to his soul, “Soul, thou
hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be
merry.” The increase ofriches does not increase a soul’s enjoyment. In
proportion as a rich man is indifferent to his wealth, his enjoyment of life does
not spring from it, but from other sources. In proportion as his heart is given
to his wealth, his enjoyment of life decreases.It is a law--a law of God which
misers feel--that, if a man loves money, then the more money he gets, the less
he enjoys it.
3. Life in the highest sense, the life of the soul, obviously does not depend in
any degree on the abundance of earthly possessions. The whole world gained
cannot prevent the loss of the soul. Considerthe first object, a man’s life. It is
the life of the dead in sin, the life by regeneration, the life quickened by the
Spirit and sustained in Christ, the life which, being hid with Christ in God,
shall never die. This is a greatthing for a man. Hear the word of the Lord--
that abundance is not your life. It is not so needful as your life. If you take it
too near your heart, it will quench your life. Ye cannotserve two masters.
Expressly, ye cannot serve these two, God and Mammon. Money, like fire, is a

91. goodservant, but a bad master. It is this surplus, this superabundance, that is
the dangerous thing. When it is soughtas if it were life to a soul, it becomes to
that soul death. When a man falls into deep water, he could easily preserve his
life if he would permit his whole body to lie beneath the surface, exceptso
much of his mouth and nostrils as is necessaryfor the admission of air. It is
the instinctive, but unwise, effort to raise portions of the body above the
water, that sinks the whole beneath it. It is the weight of that portion which
has been, by a convulsive effort, unnecessarilyraised, that presses downthe
body, and drowns the man. It is by a similar law in the province of morals
that avarice destroys the life of the soul. The whole amount of money that a
man obtains for the purpose of using, and actually does legitimately use, does
no harm to the interests of his soul. It may be great, or it may be small, while
it is kept beneath the surface, so to speak--keptas a servant, and used as an
instrument for legitimate objects--itis as to spiritual matters indifferent. So
far as money is concerned, the man is in equilibrium, and his spiritual
characterwill depend on other influences. But when some portion is raised
above the line--when it is takenfrom a servant’s place, and raised to that of a
master--when a surplus is sought, not for use but for its own sake--whenthe
love of money begins--whenit is set up by the man above himself, as an object
of his affection--then that surplus, whether greator small, presses downthe
soul, and the man sinks in spiritual death. It is this lust that “drowns men in
perdition” (1 Timothy 6:11). (W. Arnot.)
The miser’s misery;
There was once a nobleman living in Scotlandwho was very rich. But his
covetousness,orlove of money, was very great. Whenever he receivedany
money, he turned it into gold and silver, and stowedit awayin a greatchest
which he kept in a strong vault, that had been built for this purpose down in
the cellar. One day a farmer, who was one of his tenants, came to pay his rent.
But when he had counted out the money, he found that it was just one
farthing short; yet this rich lord was such a miser that he refusedthe farmer a

92. receipt for the money, until the other farthing was paid. His home was five
miles distant, lie went there, and came back with the farthing. He settled his
bill, and got his receipt. Then he said, “My lord, I’ll give you a shilling if you’ll
let me go down into your vault and look at your money.” His lordship
consented, thinking that was an easyway to make a shilling. So he led the
farmer down into the cellar and opened his big chest, and showedhim the
greatpiles of gold and silver that were there. The farmer gazed at them for
awhile, and then said: “Now, my lord, I am as well off as you are.” “How can
that be?” askedhis lordship. “Why, sir,” said the farmer, “you never use any
of this money. All that you do with it, is to look at it. I have lookedatit too,
and so I’m just as rich as you are.” Thatwas true. The love of that selfish lord
for his money, made him think of it day and night, and the fearlest some
robber should stealit, took awayall his comfort and happiness, and made him
perfectly miserable.
The terrible evil of covetousness
Three men, who were once travelling together, found a large sum of money on
the road. To avoid being seen, they went into the woods near by, to count out
the money, and divide it among themselves. Theywere not far from a village,
and as they had eatenup all their food, they concluded to send one of their
number, the youngestin the company, into the village to buy some more food,
while they would waitthere till he came back. He startedon his journey.
While walking to the village, he talkedto himself in this way: “How rich my
share of this money has made me! But how much richer I should be if I only
had it all! And why can’t I have it? It is easyenough to getrid of those other
two men. I can getsome poisonin the village, and put it into their food. On my
return I can say that I had my dinner in the village, and don’t want to eatany
more. Then they will eatthe food, and die, and so I shall have all this money
instead of only having one-third of it.” But while he was talking to himself in
this way, his two companions were making a different arrangement. They said
to eachother: “It is not necessarythat this young man should be connected

93. with us. If he was out of the way, we could eachhave the half of this money
instead of only a third. Let us kill him as soonas he comes back.” So they got
their daggers ready, and as soonas the young man came back they plunged
their daggers into him and killed him. They then buried his dead body, and
satdown to eat their dinner of the poisonedfood which had been brought to
them. They had hardly finished their dinner before they were both seized with
dreadful pains, which soonended in their death. And here we see how the
happiness and the lives of those three men were destroyed by the love of
money.
Covetousness
Two students had been competing at a university for the same prize, and one
gained it by a few marks. The defeatedcandidate had set his heart on the
prize, and was bitterly disappointed. In his room that evening, along with two
friends, he beganto speak of his defeat, and as he spoke sucha look of anger
and greedcame into his face that one of his friends said in an undertone to the
other, “See!the wolf! the wolf!” This exclamationdid not hit far from the
truth. Covetousness brings a man to the level of the beasts. That a man’s life
consists not in the abundance of the things he has is wellbrought out in the
classic fable of King Midas, who found from bitter experience how fatal a gift
was the touch that converted all things into gold. There is an Arabian story
which tells how, at the sack ofa city, one of the rulers was shut up in his
treasure-chambers, and starvedto death among bars of gold and sparkling
gems. True as this is of the physical nature, it is more true of the spiritual. The
man with the muck-rake in Bunyan saw nothing of the golden crownthat was
offered him. Many a man, intent on gathering his grain into his barns, forgets
therewith to lay hold of the better bread of life! (Sunday SchoolTimes.)
Oriental covetousness

94. To beware of covetousnessis a lessonthat has always beenspecially neededin
the East. The grasping for more is fearful. It is usually consideredthe only
worthy objectin life. The ordinary Oriental simply cannot comprehend how a
European cantravel for pleasure, or spend money for archaeological
investigation, or in any of the pursuits we think higher than that of money.
Yet, on the other hand, the declarationthat “a man’s life consistethnot in the
abundance of the things which he possesseth” is one that is taught the great
mass of the Orientals by a hard experience. Abundance they cannot know.
Conceding that “the things which he possesseth” are necessaryfor his life in
this world, whether higher or lower, the life is not in their superfluity. An
Oriental is rich who is not in danger of immediate want, who knows where he
can getall his meals for to-morrow. Though the Greek of this clause seems
difficult to many, it seems to the writer difficult only in its capability of
rendering into English; especiallybecause one who wishes to turn it into good
English must choose atthe start which of two allowable idiomatic forms he
must choose. ButOriental conditions throw upon it a beautiful light: “Fornot
in their superfluity to any one is his life (does his life come) from his
possessions”;or, not in having superfluity does a man have his life out of his
goods. It may be admitted that the grammaticalgovernment of one word is
not altogethercertain;but there are many cases, nearlyor quite parallel, in
classic Greek, where the author, for greaterpiquancy, has purposely left the
constructionof a word thus in suspense, to be governed by either of two
others; the canon of the iron-bound grammarians, that every word in a given
sentence has a fixed construction, to the contrary notwithstanding. (Sunday
SchoolTimes.)
Covetousness
The Rev. R. Gray tells of a certain duke that has a passionfor costly
diamonds; and what is the consequence?His house resembles a castle rather
than a mansion, and is surrounded with a lofty wall, one which no one can
climb without giving alarm. His treasure is kept in a safe let in the wall of his

95. bedroom, so that it cannot be reachedwithout first waking or murdering the
owner; the safe is so constructedthat it cannot be forced without discharging
four guns, and setting an alarm-bell a-ringing in every room. His bedroom,
like a prisoner’s cell, has but one small window, and the bolt and lock of the
massive door are of the stoutestiron. In addition to these precautions, a case,
containing twelve loaded revolvers, stands by the side of his bed. Might we not
inscribe over it, “Diamonds are my portion; therefore do I fear”?
Possessionsdo not constitute life
Does a man’s life consistin “the abundance of the things which he possesses?”
Does amplitude of possessionnecessarilyconferhappiness? and is it such
happiness as is sure to last? Nay; try abundance of possessions by this test,
and you will find that it miserably fails. Wealth, or large possessions, may
bring happiness--this we do not deny; it may confer splendour, of which men
are proud; power, which they delight to exercise;comforts, which they cannot
but cherish; and luxuries, which they undoubtedly enjoy. But are all these
things so necessarilyand uniformly the results of affluence, as that they
always follow from it?--or, rather, does not splendour sometimes become
overpoweringlyirksome, and do not men sometimes shrink from the
responsibilities of power as a burden almostintolerable? And may there not
be other concomitants ofwealth or of ample possessions, whichtend to make
the comforts or the luxuries which affluence confers but a very poor
compensationfor counter trials to which it exposes?Riches willnot ward off
pain or disease;the ownerof immense property may be rackedwith pain, or
he may languish in sickness, alike withthe humblest menial or the poorest
peasant. Let us, however, suppose a different case;let there be nothing to
disturb the enjoyment of those pleasures which result from affluence;nay, I
will even imagine, that, in addition to those alreadymentioned, the owner of
vast possessions has other blessings poured into his lap, such as money alone
will not purchase. God has given to him wealth freely to enjoy, and he has
around him the costlierand more precious possessions-childrenby whom he is

96. revered and loved--the esteemand respectofhis fellows--and, what no man
can afford to despise, the good-will and affection of the humblest and the
poorestwho live in his neighbourhood. And had we the powerof sketching
vividly such a case as this--could we delineate to you the ownerof some ample
property, whom, nevertheless, ancestralhonours have not made proud, but
who demeans himself alike to all with the gentle courtesyand condescension,
which are the true elements of real nobility; who employs what God hath
given him, not merely for his own selfishgratification, but finds happiness in
diffusing around him what may minister to the comfort of others--couldwe
picture to you that man, around whom his children and his children’s
children delight to cluster, with feelings of veneration and affection;or who,
when he walks abroad, receives the unbought benediction of the poor, because
they respecthim for his virtues, and love him for his charities--evenin a case
like this, there would be no contradiction to the truth that “his life”--his real
life--“consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”And
supposing Christianity to have exerted its influence on this man’s heart, and
brought him as a penitent suppliant to sue for mercy at the feet of the
Redeemer, and led him to rejoice in the hope which is laid up for a believer,
oh! he will be the very lastto deem that his real life could consistin the
abundance of his possessions, He might lawfully thank God, who had
conferredupon him means of scattering so many blessings around him, and
sources ofso much comfort to himself; but, above all, he would rather thank
God for having taught him to “use this world without abusing it”--to regard
himself as no more than the tenant at will, with but a passing interest in the
possessionconfidedto his trust; to recollect, and to actupon the recollection,
of a coming period, when every earthly possession, be it howsoevercostlyor
large, will have to be forsakenand thus he would be foremostto confess,that
“a man’s life consistethnot in the things which he possesseth.”Alas!he might
well say, for those who actas though it doth; a thousand causes mayarise to
embitter the enjoyment which springs from possession;or, if these in God’s
providence are warded off, then the more unsullied the temporal happiness,
the more confounding is the thought that death will interrupt it. And surely
this is enough to vindicate the accuracyofwhat is declared in our text. (R.
Bickersteth, M. A.)

97. Covetousnessa tyranny
The muscles of the arm if you never exert them exceptin one fashion, will
become set, so that you cannotmove them, like the Indian Fakir, who held his
arm aloft so long that he could not take it down again. Man, continuing in sin,
becomes fixed in its habit. Only the other day we read of a greatmillionaire in
New York, who once was weak enoughto resolve to give a beggara penny. He
had grownold in covetousness,and he recollectedhimself just as he was about
to bestow the gift, and said, “I should like to give you the penny, but you see I
should have to lose the interest of it for ever, and I could not afford that.”
Habit grows upon a man. Everybody knows that when he has been making
money, if he indulges the propensity to acquire, it will become a perfectly
tyrannical master, ruling his own being. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The vice of covetousness
It is a vice that increasesin those who harbour it, making them miserable and
utterly mean. A very wealthy Frenchbanker, worth many hundred thousand
francs, would not purchase for himself a little meat when he was almost dying
for want of the nourishment. A Russianmiser used to go about his house at
night barking like a dog, to prevent robbers coming to get any of his great
wealth, and because he would not be at the expense of keeping a dog. Are not
covetous people punished as the dog in the fable was, which, in snatching at
the shadow in the water, lost the meat he had in his mouth? or as Tantalus
was, of whom the ancients said he was up to the neck and surrounded with all
goodthings, but he could never getor enjoy one of them? Covetous persons
are also like the old man of whom Bunyan tells, who spent his life in raking
togetherdirt, straw, and worthless things; whilst he never heeded the
immortal crown an angeloffered him. RowlandHill said, “Covetous persons
should be hung up by their heels, that all their money might fall from their

98. pockets, forit would do them goodto lose it, and others goodto get it.” (Henry
R. Burton.)
The dangerof covetousness
A shepherd boy, of small experience, was one day leading his little flock near
the entrance of a mountain cavern. He had been told that precious stones had
often been discoveredin such places. He was, therefore, tempted to leave his
charge, and turn aside to explore the dark recessesofthe cavern. He began to
crawlin, but as he proceededhis face took on a veil of cobwebs, andhis hands
mittens of mud. He had not gone far when he saw two gems of a ruby glow
lying near eachother. He put forth his eagerfingers to seize them, when a
serpent bit him. In pain and fear he crawledquickly back to the light of day,
and ran home to the chief shepherd to obtain some remedy for the bite. The
goodman, who was also his elder brother, suckedthe poisonfrom the wound,
and applied to it a healing balm. Neverafterwards did that shepherd covet the
treasures which may lie concealedbehind mountain rocks. (Hervey’s Manual
of Revivals.)
No profit in possessions
What is Alexander now the greaterfor his power? What is Caesarthe higher
for his honour? What is Aristotle the wiserfor his knowledge?Whatdelight
hath Jezebelin her paint? Or Ahab in his vineyard? What is a delicious
banquet to Dives in hell? Or, what satisfactioncanthe remembrance of these
transitory delights bring? All the beauty, honour, riches, and knowledge in
the world will not purchase one moment’s ease. All the rivers of pleasure,
which are now run out and dry, and only flow in our remembrance, will not
coola tongue (Colossians 2:22). (A. Farindon.)

99. Riches cannotpurchase satisfaction
Think you that greatand rich persons live more content? Believe it not. If
they will dealfreely, they can but tell you the contrary; that there is nothing
but a show in them, and that great estatesand places have great grief and
cares attending them, as shadows are proportioned to their bodies
(Ecclesiastes 2:1-11). (Abp. Leighton.)
The true standard of riches
No man can tell whether he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the
heart that makes a man rich. He is rich or poor according to what he is, not
according to what he has. (H. W.Beecher.)
Avarice, a fearful disease
Cortes was askedby various MexicanStates, whatcommodites or drugs he
wanted, and was promised an abundant supply. He and his Spaniards, he
answered, had a disease attheir hearts, which nothing but gold could cure;
and he had receivedintelligence that Mexico abounded with it. Under the
pretence of a friendly conference, he made Montezuma his prisoner, and
ordered him to pay tribute to Charles V. Immense sums were paid; but the
demand was boundless. Tumults ensued. Cortes displayed amazing
generalship;and some millions of the natives were sacrificedto the disease of
his heart. (Percy.)
Greedof avarice

100. We see the most rich worldlings live the most miserably, slavedto that wealth
whereofthey keepthe key under their girdles. Esuriunt in popina, as we say,
“they starve in a cook’s shop.” A man would think that, if wealthcould do any
good, it could surely do this good, keepthe ownerfrom want, hunger, sorrow,
care. No, even these evils riches do not avoid, but rather force on him.
Whereofis a man covetous but of riches? When these riches come, you think
he is cured of his covetousness:no, he is more covetous;though the desires of
his mind be granted, yet this precludes not the accessofnew desires to the
mind. So a man might strive to extinguish the lamp by putting oil into it; but
this makes it burn more. And as it is with some that thirstily drink harsh and
ill-brewed drinks, have not their heatallayed, but inflamed; so this
worldling’s hot eagernessofriches is not cooled, but fired, by his abundance.
(T. Adams.)
Copyright Statement
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Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography
Exell, JosephS. "Commentary on "Luke 12:15". The Biblical Illustrator.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/tbi/luke-12.html. 1905-1909.
New York.
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John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible
And he said unto them,.... Either to the two brethren, or to his disciples, as the
Syriac and Persic versions read, or to the whole company:

101. take heed, and beware of covetousness;of all covetousness, as readthe
Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, and some copies;that is,
of all sorts of covetousness,and every degree of it, which of all vices is to be
avoided and guarded against, being the root of all evil; and as the Persic
version renders it, is worse than all evil, and leads into it:
for a man's life consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he
possesseth;of flocks and beasts, as the Persic versionrenders it: a man's
natural life cannot be prolonged by all the goodthings of the world he is
possessedof; they cannotprevent diseases nordeath; nor do the comfort and
happiness of life, lie in these things; which are either not enjoyed by them, but
kept for the hurt of the owners of them, or are intemperately used, or some
way or other imbittered to them, so that they have no peace nor pleasure in
them: and a man's spiritual life is neither had nor advantagedhereby, and
much less is eternal life to be acquired by any of these things; which a man
may have, and be lostfor ever, as the following parable shows.
Copyright Statement
The New John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible Modernisedand adapted
for the computer by Larry Pierce of Online Bible. All Rightes Reserved,
Larry Pierce, Winterbourne, Ontario.
A printed copy of this work can be ordered from: The Baptist Standard
Bearer, 1 Iron Oaks Dr, Paris, AR, 72855
Bibliography
Gill, John. "Commentary on Luke 12:15". "The New JohnGill Exposition of
the Entire Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/luke-
12.html. 1999.

102. Return to Jump List return to 'Jump List'
Geneva Study Bible
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware ofc covetousness:for a man's
life d consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
(c) By covetousness is meant that greedydesire to get, commonly causing hurt
to other men.
(d) God is the author and preserverof man's life; goods are not.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography
Beza, Theodore. "Commentaryon Luke 12:15". "The 1599 Geneva Study
Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/gsb/luke-12.html.
1599-1645.
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Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
unto them — the multitude around Him (Luke 12:1).
of covetousness— The best copies have “all,” that is, “every kind of
covetousness”;because as this was one of the more plausible forms of it, so He
would strike at once at the root of the evil.

103. a man‘s life, etc. — a singularly weighty maxim, and not less so because its
meaning and its truth are equally evident.
Copyright Statement
These files are a derivative of an electronic edition prepared from text
scannedby Woodside Bible Fellowship.
This expanded edition of the Jameison-Faussett-BrownCommentary is in the
public domain and may be freely used and distributed.
Bibliography
Jamieson, Robert, D.D.;Fausset,A. R.; Brown, David. "Commentary on
Luke 12:15". "CommentaryCritical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jfb/luke-12.html. 1871-8.
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People's New Testament
Keep yourselves from covetousness.A greedy desire for the goods of this
world. A sin of all ages and a besetting sin of our times.
A man's life consistethnot, etc. Comfort, happiness, and, above all, eternal
interests, do not depend on the abundance of our goods. Why then should a
man give his life to a greedy chase afterwealth?
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain and are a derivative of an electronic edition that
is available on the Christian ClassicsEtherealLibrary Website.

104. Original work done by Ernie Stefanik. First published online in 1996 atThe
RestorationMovementPages.
Bibliography
Johnson, BartonW. "Commentary on Luke 12:15". "People's New
Testament". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/pnt/luke-
12.html. 1891.
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Robertson's WordPictures in the New Testament
From all covetousness (απο πασης πλεονεχιας — apo pasēs pleonexias).
Ablative case. Fromevery kind of greedy desire for more (πλεον — pleon
more, εχια — hexia from εχω — echō to have) an old word which we have
robbed of its sinful aspects andrefined to mean business thrift.
In the abundance of the things which he possesseth(εν τωι περισσευειν τινι εκ
των υπαρχοντωναυτωι — en tōi perisseueintini ek tōn huparchontōn autōi).
A rather awkwardLukan idiom: “In the abounding (articular infinitive) to
one out of the things belonging (articular participle) to him.”
Copyright Statement
The Robertson's WordPictures of the New Testament. Copyright �
Broadman Press 1932,33,Renewal1960. All rights reserved. Used by
permission of Broadman Press (Southern BaptistSunday SchoolBoard)
Bibliography
Robertson, A.T. "Commentary on Luke 12:15". "Robertson's WordPictures
of the New Testament".

105. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/rwp/luke-12.html. Broadman
Press 1932,33. Renewal1960.
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Vincent's Word Studies
Beware of( φυλάσσεσθε ἀπὸ )
Lit., guard yourselves from.
Copyright Statement
The text of this work is public domain.
Bibliography
Vincent, Marvin R. DD. "Commentaryon Luke 12:15". "Vincent's Word
Studies in the New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/vnt/luke-12.html. Charles
Schribner's Sons. New York, USA. 1887.
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Wesley's ExplanatoryNotes
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware ofcovetousness:for a man's
life consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
He said to them — Perhaps to the two brothers, and through them to the
people.

106. A man's life — That is, the comfort or happiness of it.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain and are a derivative of an electronic edition that
is available on the Christian ClassicsEtherealLibrary Website.
Bibliography
Wesley, John. "Commentary on Luke 12:15". "John Wesley's Explanatory
Notes on the Whole Bible".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/wen/luke-12.html. 1765.
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The Fourfold Gospel
And he said unto them, Take heed, and keepyourselves from all
covetousness1:for a man's life consistethnot in the abundance of the things
which he possesseth2.
Take heed, and keepyourselves from all covetousness. Jesusmade the
incident the text for an admonition. Covetousness made one brother say,
"Divide", and the other one say, "No, I will not"; so Jesus warnedagainst
covetousness.
For a man's life consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he
possesseth. A man's goods are no part of his life, and so they cannot preserve
it. It is lengthened or shortened, blessed or cursed, at the decree of God.
Covetousnessis an inordinate desire for earthly possession. Thoughall ages
have committed it, it is the besetting sin of our time. A clearview of the
limitations of the powerof property quenches covetousness;and Jesus gives
such a view in the following parable.

107. Copyright Statement
These files are public domain and are a derivative of an electronic edition that
is available on the Christian ClassicsEtherealLibrary Website. These files
were made available by Mr. Ernie Stefanik. First published online in 1996 at
The RestorationMovementPages.
Bibliography
J. W. McGarveyand Philip Y. Pendleton. "Commentaryon Luke 12:15".
"The Fourfold Gospel".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/tfg/luke-12.html. Standard
Publishing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio. 1914.
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Abbott's Illustrated New Testament
A man's life; his welfare, his happiness.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Bibliography
Abbott, John S. C. & Abbott, Jacob. "Commentaryon Luke 12:15".
"Abbott's Illustrated New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/ain/luke-12.html. 1878.
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108. Calvin's Commentary on the Bible
15.Takeheedand beware of covetousness. Christfirst guards his followers
againstcovetousness, and next, in order to cure their minds entirely of this
disease, he declares, thatour life consistethnot in abundance. These words
point out the inward fountain and source, from which flows the mad
eagerness forgain. It is because the generalbelief is, that a man is happy in
proportion as he possessesmuch, and that the happiness of life is produced by
riches. Hence arise those immoderate desires, which, like a fiery furnace, send
forth their flames, and yet ceasenotto burn within. If we were convincedthat
riches, and any kind of abundance, are evils of the presentlife, which the Lord
bestows upon us with his own hand, and the use of which is accompaniedby
his blessing, this single considerationwould have a powerful influence in
restraining all wickeddesires;and this is what believers have come to learn
from their own experience. (268)Forwhence comes it, that they moderate
their wishes, and depend on God alone, but because they do not look upon
their life as necessarilyconnectedwith abundance, or dependent upon it, but
rely on the providence of God, who alone upholds us by his power, and
supplies us with whatever is necessary?
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Bibliography
Calvin, John. "Commentary on Luke 12:15". "Calvin's Commentary on the
Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/cal/luke-12.html.
1840-57.
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James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

109. A MAN’S LIFE
‘A man’s life consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he
possesseth.’
Luke 12:15
A man’s life! What a marvellous gift! Wherefore should a living man
complain, though he be stripped of everything else, if there is left to him that
wonderful thing calledlife?
I. In itself.—A man’s life, capable of almostinfinite happiness, and capable of
almost infinite misery—to what heights may it not climb, and to what depths
descend, and to what in the greatfuture may not your life here open! and all
that future, colouredfor better or worse in the way that you spend your man’s
life.
II. In its effectupon others.—And if your life may mean so much to you, how
much may it not mean also to other men, to those with whom you daily work,
to the circle of your home, to the circle of your neighbourhood, and to the
wider circle of the State? A man’s life, if he be a Napoleon, may blast the lives
of myriads; a man’s life, if he be a Luther, or a St. Francis, ora Gordon, or a
Shaftesbury, may bless the lives of uncounted thousands.
III. Once to live.—And this wonderful thing which is capable of so much
usefulness, or of injuring and blasting the lives of others, is in your disposal,
and you have but one chance. It is appointed unto man once to die, and it is
appointed unto eachman once to live. You have but one die to cast, and upon

110. your casting it will depend the epitaph that will be written upon your
existence here and hereafter.
Illustrations
(1) ‘Whatever crazy sorrow saith,
No life that breathes with human breath
Has ever truly longedfor death.
’Tis life whereofour nerves are scant,
Oh, life, not death, for which we pant,
More life and fuller that I want.’
(2) ‘Must we not confess eachto ourselves that we are apt to live at random?
We are swayedby the circumstances whichwe ought to control. We find it a
relief when we are spared (as we think) the necessityfor reflectionor decision:
a book lightly takenup, a friend’s visit, a fixed engagement, fill up the day
with fragments; and day follows day as a mere addition. There is no living
idea to unite and harmonise the whole. Of course we cannotmake, or to any
greatextent modify, the conditions under which we have to act;but we can
consciouslyrender them tributary to one high purpose. We can regardthem
habitually in the light of our supreme end. This is, as it seems to me, the first

111. result of zeal, and it is in spiritual matters as elsewhere, thatgreat results are
most surely gained by the accumulation of small things. If we strive
continuously towards a certain goal, the whole movement of our life, however
slow, will be towards it, and as we move, the gathered force will make our
progress more steady and more sure.’
(SECOND OUTLINE)
WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH YOUR LIFE?
A man’s life! Young man, with your one life, what will you do with it? Take
care of your object, take care of your ideal, take care of the true power for
living it.
I. Take care ofyour object.—Whatis your object? Is it to geton? Let it be to
get up. Choose forwhat you will live.
(a) The lowestgrade of man is the man whose objectis to get and scrape
togethergold, silver, precious stones, bank shares, stocks, alwayswatching the
money markets.
(b) There are the men who do—politicians, legislators, and the men who like
to be calledpracticalmen—they are useful men; their objectis to do.
(c) The third grade are the men whose objectis to know. It seems sometimes
to me as if they have got such a pile of information upon their brains, that
they have lost the power of real knowledge.Information is not knowledge. But

112. there are men who seek to know. It is a lofty and a greatobjectto seek to
know.
(d) But there is a fourth grade beyond. The men whose objectis to be. These
are the saints of all the ages, who are always seekingto build up strong and,
beautiful, and holy character. Theseare the men of the cloister;these are the
men of the Church
(e) But there is a loftier grade than this; for the man who lives to build a noble
charactermay be a selfishman. It is much to be a saint, but the highest and
noblest grade is to be a saviour, to live for others, to be unconscious when
your face shines, because you are seeking to win the world, by your death, if it
must be so, for Christ.
What is the objectof your life? To get, to do, to know, to be, or to give up your
lives to save other men? For if this last be your object, a man who lives for
others is a man who is, and the man who knows, and the man who does, and
the man who has. Be the last, and you include the other four.
II. As to your ideal, read biography if you will. Some of us have learned our
noblest lessons fromgood biography. But make no man your ideal. Let your
ideal be the greatBrother Man Who has trodden our world, and Who always
goes before us, giving us an example that we should follow His steps. Never
rest until you have made the life of Jesus not only your study but your ideal.
And as for the power of your life, let it be gottenfrom yielding your life to
Him.
III. Lay your man’s life at His feet.—Iask that you should lay that life at His
feet, and whilst I speak, ask Him to washaway the stain which your young

113. manhood may have contracted, to put your sins beneath His most precious
blood, that it may sweepthem awayfor ever. Then present your objectto
Him, your mind, that He may think through it; your eyes, that He may weep
through them; your voice and lips, that He may speak by them; your hands
and feetthat He may work through them; your whole body, that it may be
used by Him for His ownhigher purposes;your manhood for Jesus, your
young life for Jesus. In the name of Jesus I beseech, Ientreat, I implore you,
young man, to give yourself to Him, for he that loses his life at the feetof Jesus
finds it for always;whilst a man who keeps his life for himself loses it utterly,
utterly and for ever. ‘A man’s life.’ ‘I knew a Man in Christ’—that completes,
and only completes, a man’s life.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography
Nisbet, James. "Commentaryon Luke 12:15". Church Pulpit Commentary.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/cpc/luke-12.html. 1876.
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John Trapp Complete Commentary
15 And he saidunto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness:for a
man’s life consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

114. Ver. 15. Take heed, and beware of covetousness]This our Saviour adds after
"who made me a judge?" to teachus not to go to law with a covetous mind;
but as Charles the French king made war with our Henry VII, more desiring
peace than victory.
For a man’s life consistethnot, &c.]He can neither live upon them nor
lengthen his life by them. Queen Elizabeth once wished herself a milk maid.
Bajazetenvied the happiness of a poor shepherd that saton a hillside merrily
reposing himself with his homely pipe. Therein showing, saiththe historian,
that worldly bliss consistethnot so much in possessing ofmuch, subject to
danger, as enjoying in a little contentment, void of fear. Covetous men by
gaping after more lose the pleasure of that which they possess,as a dog at his
master’s table swalloweththe whole meat he castethhim without any
pleasure, gaping still for the next morsel.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography
Trapp, John. "Commentary on Luke 12:15". John Trapp Complete
Commentary. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jtc/luke-
12.html. 1865-1868.
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Sermon Bible Commentary
Luke 12:15

115. Business—its Dangers andSafeguards.
I. There can be no doubt at all that the average business man's temptation
must chiefly lie in this direction: to exaggerate the relative value of the thing
he deals with—that is money; and in consequence,to under-estimate whatever
cannot be appraised by that conventionalstandard of the market. To be safe,
therefore, the young man embarking on a commerciallife is bound to keep
this risk of his calling before his eyes. He must refuse to fall down and worship
any plutocracy, keeping his reverence for the goodrather than for the opulent
or successful;in a word, he must save himself from coming to think or actas if
a man's life consistedin the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
II. The safeguards.There are secondarysafeguards,suchas the pursuit of
literature and the cultivation of a sympathising contactwith men and women
in other than mere business relationships. But the only primary and sufficient
safeguardfor any one of us is the religion of Jesus Christ. (1) Religionopens
the widest, freestoutlook for the mind into the eternal truth, enlarging a
man's range of spiritual sight, and enabling him to judge of all things in both
worlds in their due proportion. (2) It supplies us for that reasonwith the only
true and perfectstandard by which to testthe value of things, and so corrects
the one-sidedmaterialistic standard of business. (3) It transforms business
itself from an ignoble to a noble calling, because it substitutes for the principle
of mere profit the ideal of service.
J. OswaldDykes, ChristianWorld Pulpit, vol. xiii., p. 209.
References:Luke 12:15.—J. W. Gleadall, Church Sermons, vol. i., p. 331;
Burrows, Church of England Pulpit, vol. ii., p. 237;J. G. Rogers, Christian
World Pulpit, vol. xxix., p. 235. Luke 12:15-21.—Homiletic Magazine, vol. vii.,

116. p. 17. Luke 12:16.—Homilist, new series, vol. i., p. 620. Luke 12:16-20.—Ibid.,
vol. vi., p. 84; Preacher's Monthly, vol. iv., p. 234. Luke 12:16-21.—H. W.
Beecher, Sermons, 1870,p. 631;Ibid., Christian World Pulpit, vol. xiv., p.
218;Ibid., vol. xxi., p. 156;Preacher's Monthly, vol. i., p. 316;Ibid., vol. iii., p.
306;R. C. Trench, Notes on the Parables p., 337;R. Winterbotham, Sermons
and Expositions, p. 180.
Copyright Statement
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Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography
Nicoll, William R. "Commentary on Luke 12:15". "SermonBible
Commentary". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/sbc/luke-
12.html.
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Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible
Luke 12:15. Take heed, and beware of covetousness:— See to it, and be upon
your guard againstcovetousness. The originalis very lively, and the full force
of it not easyto be expressed. Some old versions, and very goodcopies, read,
all covetousness. It is not said which of these brothers was in the wrong;only
because the disposition which they discovered, affordeda fit opportunity for
religious advice, our Lord embraced it, and cautioned his hearers in the most
solemn manner againstcovetousness:declaring, that neither the length nor
the happiness of man's life depends upon the greatness ofhis possessions.
Human life is sustainedby little; and therefore abundance is not necessary,
either to the support or comfort of it. It is not a greatestate and vast
possessionswhichmake a man happy in this world; but a mind that is equal to

117. its condition, whatever it may be. Archbishop Tillotsonobserves upon this
verse, that "it contains a peculiar kind of caution, no where else, nor upon any
other occasion, that I know of," says he, "used in scripture; in which, for the
greateremphasis and weight, the words of caution are doubled, as if the
matter were of so much concernment, that no cautionabout it could be too
much: to signify to us, both the greatdanger of this sin of covetousness, and
the greatcare men ought to use to preserve themselves from it." See his
Sermons, vol. 6 p. 69.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography
Coke, Thomas. "Commentaryon Luke 12:15". Thomas Coke Commentary
on the Holy Bible. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/tcc/luke-
12.html. 1801-1803.
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Expository Notes with PracticalObservations onthe New Testament
Our Saviour, upon the occasiongiven him in the foregoing verses, admonishes
all his disciples and followers to take heed and beware of the sin of
covetousness,assuring them that neither the comfort nor continuance of a
man's life does consistin an abundance; for though something of this world's
goods is necessaryto the comfort and happiness of life, yet abundance is not
necessary.

118. Here observe, 1. The manner of our Lord's caution: he doubles it; not saying,
take heed alone, or beware only, but take heed, and beware, both. This argues
that there is a strong inclination in our nature to this sin; the greatdanger we
are in of falling into it, and of what fatal consequence it is to them in whom
this sin reigns.
Observe, 2. The matter of the cautionof the sin which our Saviour warns his
hearers against, and that is covetousness:Take heed, and beware of
covetousness.Where, under the name and notion of covetousness,our Saviour
does not condemn a provident care for the things of this life, nor a regular
industry and diligence for obtaining of them, nor every degree of love and
affectionto them; but by covetousness, is to be understood an eagerand
insatiable desire after the things of this life, or using unjust ways and means to
get or increase anestate;seeking the things of this life with the neglectof
things infinitely better, and placing their chief happiness in riches.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography
Burkitt, William. "Commentary on Luke 12:15". ExpositoryNotes with
PracticalObservations onthe New Testament.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/wbc/luke-12.html. 1700-1703.
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Greek TestamentCriticalExegeticalCommentary

119. 15.]αὐτούς, i.e. τὸν ὄχλον. He saw into the covetousnessofthe man’s
disposition, and made it an instructive warning for his hearers.
πάσης πλ.] There is a meaning in πάσης—everykind of πλ. This kind, of
which they had an example before them, was by no means one of the worst;
but all kinds must be avoided.
οὐκ ἐν τ.…] not, because a man has abundance, does his life (therefore) consist
in his goods. Thatis, no man’s life ἐστιν ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχ. consists in what he
possesses (οὐκ ἐπʼ ἄρτῳ μόνῳ ζήσεται ἄνθρωπος); … nor ἐν τῷ περισσεύειν
τινί, by his having abundance, can this be made to be the case. Man’s life is of
God, not of his goods, howeverabundant they may be. And this is the lesson
conveyedby the following parable, and lying at the foundation of the still
higher lessonconveyedin Luke 12:21.
ζωή is life in the pregnant sense, emphatically his life; including time and
eternity. This is self-evident from the parable and its application.
Copyright Statement
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Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography
Alford, Henry. "Commentary on Luke 12:15". Greek TestamentCritical
ExegeticalCommentary.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/hac/luke-12.html. 1863-1878.

120. Return to Jump List return to 'Jump List'
Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae
DISCOURSE:1526
CAUTION AGAINST COVETOUSNESS
Luke 12:15. And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness.
THE instructions which our Lord conveyed to his Disciples almostalways
arose out of something that was immediately before him; so attentive was he
to improve every occasionfortheir good. This was fraught with many
advantages;for it tended to impress every truth more forcibly on their minds,
and to shew them how to render all events subservient to their own spiritual
welfare. It was a trifling circumstance, which of itself did not seemto afford
any particular occasionfor remark, that gave rise to the discourse before us.
A man who had been listening to him for some time, apprehending that, as he
spake with such authority, he could easilyprevail to settle a point in dispute
betweenhis brother and himself, requestedhis interposition; “Master, speak
to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.” But our Lord, seeing
that the man was more intent on his temporal than on his spiritual
advancement, not only declined the office, as not being within his commission,
but beganto caution his Disciples againstthatcovetousness, ofwhich they
now saw so striking an example.
A caution so solemnly given to them, cannotbut deserve the attention of his
followers in every age;and I pray God that the importance of it may be felt by
every one of us, whilst we shew,

121. I. How we may know whether we are under the influence of this evil
principle—
It is not by overt acts of dishonesty merely that we are to judge of this, but by
the workings ofour hearts in reference to the things of this world. We may
judge of it,
1. From the manner in which we seek them—
[Earthly things may certainly be desired, provided that desire be regulated by
the necessities ofour nature, and subordinated to the will of our heavenly
Father. But if we desire them for themselves, orin an undue degree, then
immediately are we guilty of that very sin which is reproved in our text. If we
desire them for themselves, we shew that we think there is some inherent good
in them: whereas they are altogetherworthless, exceptas far as they are
necessaryfor our support, and for the strengthening of our bodies to serve the
Lord. All beyond mere food and raiment is an empty bubble. To invest earthly
things with any inherent excellency, is to put them in the place of God, and to
make idols of them: moreover, if our thoughts run out after them more than
after God and heavenly things, if the pursuit of them be more delightful to us
than the exercisesofdevotion, and, above all, if we will violate the dictates of
conscience, orneglectspiritual duties in order to advance our temporal
interest, what is this but covetousness?Canany one doubt whether such a
preference to earthly things be sinful? Suppose, for instance, that any man
follows an unlawful trade, or a lawful trade in an unlawful way, acquiring his
gains from sources whichhe would be ashamedto confess, andafraid to have
discovered;is he not under the influence of covetousness? Does he not prefer
money before a goodconscience, andthe acquisition of wealthbefore the
approbation of his God? Is this a “setting of his affections on things above,
and not on the things on the earth?” Hear what an inspired Apostle speaks
respecting the criminality and dangerof such desires:“Manywalk, of whom I

122. have told you often, and tell you now even weeping, that they are enemies of
the cross ofChrist, whose end is destruction, because they mind earthly things
[Note:Philippians 3:18-19.].” It is not every degree of attention to earthly
things that he condemns;but such a desire after them as is inordinate, and
such a pursuit of them as militates againstthe welfare of the soul: and,
whateverwe may callit, God calls it covetousness,and declares it to be
idolatry [Note:Colossians3:5.].]
2. From the manner in which we enjoy them—
[As all desire after them is not prohibited, so neither is all enjoyment of them;
for “Godhath given us all things richly to enjoy.” But what if we feel
complacencyin the idea of wealth, and place a confidence in it as a barrier
againstthe calamities of life; Is not this the very sin againstwhich the Prophet
Habakkuk denounces a most awful woe? “Woe to him that covetethan evil
covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be
delivered from the powerof evil [Note: Habakkuk 2:9.].” It is, in truth, to act
the part of the Rich Foolin the Gospel, and to say, “Soul, thou hast much
goods laid up for many years, eat, drink, and be merry?” We are very apt to
imagine that the satisfactionwhich we take in the contemplation of our
wealth, is nothing but an expressionof thankfulness to God: but it is, for the
most part, a “glorying in riches” (which is expresslyforbidden [Note:
Jeremiah9:23.]); and a “saying to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence.” The
sentiments of Job on this head were far more correctthan those of the
generality even of enlightened Christians: “If,” says he, “I rejoicedbecause
my wealthwas great, and because mine hand had gotten much, this were an
iniquity to be punished by the Judge;for then I should have denied the God
that is above [Note: Job31:25; Job 31:28.].” If it be asked, How such a
constructioncan reasonablybe put on a sensationof the soul, which appears
both innocent and praiseworthy? I answer, ThatGod is the true and only Rest
of the soul [Note:Psalms 116:7.];and that, in proportion as we look to the
creature for comfortor support, our hearts of necessitydepart from him

123. [Note:Jeremiah 17:5.]. To be the one source of happiness to his creatures, is
his prerogative;and his glory he will not give to another: for “the Lord our
God is a jealous God.”]
3. From the manner in which we support the loss of them—
[Christianity is far from inculcating a stoicalapathy, or rendering us
strangers to the common feelings of mankind: but it gives us a principle,
which is able to support us under trials, and to fill us with joy in the midst of
tribulations. In a word, it presents us with a view of Godas our God, and
shews us, that nothing in this world can either add to, or take from, the
happiness of him who has so rich a portion. This is the principle which
enabled Job, under the loss of all his worldly possessions, to say, “The Lord
gave, and the Lord taketh away:blessedbe the name of the Lord.” Now the
want of this resignationargues an undue value for the things of this world. If,
under an apprehensionof some loss, we are filled with anxiety, so as to be
quite unfitted for an attention to our spiritual concerns;if, on having
sustainedthat loss, we give way to vexation and grief, insteadof rejoicing that
we have in God an all-sufficient portion; do we not then in effectsay, like
Micah, when he had losthis idols, “They have takenawaymy gods, and what
have I more?” Assuredly this is an undeniable mark of covetousness:indeed,
God himself puts this construction upon it: “Let your conversationbe without
covetousness,and be content with such things as ye have [Note:Hebrews
13:5.].” When we are truly delivered from this evil principle, we shall be able
to say with the Apostle, “I have learned, in whatsoeverstate I am, therewith to
be content: I know both how to be abased, and how to abound; every where
and in all things I am instructed, both to be full and to be hungry, both to
abound and to suffer need [Note: Philippians 4:11-12.].”]
Our next inquiry must be,

124. II. Why our Lord so earnestlyguards us againstit—
The terms in which he expresses the caution, are exceeding strong;“Take
heed, and beware [Note: ὁρᾶτε καὶ φυλάσσεσθε.].” But there is abundant
occasionfor such earnestness;for covetousnessis,
1. A common principle—
[The man who came to desire our Lord’s interposition, seems not to have had
the smallestidea that he was actuatedby this unworthy principle; and
probably would have complained of a want of charity in any one who should
have imputed it to him. And so it is at this time. Howeverready we may be to
notice it in others, we all overlook it in ourselves, and cloke it by the name of
industry or prudential care;so that, if we were to give credit to every man’s
accountof himself, we should not find this principle in the world. But it is
deeply rootedin the heart of man [Note: Mark 7:21.], and as naturally
adheres to the soul as the members to the body [Note:Colossians 3:5.]. Even
goodpeople still feel its existence and operation within them. Who has not to
lament, that in his intercourse with the world he feels somewhatof an undue
bias at times, inclining him to lean towards his owninterests, and to decide a
doubtful point in his own favour? We do not say, that a goodman will indulge
this principle, but that he will feel it; and that he will find within himself a
necessityofbeing much upon his guard, to prevent it from warping his
judgment and influencing his conduct. If this then be the case with respectto
those who are crucified to the world, much more must it be so with those who
are yet carnal and unrenewed.]
2. A delusive principle—

125. [We are apt to think that earthly things will make us happy: but our Lord
tells us, in the words immediately following our text, that “a man’s life
consistethnot in the abundance of the things that he possesseth.”The truth is,
that man’s happiness is altogetherindependent of earthly things. Hear how
the Prophet Habakkuk speaksonthis subject: “Although the fig-tree shall not
blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail,
and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and
there shall be no herd in the stalls;yet I will rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the
God of my salvation[Note:Habakkuk 3:17-18.].” This clearlyproves, that,
howeverdestitute we may be of all earthly comforts, our hearts may overflow
with peace and joy: “we may be sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing, having
nothing, and yet possessing allthings.” On the other hand, it is certainthat a
man may possessallthat the world cangive him, and yet be miserable; or, as
Job expressesit, “In the midst of his sufficiency he may be in straits [Note:
Job 20:22.].” How often do we see persons, afterattaining more than they had
ever expectedor desired, far less happy than they were at the commencement
of their career!We may appeal to the experience of all, whether the increase
of their happiness have kept pace with the augmentation of their wealth? We
are wellassured, that the more sanguine any person’s expectations of
happiness are from the acquisition of wealth, the greaterwill his
disappointments be; and that every human being must sooneror later confess
with Solomon, that all below the sun is “vanity and vexation of spirit.”]
3. A debasing principle—
[It is worthy of observation, that the word ‘lucre’ occurs but four times in the
New Testament, and every time has the term ‘filthy’ annexed to it. Nor is this
without reason;for covetousnessdefiles and debases the soul as much as any
principle of our fallen nature. Whereverit exists, it eats out every good
principle, and calls forth and strengthens every bad principle, in our fallen
nature. How feeble are the operations of honour, friendship, love, compassion,
when covetousnesshas gainedan ascendantin the heart! On the other hand,

126. what injustice, falsehood, wrath, and malice will not this horrid principle
produce! Well may it be said, “The love of money is the rootof all evil;” for
there is scarcelyan evil in the world which may not arise from it. The
opposition betweenthis principle and every Christian virtue, is strongly
intimated in the advice given by St. Paul to Timothy [Note:1 Timothy 6:10-11.
Mark the connexionbetweenthese two verses.] — and the utter abhorrence in
which it is held by God, is marked [Note:Psalms 10:3.], yea marked with an
emphasis not exceededin any part of the sacredvolume: “An heart they have
exercisedwith covetous practices;cursedchildren [Note: 2 Peter2:14.].” O
that we were all duly sensible of its hatefulness and baseness!]
4. A destructive principle—
[See it, in whomsoeverit prevails, how it militates againstthe welfare of the
soul, and destroys its eternalinterests. The Rich Youth, in despite of all his
amiableness, renouncedall hope in Christ, rather than he would part with his
possessions[Note:Matthew 19:22.]. The hearers of the Prophet Ezekiel,
notwithstanding all their approbation of his ministry and their professions of
personalregard, could never be prevailed upon to renounce and mortify this
evil propensity [Note: Ezekiel33:31.]:and we read of some in Isaiah’s days,
whom neither the frowns nor chastisements ofJehovahcould reclaim from it
[Note:Isaiah 57:17.]. The great proportion of those who make a professionof
religion in our day, are like the thorny-ground hearers, in whom “the good
seedis chokedby the cares and riches and pleasures ofthis life, so that they
bring forth no fruit to perfection [Note:Luke 8:14.].” But the most terrible of
all examples is that of Demas, who, after having attained such eminence in the
Christian Church as to be twice joined with St. Luke by Paul himself in his
salutations to the saints, was turned aside at last, and ruined by this malignant
principle; “Demas hath forsakenus, having loved this present world [Note: 2
Timothy 4:10.].” Thus it will operate whereverit is indulged: it will have the
same effectas “loading our feet with thick clay,” when we are about to run a
race;and will shut the door of heaven againstus, when we apply for

127. admission there. Of this Godhas faithfully warned us: and, to fix the warning
more deeply in our minds, he even appeals to ourselves respecting the justice
of the sentence, andthe certainty of its execution:“Know ye not, that the
covetous shallnot inherit the kingdom of God [Note: 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.]?”]
To improve the subject, and assistyou in mortifying this corrupt principle, we
recommend you to consider,
1. The shortness of human life—
[Who knows not, that our life is but “a vapour that appearethfor a little time,
and then vanisheth away?” Shallwe then be anxious about matters which will
be so soonterminated? Should we not rather live as pilgrims and sojourners,
that are passing onward towards their eternal home? It will soonbe of not the
smallestmoment to us whether we were rich or poor. The instant that the
Rich Man’s soulwas required of him, his riches profited him not; they could
not procure so much as a drop of waterto coolhis tongue:nor did the
troubles of Lazarus leave any sting to interrupt or lessenhis joys, when once
he was safelylodged in Abraham’s bosom. Let us then, like the holy Apostle,
“die daily:” let us “weepas though we wept not, and rejoice as though we
rejoicednot, and possessas though we possessednot, and use the world as
though we used it not; because the fashionof this world passethaway[Note:1
Corinthians 7:29-31.].]
2. The vanity of those excuses by which men justify their sin—
[Every one has some cloak wherewithto coverhis sin. One says, I only desire
a competency. But a competency, in God’s estimation, may be a very different
thing from what it is in ours: we may be desiring so many hundreds a year;

128. but he says, “Having food and raiment, be therewith content.” Another says,
“I care not for myself, but only for my family: and must not I provide for
them? But we must no more covetan earthly portion for them than for
ourselves:the welfare of their souls should be our greatconcernfor them, as
well as for ourselves. Another says, I am poor, and therefore cannot be
supposedto be under the influence of covetousness. Butthe principle of
covetousness maybe as strong in a beggaras in any other person: for envy
and discontentare as much branches of covetousness,as dishonestyor avarice
can be. To all then, I would say, beware of the deceitfulness of sin, and the
treacheryof your own hearts;and be afraid, lest, after being acquitted by
your fellow-creatures,you should at lastbe condemned by your God [Note:
See 1 Timothy 6:9. This passageis not generallyunderstood. It speaks ofthe
inclination or principle; βουλόμενοιπλουτεὶν. And the danger of self-deceitin
relation to it is fully stated. Ephesians 5:5-7.].]
3. The infinite excellencyof eternal things—
[As the Apostle says, “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess;but be filled
with the Spirit,” so I would say;Covet not earthly things, wherein is excess;
but covetheavenly things, even to the utmost possible fulness;for in them
there is no excess. It is not possible to desire too earnestly, or to seek too
diligently, an interest in Christ: nor can you take too greatdelight in the
enjoyment of him, or feartoo much the loss of his favour. Here is scope for all
the energies ofour minds. In reference to heavenly things then I would say,
Covetearnestly the best gifts: enlarge your desires to the utmost extent of
your capacityto receive, and of God’s ability to bestow. Howeverwide you
open your mouth, God will fill it.]

129. Copyright Statement
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Bibliography
Simeon, Charles. "Commentary on Luke 12:15". Charles Simeon's Horae
Homileticae. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/shh/luke-
12.html. 1832.
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Heinrich Meyer's Critical and ExegeticalCommentaryon the New Testament
Luke 12:15. Jesus recognisedπλεονεξία as that which had stirred up the
quarrel betweenthe brothers, and uses the occasionto utter a warning against
it.
πρὸς αὐτούς]i.e. πρὸς τὸν ὄχλον, Luke 12:13.
ὅτι οὐκ ἐν τῷ περισσεύειν κ. τ. λ.] for not by the factof a man’s possessing
abundance does his life (the support of his life) consistin his possessions.
This—the factthat one’s life consists in one’s possessions—is notdependent
on the abundance of the possession, but—this, the contrastunexpressed, but
resulting from Luke 12:30—onthe will of God, who calls awaythe selfish
collectoroftreasures from the midst of his abundance. The simple thought
then is: It is not superfluity that avails to support a man’s life by what he
possesses.“Vivitur parvo bene.” To this literal meaning, moreover, the
following parable corresponds, since it does not authorize us to understand
ζωή in its pregnant reference:true life, σωτηρία, or the like (Kuinoel,
Bornemann, Olshausen, Ewald, and the older commentators);on the other

130. hand, Kaeuffer, De ζωῆς αἰων. not. p. 12 f.(156)Observe, moreover, that οὐκ
has been placedat the beginning, before ἐν τῷ περισσ., because ofthe contrast
which is implied, and that τινί, according to the usual construction, that of the
Vulgate, goes mostreadily with περισσευειν (Luke 21:4; Tobit 4:16; Dion.
Hal. iii. 11), and is not governedby what follows. An additional reasonfor this
constructionlies in the factthat thus the following αὐτοῦ is not superfluous.
Finally, it is to be noted that εἶναι ἐκ is the frequent proficisciex, prodire ex.
De Wette is wrong in saying:“for though any one has superfluity, his life is
not a part of his possessions,i.e. he retains it not because he has these
possessions.”In this manner εἶναι ἐκ would mean, to which belong; but it is
decisive againstthis view entirely that οὐκ ἐν τῷ περισσεύειν must be taken
together, while in respectthereof, according to the former view, no contrast
can be conceived;for the life is in no case a part of our possessions (in the
above sense).
Copyright Statement
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Bibliography
Meyer, Heinrich. "Commentary on Luke 12:15". Heinrich Meyer's Critical
and ExegeticalCommentaryon the New Testament.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/hmc/luke-12.html. 1832.
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Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomonof the New Testament
Luke 12:15. πρὸς αὐτοὺς, unto them) viz. to the two brothers, or else, to His
hearers:comp. Luke 12:16.(116)The discourse returns to the disciples [to
whom it was at first addressed], at Luke 12:22.— πλεονεξίας, covetousness)

131. which may possibly lurk beneath, even in the case ofa cause howeverjust:
Luke 12:13.— ἐκ τῶν) These words are to be construed with ζωή.(117)Life is
well lived on little.(118)
Copyright Statement
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Bibliography
Bengel, JohannAlbrecht. "Commentary on Luke 12:15". Johann Albrecht
Bengel's Gnomonof the New Testament.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jab/luke-12.html. 1897.
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Matthew Poole's EnglishAnnotations on the Holy Bible
The pleonexia, here translatedcovetousnessimmoderate desire of having of
this world’s goods, whichdiscovers itselfeither by unrighteous acts in
procuring, or uncharitable omissions for the keeping, of the things of this life.
It is that filarguria, love of money, which the apostle determines to be the root
of all evil. It is also discoveredby a too much thoughtfulness what we shall eat,
drink, or put on, or by the too greatmeltings of our hearts into our bags of
gold or silver. All these come under the notion of that covetousnesswhichis
here forbidden. In short, whatsoeverit is that hindereth our contentment with
the portion God giveth us upon our endeavours, though it amounts to no more
than food and raiment, according to the apostle’s precept, 1 Timothy 6:8
Hebrews 13:5. This is what Christ warns his disciples to beware of; he gives us
the reason, fora man’s life consistethnot in the abundance of what he
possesseth:which is true, whether we understand by life the subsisting and
upholding of our life, or (as life is often taken) for the happiness and felicity of

132. our lives. Abundance is not necessaryto uphold our lives. Ad manum est quod
satest, saith Seneca,Nature is content with a little. Sudamus ad supervacanea,
( saith he), We sweatonly to get superfluities. Norwill abundance protect our
lives; it will not keepoff an enemy, but rather tempt him; nor fence out a
disease, but rather contribute to it, as engaging us in immoderate cares or
labours to procure and keepit, or as exposing us to temptations to riot and
debauchery, by which men’s lives are often shortened. Nor doth the happiness
of life lie in the abundance of what we possess.Some philosophers determined
rightly, that something of this world’s goodis necessaryto our happiness of
life, but abundance is not. The poor are as merry, and many times more
satisfied, more healthy, and at more ease, than those that have abundance. It
is a golden sentence, whichdeserves to be engravenin every soul.
Copyright Statement
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Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography
Poole, Matthew, "Commentaryon Luke 12:15". Matthew Poole's English
Annotations on the Holy Bible.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/mpc/luke-12.html. 1685.
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Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament
Covetousness;over-anxiety and selfishgreediness forearthly things.

133. Consistethnot; neither the length, usefulness, and happiness of a man’s life in
this world, nor his eternal life hereafter, depend upon the amount of his
earthly possessions.
Copyright Statement
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Bibliography
Edwards, Justin. "Commentary on Luke 12:15". "Family Bible New
Testament". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/fam/luke-
12.html. American TractSociety. 1851.
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Cambridge Greek Testamentfor Schools andColleges
15. φυλάσσεσθε ἀπὸ πάσης πλεονεξίας. ‘Guard yourselves from all
covetousness.’The word is more positive than “beware of” (βλέπετε,
προσέχετε). The right reading is ‘of all covetousness,’i.e. not only beware of
avarice, but also of selfish possession. Boththe O. and N.T. abound with
repetitions of this warning. Balaam, Achan, Gehazi are awful examples of this
sin in the O. T.; Judas Iscariot, the Phariseesand Ananias in the New. See 1
Timothy 6:10-17.
οὐκ … ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ ἐστίν. Ζωὴ means a man’s true life: his earthly natural
life—his βίος, is supported by what he has, but his ζωὴ is what he is. Such
phrases as that a man ‘is worth’ so many thousands a year, revealing the
current of worldly thought, shew how much this warning is needed. The order
of words in this paragraphis curious. It is literally, ‘For not in any man’s

134. abundance is his life (derived) from his possessions,’or(as De Wette takes it),
“is his life a part of his possessions.”The English Version well represents the
sense. Comp. Sen. ad Helv. IX. 9, “Corporis exigua desideria sunt … Quicquid
extra concupiscitur, vitiis non usibus laboratur.”
Copyright Statement
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Bibliography
"Commentary on Luke 12:15". "Cambridge Greek Testamentfor Schools
and Colleges".https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/cgt/luke-
12.html. 1896.
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PeterPett's Commentary on the Bible
‘And he said to them, “Take carefulnote, and keepyourselves from all
covetousness,for a man’s life does not consistin the abundance of the things
which he possesses.”
Then Jesus turned to His disciples, and to the crowd, and gave them a strong
caution. They were to keepthemselves from covetousness, from a desire for
‘things’ and for wealth. For a man’s life does not consistin the abundance of
the things that he possesses. Itconsists rather in their attitude towards God.
Let them then rather seek the Kingly Rule of God(Luke 12:31).

135. Here then He is stressing the choice betweenGod and Mammon. Forthe
majority of men Mammon was preciselywhat their lives consistedof, seeking
wealth and power and status. But it was not to be so for those who followed
Him. They were to have their eyes firmly fixed on the Kingly Rule of God, on
the true riches, the heavenly riches, and on walking to please God(see Luke
12:31-34). Theywere to set their hearts on the inheritance of eternal life. Here
was the continuation of the choices laid out before them in Luke 12:1-12. Let
them not find themselves obsessedwith paltry affairs like this man was. Let
them rather be obsessedwith the Kingly Rule of Godover their lives. The
greatdanger of the greedthat candestroy a person’s usefulness comes out
regularly in Luke’s Gospel(Luke 4:4; Luke 8:14; Luke 9:24-25;Luke 12:22-
34; Luke 16:19-31;Luke 18:18-30)
Copyright Statement
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Bibliography
Pett, Peter. "Commentary on Luke 12:15". "PeterPett's Commentaryon the
Bible ". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/pet/luke-12.html.
2013.
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Whedon's Commentary on the Bible
15. Covetousness—The inordinate desire for accumulation. It is natural to
suppose that one or both of the parties in the quarrel for the inheritance was
trying to overreach. And the intense absorption of the man in this matter, and
his untimely interruption, would be of themselves proof of covetousness.
Life—That is, his true life. The rich feel committed the error of forgetting that

136. there was a higher life than bodily supplies afford. Give him the gratification
of sense and he dreams that all is provided for.
Parable of the Rich Fool, 15-21.
Suggestedby the worldly man’s interruption. It is in some degree a new turn
of the discourse, and yet it lies under the main line of the argument.
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Bibliography
Whedon, Daniel. "Commentary on Luke 12:15". "Whedon's Commentary on
the Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/whe/luke-12.html.
1874-1909.
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Expository Notes ofDr. Thomas Constable
Jesus warnedthe man and the crowd, including His disciples, againstevery
form of greed. Greed is wrong because it exalts possessions to a place of
importance that is greaterthan the place they occupy in life. Quality of life is
not proportionate to one"s possessions. There is more to life than that. Even
an abundance of possessions does notbring fullness of life. The man had
implied that his life would be better if he had more possessions.Jesussaidthat
was not necessarilyso. People shouldseek Godrather than riches because
God does bring fulfillment into life (cf. Colossians3:1-4).

137. Copyright Statement
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Bibliography
Constable, Thomas. DD. "Commentaryon Luke 12:15". "ExpositoryNotes of
Dr. Thomas Constable".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/dcc/luke-12.html. 2012.
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Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Luke 12:15. Unto them. Evidently the crowd.
Keep yourselves from all covetousness. OurLord saw that this was the man’s
motive, and grounds His lessonupon it. From the one form manifestedby the
man He warns against‘all’ kinds.
For even when one has abundance, his life is not from his possessions. The
sentence is difficult to translate accurately. The thought is: no man’s life
consists in what he possesses, andeven when he has abundance this does not
become so. The positive truth, afterwards brought out, is: A man’s life is of
God, hence it cannot be from even the most abundant possessions. If earthly
‘life’ is here meant, the prominent idea is, that God alone lengthens or
shortens the thread of life, irrespective of possessions;and this is certainly
taught in the parable which follows. But Luke 12:21 seems to callfor a higher
sense (including spiritual and eternallife). This suggeststhe additional

138. thought that true life does not consistin wealth. The two views may be
representedby the two translations:his life does not depend on, or, does not
consistin, his possessions.
Copyright Statement
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Bibliography
Schaff, Philip. "Commentary on Luke 12:15". "Schaff's Popular
Commentary on the New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/scn/luke-12.html. 1879-90.
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The Expositor's Greek Testament
Copyright Statement
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Bibliography
Nicol, W. Robertson, M.A., L.L.D. "Commentary on Luke 12:15". The
Expositor's Greek Testament.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/egt/luke-12.html. 1897-1910.
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139. E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes
Take heed= See. Greek. horao. App-133.
beware = keepyourselves from,
covetousness.All the texts read "all covetousness".
man"s = to any one.
life. Greek zoe. See App-170. Not so with bios (App-171.)
possesseth. Greek. huparcho. see Philippians 1:2, Philippians 1:6 (being);
Luke 3:20 ("is ").
Copyright Statement
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Bibliography
Bullinger, Ethelbert William. "Commentary on Luke 12:15". "E.W.
Bullinger's Companion bible Notes".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bul/luke-12.html. 1909-1922.
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140. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware ofcovetousness:for a man's
life consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
And he said unto them - the immense multitude before Him, (Luke 12:1),
Take heed, and beware of covetousness - `of all covetousness,'or, 'of every
kind of covetousness,'is beyond doubt the true reading here. Since this was
one of the more plausible forms of it, the Lord would strike at once at the root
of the evil.
For a man's life consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he
possesseth. A singularly weighty maxim, and not the lees so, because its
meaning and its truth are equally evident.
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Bibliography
Jamieson, Robert, D.D.;Fausset,A. R.; Brown, David. "Commentary on
Luke 12:15". "CommentaryCritical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -
Unabridged". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jfu/luke-
12.html. 1871-8.
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141. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(15) Take heed, and beware of covetousness.—The betterMSS. give, “ofall
(i.e., every form of) -covetousness.”Our Lord’s words show that He had read
the secretofthe man’s heart. Greedwas there, with all its subtle temptations,
leading the man to think that “life” was not worth living unless he had a
superfluity of goods. The generaltruth is illustrated by a parable, obviously
selectedby St. Luke, as specially enforcing the truth which he held to be of
primary importance. (See Introduction.)
Copyright Statement
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Bibliography
Ellicott, Charles John. "Commentary on Luke 12:15". "Ellicott's
Commentary for English Readers".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/ebc/luke-12.html. 1905.
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Treasuryof Scripture Knowledge
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware ofcovetousness:for a man's
life consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Take
8:14; 16:14; 21:34;Joshua 7:21; Job 31:24,25;Psalms 10:3;62:10; 119:36,37;
Proverbs 23:4,5;28:16; Jeremiah6:13; 22:17,18;Micah 2:2; Habakkuk 2:9;
Mark 7:22; 1 Corinthians 5:10,11;6:10; Ephesians 5:3-5; Colossians3:5; 1
Timothy 6:7-10; 2 Timothy 3:2; Hebrews 13:5; 2 Peter2:3,14

142. for
Job 2:4; Psalms 37:16;Proverbs 15:16;16:16; Ecclesiastes4:6-8;5:10-16;
Matthew 6:25,26;1 Timothy 6:6-8
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Bibliography
Torrey, R. A. "Commentary on Luke 12:15". "The Treasuryof Scripture
Knowledge". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/tsk/luke-
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The Bible Study New Testament
Guard yourselves from all kinds of greed. Money is not the problem, but the
love of money (1 Timothy 6:10). A man's true life. Comfort, happiness, and
especiallyeternalthings do not depend upon how much we have of material
wealth. Many have sacrificedhealth to gain wealth, only to be forced to
sacrifice wealthto attempt to regainhealth.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
BRUCE HURT MD

143. Luke 12:15 Then He said to them, "Beware, andbe on your guard against
every form of greed;for not even when one has an abundance does his life
consistof his possessions."
KJV Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of
covetousness:for a man's life consistethnot in the abundance of the things
which he possesseth.
Amplified - "And He said to them, Guard yourselves and keepfree from all
covetousness (the immoderate desire for wealth, the greedy longing to have
more); for a man's life does not consistin and is not derived from possessing
overflowing abundance or that which is over and above his needs.
Beware, andbe on your guard againstevery form of greedLuke 8:14; 16:14;
21:34;Joshua 7:21; Job 31:24,25;Ps 10:3; 62:10; 119:36,37;Pr 23:4,5;28:16;
Jer 6:13; 22:17,18;Micah2:2; Hab 2:9; Mark 7:22; 1 Cor 5:10,11;6:10; Eph
5:3-5; Colossians3:5; 1 Ti 6:7-10; 2 Ti 3:2; Heb 13:5; 2 Peter2:3,14
for not even when one has an abundance does his life consistof his possessions
Job 2:4; Ps 37:16;Pr 15:16;16:16; Eccl4:6-8; 5:10-16;Mt 6:25,26;1 Ti 6:6-8
Luke 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
Luke 12:13-21 How To Be Really Rich - StevenCole
Luke 12:13-21 The Rich Fool - John MacArthur
EN GARDE:
ON GUARD!

144. Then He said to them - Here Jesus is surely speaking notjust to the man who
interrupted Him and not just to His disciples but to the entire crowd, for this
warning is necessaryfor every human being!
MacArthur - Refusing to sit in judgment on a dispute about money, Jesus
instead rendered a far more important judgment on the sin of greed.
Hendriksen - This is a most earnestwarning. Let every listener take it to
heart. Let him begin to take inventory. Let him make it his serious business to
ask himself again and again, "Am I perhaps a greedy individual? Do I
experience joy in giving, in helping along goodcauses?Oram I, perhaps, a
selfishperson? Do I have an inordinate yearning for material possessions?For
honor, prestige? Forpower and position? Briefly, am I greedy?" (Ibid)
Wiersbe - Mark Twain once defined "civilization" as "a limitless
multiplication of unnecessarynecessities,"and he was right. In fact, many
Christians are infected with covetousnessanddo not know it. They think that
Paul's admonition in 1 Timothy 6:5-19 applies only to the "rich and famous."
Measuredby the living standards of the rest of the world, most believers in
America are indeed wealthy people. (Ibid)
Solomon(probably the richest man who ever lived) ironically wrote...
He who loves money will not be satisfiedwith money, nor he who loves
abundance with its income. This too is vanity. (Eccl5:10)
Paul warned

145. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it
have wandered awayfrom the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
(1 Ti 6:10)
Beware, andbe on your guard againstevery form of greed- Observe the two
commands which are "synergistic" forbeware means to perceive.
Covetousnessby its very nature is subtle and can slither into a heart if one is
not on continually on the lookout(We ALL understand this pernicious pitfall
don't we, whether its our neighbor's new car, etc). So first you have to "see"
the slithering sin, and secondly, you have to put up a guard around your heart
so that it can't gain easyentrance. Every form is literally "all" but this
translation does rightly suggestthat "greed" or"covetousness" comesin
different "shapes and sizes" but ALL are similarly sinister! Be ware and be
on guard. Jesus'words remind me of the fencing term En garde which of
course is Frenchfor "on guard" and is spokenat outset of the engagementto
warn the participants to take a defensive position (picture).
Against every form of greed - Note the warning is not just againstMONEY,
but "allkinds of greed!" This includes coveting your neighbor's house, car,
wife (husband), clothing, etc! EVERY FORM!
Crawford - This most important statementgets to the very root of the evil of
covetousness,whichis literally a "lust for things"; these things are idols that
displace God in the heart and life (Col 3:5, 6-note) and cause souls to be
damned, as the following accountexplains. The Lord's summary of a life is
most tragic or most blessed. He summed up the life of anotherrich man in one
brief sentence (16:19). All of human history and all our personalexperience
teachus the truth of the Lord's words. When man, with his eternal soul,
attempts to make life out of the possessions he can gain, he comes to
disappointment, emptiness, despair and eternalloss. The presentworld,
devoid of meaning for so many who live for it, gives powerful testimony to the

146. truth of the Lord's words. Prefacedby "Take heed, and beware", the Lord
makes this warning very personaland pointed. "Beware" means to stand
guard againstthe vicious attack of a deadly foe. A similar warning is given by
Paul againstthose who "will be rich" (1 Tim 6:9). (What the Bible teaches –
Luke)
Beware (presentimperative - command to continually take
heed)(3708)(horao)means to see, observe, recognize, perceive, attendto
(mentally and spiritually), and in this passage means to "see to it, take care,
take heed." Jesus usedthis command severaltimes in Matthew - Matt. 9:30;
Matt. 16:6; Matt. 18:10;Matt. 24:6; and once in Mk. 8:15.
Jesus uses horao in severalwarnings - Mt 8:4, Mt 9:30, Mt 16:6, Mt 18:10, Mt
24:6, Mk 1:44, 8:15, Jesus uses horao in John 6 "But I said to you, that you
have seenMe, and yet do not believe." (Jn 6:36, cf Jn 6:46, 8:38, 9:37, 14:7, 9,
15:24, 20:29 John's witness - John 19:35)
Be on your guard (present imperative - command to continually stand guard)
(5442)(phulasso)means to watch, to carry out the function as a military guard
or sentinel (cp Acts 23:35, 28:16), to keepwatch, to have one's eye upon lest
one escape,to guard a personthat he might remain safe (from violence, from
another person or thing, from being snatchedaway, from being lost). The NT
uses phulasso of guarding truth (eg, 1Ti 5:21, 6:20, 2Ti1:14-note)
J R Miler commenting on Luke 12:15 wrote "Few people think of the danger
of getting rich. Mostthink that they become great—justin proportion as they
gather wealth. Yet there never was a more fatal error! A man is really
measuredby what he IS—not by what he HAS. We may find a shriveled soul
in the midst of a greatfortune; and a noble soulin the barest poverty. A man's
real "life" is what would be left of him—if everything he has were stripped
off. His real 'worth' is his character, as it appears in God's sight. We will

147. make a greatmistake if our goalin life—is simply to gathermore worldly
trinkets than our neighbor!"
The fact that Jesus warns with two verbs and both are in the present tense
indicates the dangeris everpresent that greedcould come in and corrupt a
disciple's witness.
REMEMBERGOD SAYS
GREED IS IDOLATRY!
Paul states this principle two times
For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure personor
covetous man, who is (Greek - estin in the present tense = continually, as his
habitual practice lives as)an idolater (eidololatres), has an inheritance in the
kingdom of Christ and God (i.e., THEY ARE NOT REGENERATE,BORN
AGAIN!). (Eph 5:5-note) (Ed: No wonder Paul commands us to flee idolatry
in 1 Cor 10:14).
Therefore considerthe members of your earthly body as dead (command) to
immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to
idolatry (eidololatreia). (Col3:5-note)
Greed(covetousness)(4124)(pleonexia from pleíon = more + écho = have)
means literally to have more and describes a strong, insatiable desire to
acquire more possessionsforself, especiallythose things we have no right to
possess. The desire to have more is irrespective of the need and thus the word
always conveys a bad sense. Pleonexia has beendefined as "the spirit which

148. snatches (rootverb echo = "to have") at that which it is not right to take, the
baneful appetite for that which belongs to others." It is the spirit which
snatches atthings, not to hoard them like a miser, but to spend them in lust
and luxury.
Hendriksen - The Greek wordfor greedis very descriptive. Literally it means:
the thirst for having more, always having more and more and still more. It is
as if a man in order to quench his thirst takes a drink of salt water, which
happens to be the only waterthat is available. This makes him still more
thirsty. So he drinks again and again, until his thirst kills him. In this
connectionthink also of one of the German words for greed:die Habgier; cf.
the Dutch: hebzucht, the uncontrolled yearning to have... have... have...
more... and... more... and still more. (Ibid)
Louw-Nida says pleonexia is "a strong desire to acquire more and more
material possessionsorto possess more things than other people have, all
irrespective of need."
Covetousnesswas regardedby Jews as an extremely heinous sin, a
characteristic ofpagans who were separatedfrom God.
Even a pagan like Plato had the sense to recognize "The desire of man is like a
sieve or a pierced vesselwhich he ever tries to, and cannever fill."
Solomonwisely observed, “He who loves money will not be satisfiedwith
money, nor he who loves abundance with its income” (Eccl. 5:10).
John Trapp - Covetous men by gaping after more lose the pleasure of that
they posses,as a dog at his master’s table swalloweththe whole meat he
castethhim without any pleasure, gaping still for the next morsel.

149. NET Note - Note the warning covers more than money and gets at the root
attitude - the strong desire to acquire more and more possessions and
experiences.
Contentment is the opposite of covetousness. Attacking covetousness lays the
ax to a rootcause of sin because pleonexia is the root of the other sins listed (in
Col 3:5). When contentment replaces covetousness, the latter cannotgive rise
to the process thatculminates in an actof sin.
Hughes - The book of Proverbs views greed as the dividing line between
righteous and evil people: “All day long he craves for more, but the righteous
give without sparing” (Pr 21:26). The apostle Paul repeatedly condemned
greed:“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or
of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s
holy people” (Ephesians 5:3). To the Ephesian elders he proclaimed, “I have
not covetedanyone’s silver or gold or clothing” (Acts 20:33). (Ibid)
A LIFE GIVING
PRINCIPLE
Hughes observes the principle that "The greedyperson lives as if the most
important things of life are assuredwhen they have amassedthe superfluous.
But Jesus said, “A man’s life does not consistin the abundance of his
possessions.”Materialexcesswillnever make one alive or happy or fulfilled.
It is perhaps understandable to be fooled when you are fifteen. But at fifty, or
seventy-five? How utterly foolish!"

150. Darrell Bock adds that "The danger of the pursuit of possessions is that it can
make one insensitive to people. Greedcan create a distortion about what life
is, because the definition of life is not found in objects, but relationships,
especiallyto God and his will. To define life in terms of things is the ultimate
reversalof the creature serving the creationand ignoring the Creator(Ro
1:18–32)....Jesus willtell a parable to illustrate just how foolishthis position is.
Reallife, he argues, possessesa far different focus. Reallife is tied to God, his
offer of forgiveness ofsins, his values, and his reward" (Ibid)
For not even when one has an abundance does his life consistof his
possessions- NLT paraphrases this "Life is not measuredby how much you
own." Phillips paraphrases it "Fora man's reallife in no waydepends upon
the number of his possessions." Amplified translations says "for a man's life
does not consistin and is not derived from possessing overflowing abundance
or that which is over and above his needs.
Has abundance (4052)(perisseuofrom perissos = abundant, exceeding some
number, measure, rank or need, over and above) means to cause to
superabound, to be superfluous, to overflow, to be in affluence, to excelor to
be in abundance with the implication of being considerably more than what
would be expected.
Mattoonamplifies on greedor covetousness - The covetous personis piggish
in priorities. Self is number one in his considerations andchoices. He is like
the horse-leechcrying "Give! Give!" His focus is on things. His futility is the
fact he is never satisfiedand always wanting more. The foundation of his
problems is the fact he is selfish, lacks contentment and satisfaction. The
funnel of his problems is the lust of the flesh, eyes, and pride of life. His
frustration is the fact that his possessions do not satisfy him. He feels left out
or is missing out on life. He also feels he is not treated fairly because youhave
something that he does not have, and he has just gotto have it, too.

151. Covetousnessis the acid of avarice, a cancerof corruption and carnality that
eats awayat the health of societyturning people into beasts. It causesto
people to demand what they have not earned and have a spirit that says, "You
owe me! What you have is mine!" Covetousnesscauses people to:burn in
their hearts for the possessions ofothers, learn to deceive their neighbor,
looking upon him as a competitor, spurn the rebukes and warnings of
Scripture and the conscience,turn from honesty and hard work to dishonest
means, yearn for more after you getwhat you want. The Bible says, "The
blessings ofthe Lord maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it." On the
other hand, the bounty of covetousnessleaves one deceived, distracted,
discouraged, and depressedfrom the need for more, from selfishness, from a
lack of satisfactionofpossessions,and from the guilt which comes from the
unlawful means by which things were attained. Like the sharp fangs of a
rattlesnake that injects its venom into its victim, covetousnesswillpoison your
heart, infecting it with a spirit of greedthat will cause you to deceive, make
dangerous decisions, ordisregardthe needs of others. This is amply illustrated
all throughout the Bible in the lives of people with catastrophic
consequences....Covetousnessis a mother sin that spawns other sins. It is
interesting to note that the Ten Commandments have their roots in the tenth
commandment which says, "Thou shalt not covetthy neighbor's house, thou
shalt not covetthy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant,
nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's (Exodus 20:13)."
Hampton Keathley IV - vs. 15. gives us a big clue as to what the point of the
parable is. Jesus condemns greedand warns that even if the man gets a larger
share of the inheritance, it will not bring life.
People don’t believe this. They think that if they can only getenough material
things these things will produce the abundant life.

152. Do riches bring the abundant life? Listen to what Andrew Carnegie had to
say:
"Millionaires who laugh," said Andrew Carnegie, "are rare. “Youmay have
all the money in the world, and yet be a lonely, sorrowing man.”
Sir EarnestCasselsaid, “The light has gone out of my life. I live in this
beautiful house, which I have furnished with all the luxury and wonder of art;
but, believe me, I no longer value my millions. I sit here for hours every night
longing for my beloved daughter."
And Christina Onassis said, "Happiness is not basedon money and the
greatestproofof that is our family." (Readher sadstory)
(Ed comment: Who knows how money warped Onassis? In the 1991
biography All the Pain That MoneyCan Buy, author William Wright details
how Onassis spent$30,000 a pop to send a private jet to America to keepher
stockedin Diet Coke, and once senta helicopter from Austria to Switzerland
to retrieve a David Bowie cassette she'dleft there. When friends said they
were too busy to spend time with her, Onassis would give them cash –– as
much as $30,000a month –– to cleartheir schedules.)
Do you believe these stories? Ordo you think it would be different for you if
you had lots of money? (Ibid)
GREED - ILLUSTRATIONS - In the days following her flight from the
Philippines with her deposedhusband, revelations about Imelda Marcos made
her name a synonym for greed. What can a womando with thousands of pairs

153. of shoes? But the Imelda Marcos syndrome operates throughout the economic
scale. The term “greed” means simply “a consuming desire to have more”; it
has the nuance of a grasping for more, a lust to acquire. It is the very opposite
of the contentment that accompanies true godliness (1 Timothy 6:6).
Someone once askedJohnD. Rockefellerhow much money was enough. “One
dollar more,” he replied. The beastof greed is never full. It is insatiable.
We miss the point, however, if we see covetousnessas an issue of amount not
attitude. The poorestcan be greedy; the richestcan avoid greed. But the
danger of possessionsis that they often arouse the desire for more.
Ivan Boesky, who wentto prison and paid a fine of $100 million for insider
trading was, a few years earlier, the darling of Wall Street. During that time
he declaredat a graduation ceremonyat a major university, “Greedis all
right. I want you to know I think greedis healthy. You can be greedy and still
feel goodabout yourself.” As Newsweeklatercommented, “The strangest
thing when we look back will not be just that Ivan Boeskycouldsay that at a
business schoolgraduation, but that it was greetedwith laughter and
applause” (December1, 1986).
In the 1950s,wrestling was almostas popular as it is at present (and just as
authentic!). The European champion was Yussif the Turk, who came to
America to fight Strangler Lewis for the “world championship” and $5,000.
Yussif won and insisted that the $5,000 be paid in gold, which he stuffed into
his championship belt. The money mattered so much that he refused to
remove the belt until he had reachedhome safely. Boarding the first available
ship to Europe, he headed home. But halfway across the Atlantic, the ship
foundered in a storm and beganto sink. In a panic, Yussif jumped for a
lifeboat, missed, and went straight to the bottom. His golden belt had become

154. a golden anchor, a vivid illustration of the Lord’s words. (From Gary Inrig -
The Parables)
Quotes on Greed and Covetousness
Big mouthfuls often choke. Anon.
No gain satisfies a greedy mind. Anon.
Greedof gain is nothing less than the deification of self, and if our minds are
seton hoarding wealth we are being idolatrous. John Blanchard
Greedand ambition … the two sources from which stems the corruption of
the whole of the ministry. John Calvin
The lack of faith is the source ofgreed. John Calvin
Somehow, for all the wondrous glimpses of ‘goodness’I see in society, there
remains the unmistakable stain of selfishness, violence and greed. John
Dickson
Greedis a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to
satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction. ErichFromm
If your desires be endless, your cares and fears will be so too. Thomas Fuller
Riches have made more covetousness thancovetousnesshas made rich men.
Thomas Fuller
The world provides enough for every man’s need but not for every man’s
greed. Mohandas Gandhi
That we shall carry nothing out of this world is a sentence betterknown than
trusted, otherwise I think men would take more care to live well than to die
rich. John P. K. Henshaw
Whereas othervices grow as a man advances in life, avarice alone grows
young. Jerome

155. Avarice increaseswith the increasing pile of gold. Juvenal
Nearly all those evils in the world which people put down to greed or
selfishness are really far more the result of pride. C. S. Lewis
Avarice is as destitute of what it has as poverty of what it has not. Publilius
Syrus
Poverty wants much; greedeverything. Publilius Syrus
Mostmen pray more for full purses than for pure hearts. Thomas Watson
COVETOUSNESS
Wealth is the devil’s stirrup whereby he gets up and rides the covetous.
Thomas Adams
He who coverts is poor, notwithstanding all he may have acquired. Ambrose
Charity gives itself rich; covetousness hoards itselfpoor. Anon.
Gold is the heaviestof all metals, but it is made more heavy by covetousness.
Anon.
Much trouble is causedby our yearnings getting aheadof our earnings. Anon.
Seeking empties a life; giving fills it. Anon.
Covetousnessis a sin that comes earliestinto the human heart, and is the last
and most difficult to be driven out. George Barlow
Covetousnessmakesus the slaves of the devil. John Calvin
Faith is the sovereignantidote to covetousness. JohnCalvin
Covetousnessis the blight that is withering our church life in all directions.
Samuel Chadwick
When all sins are old in us and go upon crutches, covetousnessdoes but then
lie in her cradle. Thomas Decker

156. Riches have made more covetous men than covetousness has made rich men.
Thomas Fuller
Covetousnessis commonly a master-sin and has the command of other lusts.
Matthew Henry
Covetousnessis spiritual idolatry; it is the giving of that love and regardto
worldly wealthwhich are due to God only. Matthew Henry
He is much happier that is always content, though he has everso little, than he
that is always coveting, though he has ever so much. Matthew Henry
Poorpeople are as much in danger from an inordinate desire towards the
wealth of the world as rich people from an inordinate delight in it. Matthew
Henry
The covetous man sits hatching upon his wealth and brooding over it, till it is
fledged, as the young ones under the hen, and then it is gone. Matthew Henry
Covetousnessswallowsdownany lie. William Jenkyn
The soul of man is infinite in what it covets. BenJonson
Beware … of the beginnings of covetousness,for you know not where it will
end. Thomas Manton
There are two sins which were Christ’s sorestenemies, covetousness andenvy.
CovetousnesssoldChrist and envy delivered him. Thomas Manton
Coveting is something we do with our hearts, not our hands or feet. Will
Metzger
We may love money without having it, just as we may have money without
loving it. J. C. Ryle
One can be covetous whenhe has little, much, or anything between, for
covetousness comesfrom the heart, not from the circumstances oflife. Charles
CaldwellRyrie
Covetousnessis both the beginning and the end of the devil’s alphabet—the
first vice in corrupt nature that moves, and the lastwhich dies. Robert South

157. We need not covetmoney, for we shall always have our God, and God is
better than gold, his favour is better than fortune. C. H. Spurgeon
Covetous men, though they have enoughto sink them yet have they never
enough to satisfy them. John Trapp
A man may be said to be given to covetousnesswhenhe takes more pains for
getting earth than for getting heaven. Thomas Watson
Covetousnessis dry drunkenness. Thomas Watson
Covetousnessis not only in getting riches unjustly, but in loving them
inordinately, which is a key that opens the door to all sin. Thomas Watson
The itch of covetousnessmakes a man scratchwhathe canfrom another.
Thomas Watson
The sin of covetousnessis the most hard to root out. Thomas Watson
There is no better antidote againstcoveting that which is another’s than being
content with that which is our own. Thomas Watson
I have heard thousands of confessions, but never one of covetousness. Francis
Xavier
(From John Blanchard- The Complete Gathered Gold: A Treasury of
Quotations for Christians)
Steven Cole - Jesus here answers the vital question, “How can we invest our
lives wiselyso as to be rich toward God?”
1. We all have a choice about how to invest our lives.
The choice, simply put, is: Greed or God? Many might say, “Wait a minute!
That’s too black and white. Life isn’t that neatly divided into separate
categories. It’s more realistic to say that we can serve God and at the same
time try to getrich.” But Jesus drew the line plainly when He said, “You

158. cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13). He did not say, “should not,”
but “cannot.” It is an impossibility to serve both masters at the same time.
You must choose one or the other.
In Mark 4:19, Jesus saidthat the thorns that gradually grow up and choke out
the word are “the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the
desires for other things.” Greedoften isn’t a deliberate choice, where a person
decides, “I’m going to become a materialistic hedonist by spending my life for
as much money and as many possessions as I canget.” Rather, it creeps up
around us without our realizing it. It gets a slow strangleholdon our lives, like
thorns growing up around a healthy plant. So how canwe determine if we’re
falling into the sin of greed?
A TEST FOR GREED: Here are five questions to ask yourself:
(1) Do my thoughts more often run after material things than after God
Himself? If I am often thinking about that new car or that nicer house or that
better computer, and I seldom think about how I can know God better, I am
tainted by greed.
(2) Do I ever compromise godly characterin the pursuit of material gain? If I
sometimes cheator lie or stealto getahead financially or to avoid loss, I am
being greedy. If I am willing to shred relationships or to take advantage of
another person for financial gain, I am being greedy. If I care more about
making money than about being a witness for Jesus Christ, I am being greedy.
(3) Do I enjoy material things more than I enjoy knowing God? If my
happiness soars whenI geta new car, but I am bored by the things of God, I

159. am greedy. If I rejoice when I win a raffle or door prize, but I yawn when I
hear about a soul being saved, I am greedy.
(4) How do I respond when I lose material things? When the stock market
drops, do I fall apart emotionally? If I getrobbed or lose some or all of my
things in a fire, does it devastate me? I’m not saying that we must be stoical
about such losses. We will always feelsome sadness whenwe lose things. But if
it wipes us out, then we’re probably too attachedto this world and its goods.
(5) What would I do if I suddenly came into a fortune? I presume that none of
you play the lottery, but what if you won the Reader’s DigestSweepstakes?
What if a distant relative died and left you a large inheritance? Would your
first thought be, “Now I can getthat better house or car or boat”? “Now I can
take that trip around the world I’ve always wantedto take.” Or, would you
think, “Now I can support dozens of missionaries”?“Thousands ofpeople can
hear about Christ because He has given me funds to invest in the spread of
His kingdom!”
THE PROBLEM WITH GREED:
Some may be thinking, “What’s the big problem with greed? Sure, we all
know that it’s wrong to live for things and to graspafter them like Scrooge.
But successis the American way. As long as we’re not extreme about it, can’t
we pursue the nice things in life?” Our text reveals three fundamental
problems with greed:
(1) Greed ignores the lordship of Christ over everything.
The man in the parable saw himself as the ownerof all that he had. Did you
notice the prominence of the first personpronoun in his speech? Six times he
says “I,” without any regardfor God. He refers to my crops, my barns, my

160. grain, my goods, and, most frighteningly of all, my soul. He would have been
in harmony with the proud and defiant words of William Henley’s “Invictus,”
“I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.”
The Bible declares, “The earthis the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world,
and those who dwell in it” (Ps. 24:1). God rightfully owns the whole works!If
He lets us use any of it, He still retains the ownership and we will give an
accountto Him of how we used it as stewards. Our lives are not our own. We
have been bought with a price. We belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. If He has
given you health, you will give an accountto Him for how you managedyour
healthy body. If He has given you intelligence, He will demand an accountof
how you used it for His purposes. If He entrusts material goods and money to
you, someday you will answerfor how you invested it in light of eternity.
The greedyman is proud. If you askedthis man, “How did you getall this
wealth?” he would have answered, “Igot it all by hard work, using my head,
and I had a little luck with the weather.” But he wouldn’t have acknowledged
God’s grace as the source of it. The greedyman is self-sufficient. His
confidence was in his many barns full of produce, not in God’s care. The
greedy man is his own lord. He asks himself, “What shall I do?” He proudly
declares, “This is what I will do.” He does not ask, “Lord, what would You
have me to do?”
(2) Greed ignores the priority of relationships over riches.
You don’t have to read betweenthe lines to see that this man and his brother
were not bestbuddies at this point! The money had come betweenthem. How
many families have been divided over the settling of the family estate!How
many brothers and sisters are so angry that they won’t speak to eachother
because they are at warover possessions ormoney that belongedto their
parents! In this case, I presume that the man bringing the complaint had some
justification for his case. His brother probably had wrongedhim. But Jesus

161. confronted this man with his own greed. The Bible is clearthat the number
one priority is to love God and that number two is to love our neighbor as
much as we do love ourselves. Our love of money and things is just a
manifestation of our love of selfmore than our love of God and neighbor.
(3) Greed ignores the shortness of life and the factof eternity.
The rich man made a deliberate, thought-out decision(12:18 19), but he left
out one critical factor: eternity! He had his bases coveredfor many years on
earth, but not for eternity in heaven. Alexander Maclarenputs it, “The goods
may last, but will he?” (Expository Thoughts on the Gospels [Baker], p. 342).
Of course, he had no guarantee that eventhe goods would last. His barns
could have been hit by lightning and burned to the ground before morning.
Thieves or an invading army could have taken it all from him. Rats could
have eatenand polluted his storehouses. Nothing in this life is guaranteed
exceptdeath (and, perhaps, taxes!).
The rich man thought that he was being prudent. He had thought matters
through carefully. But God bluntly calls him a fool. The fool thinks about life,
but he doesn’t include God, judgment, and eternity in his thoughts. So, at
death the fool and his riches are parted for all eternity. God’s voice breaks
into this man’s life like a thunderclap without warning: “Frontand center
before My throne! Give an accountof how you have used what I graciously
entrusted to you!” The rich foolwas weighedin the balance and found
wanting.
Two men were at the funeral of a wealthy man. The first man whisperedto
the second, “How much did he leave?” The secondman replied, “He left it
all!” We always do, of course!So eachof us has a choice to make about how
we invest the rest of our lives: Will I serve God or will I serve greed? There’s
a secondfactto considerregarding how to be rich toward God:

162. 2. The world’s perspective on how to invest our lives is at odds with God’s
perspective.
The world says that life consists of things, but God says that life consists of
being rightly related to Him and to others. The world would view this rich
man as a success. He would be featured in business magazines as a model to
follow. He had not gained his wealth by dishonestor corrupt means. He had
workedfor it, poured his money back into the business, and had done well. He
was financially secure. He could now enjoy the goodlife: goodfood, fine wine,
servants, and whateverpleasures money could afford. Isn’t that what we all
aim for in life? Isn’t that why we go to college, so that we can geta good
career, make plenty of money, provide the finer things in life for our children,
and retire some day with plenty in our investments? What’s wrong with that?
William Barclay(The Gospelof Luke [Westminster Press], p. 164)points out
that this man’s “whole attitude was the very reverse of Christianity. Insteadof
denying himself he aggressivelyaffirmed himself; instead of finding his
happiness in giving he tried to conserve it by keeping.”
His goalwas to enjoy life, but in seeking his life, he lostit. What was wrong
was the man’s focus. He had the world’s perspective, not God’s perspective.
God’s perspective is not that riches are inherently wrong. Moneycan be a
greatgoodif it is used in line with God’s perspective. There are several
wealthy men in the Bible, such as Job, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph
who enjoyed God’s blessing and were godly men. But, to a man, they were
generous men who lived in light of eternity. As Paul tells Timothy, "Instruct
those who are rich in this present world not to be conceitedorto fix their hope
on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things
to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in goodworks, to be generous
and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good

163. foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life
indeed."(1 Tim. 6:17-19). So if we want to be rich toward God, we need to be
careful to distinguish betweenthe world’s perspective and God’s perspective.
We are bombarded daily with the world’s perspective, which invariably is
focusedon this life. God’s perspective always takes into accountthe life to
come.
3. To invest your life successfully, deposit it with Jesus Christand spend it for
His kingdom.
You deposit your life and all that you have into the Bank of Heaven. As you
withdraw from the account, you consider God’s purpose through His Son, to
be glorified in all the earth when every knee shall bow before Jesus. In other
words, you “seekfirst the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matt.
6:33).
This investment begins by depositing your life with Jesus Christ, which
means, entrusting your eternal destiny to Him. All of the goodworks that you
try to do for God will not begin to pay the debt of your sin when you stand
before Him. Jesus Christ paid that debt. On the cross, He cried out, “It is
finished” (John 19:30). The Greek wordmeans, “paid in full.” The wages of
sin is death, and Jesus paid that price for you if you will put your trust in
Him. When you stand before God and He asks, “Whatis in your accountin
the Bank of Heaven?” the only answerthat will suffice is, “The blood of Your
Son Jesus has paid for all my sins.”
Every investment requires trust, including the depositing of your life with
Jesus Christ. When you put your money into the bank, you trust the officers
and personnelof that bank to keepit safe for you. You may say, “Yes, but my
money is insured by the Federalgovernment.” So, you trust an institution that
is trillions of dollars in debt and is run by the likes of Bill Clinton? If you can

164. trust the U.S. government with your money, surely you can trust in Jesus
Christ as your Savior!
Then, to be rich with God, you must expend what God has given you in line
with His kingdom purposes. If you had come into a lot of money that you
planned to invest, presumably you would take some time, thought, and effort
to invest it wisely. You may even pay a financial counselorto give you some
insights on where to put that money. Yet, while most of us are quite careful
about investing money for our own purposes, we’re pretty sloppy when it
comes to investing in light of God’s kingdom purposes. But, as the parable of
the talents shows, we need to invest what God has entrusted to us in such a
way that it will bring a goodreturn in light of His purpose of being glorified
among the nations.
Does this mean that we can’t spend any money on ourselves? Does it mean
that we should live at a poverty level, drive old cars, only buy used clothes,
and never spend money for personalenjoyment or pleasure? I doubt if many
are tempted to go to those extremes, but, no, that’s not what it means. God has
blessedus with many things and it is legitimate to enjoy those blessings with
thankful hearts. Also, it is prudent and in line with Scripture to provide in a
reasonable manner for our future needs through saving and investing (Prov.
6:6-11).
But, at the same time I think that most Christians need to think much more
carefully about the question, “Am I really seeking first God’s kingdom?” Am
I constantly thinking of the stewardshipof my life and money in light of what
God is doing? Or, could the deceitfulness ofriches be getting a subtle
stronghold on my life?

165. We expectmissionaries to live modestly. We would be bothered if we heard
that a missionary we were supporting was getting rich. And, yet, we aren’t
bothered if we getrich and live lavishly. Missions strategistRalphWinter
argues that all Christians should live a missionary lifestyle and give the restto
the Lord’s work. We all should be as committed to the GreatCommissionas
missionaries are, evenif Godhas not calledus to go to another culture. After
all, Jesus didn’t say, “All you missionaries shouldseek first God’s kingdom,
but the rest of you can just give a tenth, spend the rest on yourselves, and live
as you please.” Probably, most of us need to give more serious time, thought,
and effort to the matter of our stewardshipin light of God’s kingdom priority.
ConclusionTo be really rich, Jesus says thatwe must be rich toward God by
laying up treasure in heaven. Paul says that we do that when we are rich in
goodworks, generous,and ready to share. We should think of ourselves
standing before God, giving an accountof what He has entrusted to us. Will
we be really rich on that day? At the end of the movie, “Schindler’s List,” the
war is over and Mr. Schindler is leaving the many Jews whom he savedby
employing them in his munitions factory. He has spent his entire personal
fortune to bribe German officials in order to save these people from the death
chambers. But as he looks at them, he breaks down weeping and laments, “I
could have done more.” They try to console him, but he points to his nice car
and says, “I could have sold it and save a few more lives.” He pulls out an
expensive fountain pen and a watchand says, “These couldhave been sold to
save another life.” Schindler was not a Christian and he was not saving souls
for eternity. Perhaps the man was a bit too compulsive about his mission. But,
still, when we think of our Savior’s commission, to preach the gospelto every
creature, we all need to ask ourselves, “Am I doing enough?” Am I laying up
treasure for myself, or am I getting really rich, rich toward God, by laying up
treasures in heaven?
DiscussionQuestions

166. 1. Is it wrong to seek to improve my financial condition? What about
wanting to get rich? Give biblical support.
2. How much is enough? At what point do we violate Jesus’point about not
laying up treasure for ourselves?
3. How can we be on guard againstall greed? Is all luxury wrong? How do
we define luxury in light of the world’s poor?
4. Are things like insurance and investments opposedto trusting in God and
seeking first His kingdom? Give biblical support. (How To Be Really Rich )
JosephStowell - THE MENACE OF MORE - But if we have food and
clothing, we will be content with that. —1 Timothy 6:8
I recently pickedup a paper and read about the marketing of a new cigarette
from the R. J. Reynolds Company. “Dakota”is intended to appealto young
“virile females” who like to run with their boyfriends and do what the guys
are doing. The tobacco industry knows that smoking is addictive and deadly.
Yet when their researchshows thatthese young women are especiallyprone
to start smoking, they are like predators targeting their prey for the benefit of
their profit margin. This is only one example of our greed-driven culture. Yet
in honesty we must admit that the same tendencies oftendisplay themselves
among those of us who claim to belong to anotherkingdom. Think of how
often our greedrobs from eternity. We spend so much of our time and money
accumulating the things that “moth and rust destroy” (Mt 6:19, cf Lk 12:33-
note) that we have few resources andlittle time left to invest in that which
lasts forever. Think of how greedtarnishes the testimony of Christ when we
compromise integrity and biblical values to cut a less-than-honorable deal. Or
of how greedshreds families when parents devote their best energies to
dreams of an extra car, a nicer home, or a better vacation—leaving little
strength for rearing children in “the training and instruction of the Lord”
(Eph 6:4). Greedcontradicts love. It has no regardfor values. It gobbles up all
that is ultimately precious in life. No wonderChrist told us, “Watchout! Be
on your guard againstall kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consistin the

167. abundance of his possessions”(Luke 12:15). It’s not easyto find contentment
in a world in the grip of greed. But we canstart by remembering how much
we already possessin Christ, whom to have is life abundant. With that truth
firmly in hand, we can rid our lives of the love of money and can learn to be
content (Hebrews 13:5). And when we are content, we are freed to place
loving and caring for Christ, His kingdom, and others above personalgain.
May we always treasure that “godliness with contentment is greatgain” (1
Timothy 6:6). Let contentment liberate your heart! (Strength for the Journey)
ILLUSTRATION OF NAZI GREED - The greedof Nazi Germany troubled
not only the families of Germany, but the entire world that was thrown into a
world war. The Nazi leadershiphated the Jews, but they loved their gold and
possessions. The Germans used the "death camps" to strip the Jewishpeople
of their valuables. They accumulated huge amounts of furs, watches, clothing,
jewelry, and cashbefore their victims had their appointments in the gas
chambers. While the dead bodies were still warm, they would extract the gold
from their teeth. They would then use blow torches to melt the goldand pour
it into molds. As much as 110 pounds of gold were extractedevery day. The
Germans found that it was easierto getthe gold and dispose of the bodies if
they would cremate the bodies in ovens and that is what they did. Goldberg's
book, The Complete Book ofGreed, states that in the closing days of the war,
the Nazis were intent on taking this stolenwealth with them. In 1945, Martin
Bormann, Hitler's deputy, utilized a German submarine operationto
transport the booty taken at the death camps to the country of Argentina. The
Nazis'own records reveal that six U-boats carriedacross the Atlantic Ocean
550,000 ouncesofgold, 3,500 ouncesofplatinum, and 4,638 carats of
diamonds, plus works of art, gold marks, British pounds, American dollars,
and Swiss franks amounting to millions of dollars. At $1100anounce, the
value of the gold today would be worth 605 billion dollars. At $1200 anounce
the platinum would be worth today over four billion dollars.
Graffiti —Luke 12:15

168. Pastorand evangelistE. V. Hill went home to be with his Lord and Savior on
February 25, 2003. He was much soughtafter as a conference speaker, and
few have gainedthe attention and respectof people from all levels of societyas
he did.
Many years ago, PastorHill was invited to speak in a suburban church of a
large southern city in the United States. In the introduction to his message,
PastorHill commented on the difference betweenthe affluent suburb and the
poor urban area where he ministered. “I know what’s missing,” he said. “You
folks don’t have any graffiti anywhere. I’d like to volunteer to provide some
for you. I’ll get a bucket of paint and walk through your neighborhood,
writing this one word on your million-dollar homes and expensive European
cars:temporary. That’s it—temporary. None of it will last.”
We enjoy and take care of what we have, and that’s as it should be. But Jesus
said we shouldn’t be possessedby our possessions, forthey won’t last into
eternity (Luke 12:15-21). A house is just a box in which to stay warm and dry;
a car is a way to getus from one place to another. Since we can’t take them
with us when we die, we’re far better off to view them as E. V. Hill did—
temporary.By David C. Egner
The riches of this world are vain,
They vanish in a day;
But sweetthe treasures ofGod's love—
They never pass away. —Bosch
The real measure of our wealthis what will be ours in eternity.

169. The SceneryOr The Play—Luke 12:15 Beware ofcovetousness, forone's life
does not consistin the abundance of the things he possesses.
Early in Moss Hart’s careeras a Broadwayplaywright, he tried desperatelyto
overhaul the dull third actof an ailing play. After a dozen agonizing rewrites,
he decided his favorite scene, along with its elaborate and expensive set, had to
go. The sceneryhad captured the plot and was holding the dialog hostage.
No longer bound by the overpowering set, Hart rewrote with a new freedom
and flexibility. The third actcame to life, and Once In A Lifetime became the
biggesthit of 1930.
Looking back, Hart said, “A play canbe blackmailedby its scenerymore
often than anyone connectedwith it is likely to realize.”
His words cause me to reconsiderthe truth so powerfully expressedby Jesus:
“Take heedand beware of covetousness, forone’s life does not consistin the
abundance of the things he possesses”(Lk. 12:15).
“Watchout,” I hear Jesus saying, as I set the stage ofmy life with things I
consideressential. “Be onguard, or the things you own will begin to own
you.”
The sceneryof a play belongs in the background, not in the spotlight. The
same is true of our possessions. Whenwe clear centerstage for Jesus Christ
and keepthe focus on Him, He will bring our story to life.By David C.
McCasland

170. Lord, help us always realize
That we'd have nothing without You,
And may we ever put You first
In everything we plan to do. —Sper
You're in trouble when the things you own begin to own you.
Driving down the highway in Houston, I passeda billboard with large letters
that announced “THE GOOD LIFE!” I couldn’t wait to getcloserto read the
small print, which explained that the “goodlife” was about buying a lakefront
home starting at $300,000. Whichmade me wonder if some unhappy families
might live in those homes, with kids who never see their parents, or couples
who, though living on the lake, wishthey weren’t even living together.
Luke 12 came to mind as I remembered the story of the man who askedJesus
to tell his brother to divide the inheritance with him. That was the wrong
thing to ask Jesus!He replied with a warning, “Beware ofcovetousness, for
one’s life does not consistin the abundance of the things he possesses”(v.15).
He then went on to tell the story of an extremely rich man who, from God’s
point of view, was a fool—notbecause he was successfullywealthy but because
he was not rich towardGod.
The soonerwe getover the illusion that more stuff means more peace,
happiness, and self-fulfillment, the better off we will be. And then the more
able we will be to find the longed-for peace and happiness—the true “good
life”—that only Jesus canprovide.By Joe Stowell

171. O Lord, help us to be content,
Whateverwe possess;
Protectus from the foolishlie
That “more” brings happiness. —Sper
The “goodlife” is found in the richness of God.
Don’t Get Greedy—Luke 12:15
One’s life does not consistin the abundance of the things he possesses.
Philip Parham tells the story of a rich industrialist who was disturbed to find
a fisherman sitting lazily beside his boat. “Why aren’t you out there fishing?”
he asked.
“Because I’ve caught enough fish for today,” said the fisherman.
“Why don’t you catch more fish than you need?” the rich man asked.
“What would I do with them?”
“You could earn more money,” came the impatient reply, “and buy a better
boat so you could go deeperand catchmore fish. You could purchase nylon

172. nets, catcheven more fish, and make more money. Soonyou’d have a fleet of
boats and be rich like me.”
The fisherman asked, “Thenwhat would I do?”
“You could sit down and enjoy life,” said the industrialist.
“What do you think I’m doing now?” the fisherman replied as he looked
placidly out to sea.
We chuckle. Yet that story highlights an important truth. If we live only to
accumulate material wealth, we’ll never getenough. We’ll work more and
more frantically—until we collapse!
Beenworking all the time? Refusing to take vacations? Life is more than
possessions. Learnto trust more fully in the God who has given us all things to
enjoy. By David C. Egner
Once my life was full of effort,
Now ’tis full of joy and zest;
Since I took His yoke upon me,
Jesus gives to me His rest. —Simpson
Some people are so busy preparing for a rainy day that they miss God’s
sunshine.

173. Beware ofCovetousness!—Luke 12:15
Covetousnessis one of those overstuffed words in our religious vocabulary
that has lost its cutting edge. Many don’t take it seriously. Some even suspect
that when God was putting togetherthe Ten Commandments He had nine
goodsolid ones, but then to round out the list threw in one about coveting (Ex.
20:17).
Jesus gave a warning about covetousnessto a man who interrupted Him in the
middle of His sermon. The man wanted Jesus to settle a dispute betweenhim
and his brother. Evidently their father had died, and this sonfelt he was not
getting his fair share of what the father had left behind. The inheritance had
become an obsessionto this man. It consumed him. As he stoodin the
presence ofJesus Christ and listened to His peerless preaching, he did not
hear the liberating words the Savior had been speaking.
There is dangerin wanting more and more things, or in wanting what belongs
to another. The apostle Paulcalled this intense desire “idolatry” (Col. 3:5).
That’s strong language. Let’s listen to the law. Let’s listen to our Lord. He
wants us to be rich toward God. That’s why He warned, “Bewareof
covetousness,for one’s life does not consistin the abundance of the things he
possesses”(Luke 12:15).ByHaddon W. Robinson
When we would covetmore and more
Of this world’s wealth—ofearthly store,
Help us, O Lord, to look above
And draw upon Your endless love. —DJD

174. You cannot covetand be happy at the same time.
More, More, More —Luke 12:15
Some people love to shop. They have a perpetual desire to buy, buy, buy. The
craze to find the latestdeal is worldwide. There are huge shopping malls in
China, Saudi Arabia, Canada, the Philippines, the United States, and around
the world. A rise in store purchases and online buying show that buying is a
globalphenomenon.
Shopping can be fun. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with trying to find a
real deal and to enjoy the things God has given to us. But when we become
preoccupiedwith obtaining material goods, we lose focus.
Jesus challengedHis listeners with these words:“Take heedand beware of
covetousness,for one’s life does not consistin the abundance of the things he
possesses”(Luke 12:15). He went on to tell a parable about a man “who lays
up treasure for himself,” but is not concernedabout his relationship with God
(v.21).
How can we learn to be content with what we have and not be consumedwith
amassing more? Here are some ways:View material goods as given by God to
be used wisely (Matt. 25:14-30). Work hard to earn and save money (Prov.
6:6-11). Give to the Lord’s work and those in need (2 Cor. 9:7; Prov. 19:17).
And always remember to be thankful and to enjoy what God gives (1 Tim.
6:17).By Dennis Fisher

175. Lord, our hearts often run after “stuff.”
Teachus not to be obsessedwith collecting
more and more material goods. Maywe instead
learn what it means to be “rich” toward You.
To be rich in God is far better than to be rich in goods.
WILLIAM BARCLAY
THE PLACE OF MATERIAL POSSESSIONS IN LIFE (Luke 12:13-34)
12:13-34 One of the crowdsaid to Jesus, "Teacher, tellmy brother to divide
the inheritance with me." He said to him, "Man, who appointed me a judge or
an arbitrator over you?" He said to them, "Watchand guard yourself against
the spirit which is always wanting more; for even if a man has an abundance
his life does not come from his possessions." He spoke a parable to them. "The
land," he said, "ofa rich man bore goodcrops. He kept thinking what he
would do. 'What will I do,' he said, 'because I have no room to gatherin my
crops?'So he said, 'This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns and I will
build bigger ones, and I will gatherthere all my corn and all my goodthings;
and I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goodthings laid up for many
years. Take your rest, eat, drink and enjoy yourself.' But Godsaid to him,
'Fool!This night your soulis demanded from you; and, the things you
prepared--who will getthem all?' So is he who heaps up treasure for himself
and is not rich towards God."

176. Jesus saidto his disciples, "I therefore tell you, do not worry about your life--
about what you are to eat; nor about your body--about what you are to wear.
For your life is something more than food, and your body than clothing. Look
at the ravens. See how they do not sow or reap; they have no storehouse or
barn; but God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than the birds?
Which of you, by worrying about it, can add a few days to his span of life? If,
then, you cannot do the littlest thing why worry about the other things? Look
at the lilies. See how they grow. They do not work;they do not spin; but, I tell
you, not even Solomonin all his glory was clothed like one of these. If God so
clothe the grass in the field, which is there to-day and which to-morrow is cast
into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith? Do not
seek whatyou are to eatand what you are to drink; do not be tossedabout in
a storm of anxiety. The peoples of the world seek forall these things. Your
Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom and all these things
will be added to you. Do not fear, little flock, because itis your Father's will to
give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions andgive alms. Make yourselves
purses which never grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail,
where a thief does not come near and a moth does not destroy. For where
your treasure is there your heart will also be."
It was not uncommon for people in Palestine to take their unsettled disputes to
respectedRabbis;but Jesus refusedto be mixed up in anyone's disputes about
money. But out of that requestthere came to Jesus an opportunity to lay down
what his followers'attitude to material things should be. He had something to
say both to those who had an abundant supply of material possessions andto
those who had not.
(i) To those who had an abundant supply of possessions Jesus spokethis
parable of the Rich Fool. Two things stand out about this man.

177. (a) He never saw beyond himself. There is no parable which is so full of the
words, I, me, my and mine. A schoolboywas once askedwhatparts of speech
my and mine are. He answered, "Aggressive pronouns." The rich fool was
aggressivelyself-centred. It was said of a self-centredyoung lady, "Edith lived
in a little world, bounded on the north, south, eastand westby Edith." The
famous criticism was made of a self-centredperson, "There is too much ego in
his cosmos." Whenthis man had a superfluity of goods the one thing that
never entered his head was to give any away. His whole attitude was the very
reverse of Christianity. Instead of denying himself he aggressivelyaffirmed
himself; instead of finding his happiness in giving he tried to conserve it by
keeping.
John Wesley's rule of life was to save all he could and give all he could. When
he was at Oxford he had an income of 30 British pounds a year. He lived on 28
pounds and gave 2 pounds away. When his income increasedto 60 pounds, 90
pounds and 120 pounds per year, he still lived on 28 pounds and gave the
balance away. The Accountant-Generalfor HouseholdPlate demanded a
return from him. His reply was, "I have two silver tea spoons at London and
two at Bristol. This is all the plate which I have at present; and I shall not buy
any more, while so many around me want bread."
The Romans had a proverb which said that money was like sea-water;the
more a man drank the thirstier he became. And so long as a man's attitude is
that of the rich fool his desire will always be to get more--and that is the
reverse of the Christian way.
(b) He never saw beyond this world. All his plans were made on the basis of
life here. There is a story of a conversationbetweena young and ambitious lad
and an older man who knew life. Said the young man, "I will learn my trade."
"And then?" said the older man. "I will set up in business." "And then?" "I
will make my fortune." "And then?" "I suppose that I shall grow old and

178. retire and live on my money." "And then?" "Well, I suppose that some day I
will die." "And then?" came the last stabbing question.
The man who never remembers that there is another world is destined some
day for the grimmest of grim shocks.
(ii) But Jesus had something to say to those who had few possessions.In all
this passagethe thought which Jesus forbids is anxious thought or worry.
Jesus neverordered any man to live in a shiftless, thriftless, recklessway.
What he did tell a man was to do his best and then leave the rest to God. The
lilies Jesus spoke ofwere the scarletanemones. After one of the infrequent
showers ofsummer rain, the mountain side would be scarletwith them; they
bloomed one day and died. Woodwas scarce in Palestine, andit was the dried
grassesand wild flowers that were used to feed the oven fire. "If," saidJesus,
"Godlooks afterthe birds and the flowers, how much more will he care for
you?"
Jesus said, "Seekfirst the kingdom of God." We saw that God's kingdom was
a state on earth in which his will was as perfectly done as it is in heaven. So
Jesus is saying, "Bendall your life to obeying God's will and rest content with
that. So many people give all their effort to heap up things which in their very
nature cannotlast. Work for the things which last forever, things which you
need not leave behind when you leave this earth, but which you can take with
you."
In Palestine wealthwas often in the form of costlyraiment; the moths could
get at the fine clothes and leave them ruined. But if a man clothes his soul with
the garments of honour and purity and goodness,nothing on earth can injure
them. If a man seeksthe treasures ofheaven, his heart will be fixed on heaven;
but if he seeks the treasures ofearth, his heart will be thirled to earth--and

179. some day he must say good-bye to them, for, as the grim Spanish proverb has
it, "There are no pockets in a shroud."
ALBERT BARNES
Verse 15
Beware ofcovetousness -One of these brothers, no doubt, was guilty of this
sin; and our Saviour, as was his custom, took occasionto warn his disciples of
its danger.
Covetousness -An unlawful desire of the property of another; also a desire of
gain or riches beyond what is necessaryfor our wants. It is a violation of the
tenth commandment Exodus 20:17, and is expresslycalledidolatry Colossians
3:5. Compare, also, Ephesians 5:3, and Hebrews 13:5.
A man‘s life - The word “life” is sometimes takenin the sense ofhappiness or
felicity, and some have supposed this to be the meaning here, and that Jesus
meant to saythat a man‘s comfortdoes not depend on affluence - that is, on
more than is necessaryfor his daily wants;but this meaning does not suit the
parable following, which is designed to show that property will not lengthen
out a man‘s life, and therefore is not too ardently to be sought, and is of little
value. The word “life,” therefore, is to be taken “literally.”
Consistethnot - Rather, “dependeth” not on his possessions.His possessions
will not prolong it. The passage, then, means: Be not anxious about obtaining
wealth, for, however much you may obtain, it will not prolong your life.
“That” depends on the will of God, and it requires something besides wealth

180. to make us ready to meet him. This sentiment he proceeds to illustrate by a
beautiful parable.
BRIAN BELL
COVETOUSNESS!(13-15)
Imagine being so greedythat you would interrupt a sermonto ask for help to
get more money! (Warren Wiersbe;With The Word; pg.677.)
Breaking in on Jesus’conversation…this brothercries JUSTICE!
But Jesus hears the real cry from his heart…COVETOUSNESS!
Remember the older brother’s portion was supposedto be double that of the
younger. [but maybe his claim on it was right, but we know the spirit of it was
wrong!]
Isn’t Jesus going to judge? – He was probably alluding to Exodus 2:14 where
Moses appointedhimself ruler and judge over his fellow Israelites.
Jesus didn’t come into the world to do that kind of thing.
‘I am not here to deal with material substance & possessionsin that way.’
Jesus rejects the role of arbitrator in order to probe the attitude motivating
him. [He wants to getat the moral issue at hand!]
Covetousnessis a combo of greed + envy.
It’s the desire for more & more, often activated by wanting what someone else
has! (Shepherd’s Notes;pg.47.)
One day Abraham Lincoln was walking down the streetwith two small boys
who were both crying loudly. A neighbor passing by inquired, "What's the

181. matter, Abe? Why all the fuss?" Lincoln responded, "The trouble with these
lads is what's wrong with the world; one has a nut and the other wants it!"
In the garden man had all trees, Godhad one. And man wasn’t content until
he had that one also!
Covetousness comesin many forms: [2 main ones]
[1] Holding too tightly with what is already possessed!
[2] Grasping for more.
Covetousnesscomeswith a double warning:
Take heed& beware.
It has a stealthy approach(creeps up on you), & it has a terrible end.
So, be careful how it begins, & how it ends.
Covetousnessis self1st in everything.
Q: Can you think of biblical examples of covetousness thatled to loss?
Loss of innocence, loss oflife; led to murder, adultery, lies ?
How about Achon, or David.
JIM BOMKAMP
10. VS 12:15-21 - “15 ThenHe said to them, “Beware, andbe on your
guard againstevery form of greed;for not even when one has an abundance
does his life consistof his possessions.” 16 And He told them a parable, saying,
“The land of a rich man was very productive. 17 “And he began reasoning to
himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’18

182. “Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build
largerones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 ‘And I will
say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come;
take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.” ’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You
fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what
you have prepared?’ 21 “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself,
and is not rich toward God.”” - Jesus teachesHis disciples to beware of greed
and then He tells them the parable of a foolishrich man who decided to build
biggerbarns to store his abundance
10.1. Impending persecutionfor those who would follow Jesus might
lead some to choose to live for the things of this life and thus they would
become filled with greed.
10.2. Strongs Enhanced Greek Lexiconhas the following entry for
this Greek wordtranslated ‘greed’ :
4124 πλεονεξία [pleonexia /pleh·on·ex·ee·ah/] n f. From 4123;TDNT 6:266;
TDNTA864;GK 4432;10 occurrences;AV translates as “covetousness”eight
times, “greediness” once, and “covetouspractice” once.1 greedy desire to
have more, covetousness,avarice.

183. 10.3. Lets look first at what is not told us about the man in this
parable:
10.3.1. The man has not stolen to get his goods.
10.3.2. He has not lied to get his goods.
10.3.3. He has not done anything unlawful in getting his goods.
10.3.4. The man is not derogatorilyspokenof because he was rich.
10.4. The man has a very productive land and evidently has had a
very successfuland abundant harvest of his land. In other words, the man

184. has had a windfall of goodfortune and as a result has come to have good
means.
10.5. What the man is judged for is what he chose to do with his over
abundance. The man choosesto spend his over abundance upon himself and
thus his focus is selfishand self-centered. The man chooses to use his huge
profits to build many big buildings for storage ofhis goods so that they will
not spoil and that he will be able to sellhis goods for a healthy profit over the
next year.
10.6. From a worldly perspective, the man has made a wise
investment of his profits. He has chosento build big buildings and these
buildings will help him now eachyear to store his abundant crops. Thereby,
the man will continue to just get richer and richer.
10.7. The man has made a huge mistake however, for he doesn’t
realize that when he has made himself rich upon the earth that he has made
himself poor before heaven. This very night this man’s life is taken from him
and because he had not become rich in eternal things he will receive no
eternal rewards. He will not enjoy a single bit of those earthly profits he has
storedup. This man will evidently spend eternity in hell because he did not
live for the Lord in this life but rather for himself.

185. 10.8. Darrell Bochwrites the following about this man, “It is
important to note that the issue in the parable is not wealth, but how wealth is
directed. The sin is accumulating riches for oneself. Pilgrim (1981:112)sees
three errors: (1) hoarding one’s possessions,(2)assuming that life can be
securedand measuredby possessions,and (3) regarding property as one’s
own.” I would add a couple of errors of my own that this man makes:
10.8.1. He foolishly reasons to himself that he has many goods laid
up for himself for many years howeverin reality he has no assurance thathe
will live another minute upon this earth.
10.8.2. He assumes that his riches have been given to him for his
own comfort and ease howeverthe Lord intended him to use them for the
poor and less fortunate.
10.8.3. He reasons that when he has built the bigger barns that he
will be able to sit down and “eat, drink, and be merry,” howeverhe doesn’t
realize that with more riches comes more worry, more work trying to take

186. care of those riches, and that he will never be satisfiedbut always want more
from this world.
10.8.4. He doesn’t realize that he is an eternal being and that as
such it is imperative that he be prepared for life after this life by getting his
heart and life right with the Lord and storing up riches in heaven.
10.9. As I consider this parable a time in my life comes to mind.
About 18 years ago my wife and I went through a period of severalmonths
when it just seemedlike we were constantly having some kind of a monetary
windfall come our way. I don’t remember all of the ways that money sortof
fell in our lap but there were a bunch of these events that occurredin
sequence. I thought at first that the money was meant for me and so I started
spending some of the money on myself. SoonI realized that I couldn’t even
keepup in my spending with the money that was coming in. Finally, after
many months of this occurring I realized what was happening when my wife
discoveredthat she was pregnant with our first child. The Lord was
preparing us financially to be able to have and support a child by these
monetary windfalls. Becauseofconsidering how that I had been thinking that
the money coming in was designatedfor me, I thanked the Lord and also felt
kind of stupid and dumbfounded at the same time.

187. 10.10. When we Christians are given any riches or means from this
world, we must realize that we now have a stewardshipthat the Lord is
requiring of us. The Lord has given us that money or those possessions so
that we might be a channel for Him of His blessings, and we must be certain
that we do not short-circuit the Lord’s work through our life because ofour
own selfishness orself-centeredness.
10.11. When people leave this world they are not going to be able to take
any of the riches or possessionsthat they store up with them. Plus, the riches
of this world will have no value in the kingdom of Christ and the New
Jerusalemthat we are to inherit. Therefore, we are wise servants of the Lord
if we will travel light here and think of ourselves as merely tent camping here
in this life. We need to considerthat we are but a mere channel of the Lord’s
blessing and use our means to further God’s kingdom not just advance our
own wealthand extravagantlifestyles.
10.12. Living for the things of this life does not bring true satisfaction. It
is only that which is eternal which can bring lasting satisfaction. We needto
know God fully in order to be fully satisfied We ought to do like the apostle
Paul and, “count all things but rubish for the supassing value of knowing
Christ Jesus my Lord,” Phil. 3:8.

188. 11. CONCLUSIONS:
11.1. As Christian, we need to ask ourselves if we are living foolishly
in regards to eternity. Are we hanging on to some piece of this world at the
expense of eternal rewards? If so, we shall also feel very foolishon the day of
judgment for Christians when we have few if any jewels in our eternal
crowns...
11.2. We need to ask ourselves if all we possesshas really been given
completely to the Lord's control and glory?
11.3. Are you building biggerbarns which will just burn in the fire
that will try every man's work as to whether or not it is gold, silver, wood, hay
or stubble?
11.4. Will you pray with me for a heart to honor Jesus in every aspect
of your life, just as the Apostle Paul lived his life and exhorted us? Only then

189. you shall be rich toward God and for eternity reap the rewards which you will
get in return.
GENE BROOKS
Luke 12:13-21 - The Wrong Kind of Focus
Greed
Greed(Credit: Muffet)
A man’s boat capsizedat sea, and he floated aimlesslyin a life raft. His
terrible thirst urges him to wet his tongue with the saltwater. Then he drinks
it, but it only makes him thirstier. So he drinks more, and more, which makes
him thirstier still. He consumes more and more of the wateruntil he becomes
dehydrated and dies.
In today’s message, Jesuspoints us to something that appears to fill a need,
but like salt waterto a thirsty man, it is destructive. That something is greed.
The wrong kind of focus is on accumulating more and more possessions.
We hear a lot of false teaching these days on Christian television calledthe
prosperity gospel. Well, Jesus does have a prosperity gospel, but not what
those guys and gals on television preach. This passageteaches us about Jesus’
way to build wealth and prosperity. It is a way that abhors greedand worry.
Key Truth: Luke wrote Luke 12:13-21 to teach believers that one’s focus
should be not greedbut God.

190. Key Application: Today I want to show you what God’s Word says about
genuine wealth.
Key Verse:Luke 12:15
Pray and Read: Luke 12:13-21
Sermon Points:
1. Not greed, but God: Focus on genuine wealth (Luke 12:13-21)
Contextual Notes:
Since the beginning of his Gospel, Luke has focusedon the importance of
walking in faith and not in unbelief. Luke’s Gospelmakes a major shift at
Luke 9:51 where Jesus leaves his Galileanministry and turns resolutely
toward Jerusalemand His coming Suffering, Death, and Resurrection. Luke’s
messageoftrusting Christ sharpens, and his warning againstunbelief hones
in on the very religious yet unbelieving Jewishleadership.
Luke shows us that new resolute focus in chapters 10 and 11, calling us to
realign our own priorities to those of our resolute Lord: First, the priority of
His Gospelto the nations (Luke 10:1-24); secondthe priority of our love for
our neighbors (Luke 10:25-37);third, the priority of His Presence (Luke
10:38-42)walkedout a higher priority of prayer in our lives (Luke 11:1-13);
fifth, the priority of Jesus’authority in our lives (Luke 11:14-28)which calls
us to a high priority on repentance (Luke 11:29-36).
First, Jesus condemns the wrong kind of religion – dead religion that is devoid
of relationship with Him (Luke 11:37-54). Thenhe warns his disciples of
hypocrisy and points awayfrom the fearof man to the right kind of fear, the
fear of God (Luke 12:1-12). Jesus next warns againstmaterialismbut instead
to focus on being rich toward God (Luke 12:13-21), then warns againstworry
and encourageshis disciples to trust the Lord for provision (Luke 12:22-34).

191. The right kind of focus follows (Luke 12:35-59), then Luke’s outline calls us to
the right kind of religion, one of repentance and grace (Luke 13:1-19).[1]
Luke 10:1-24 The Priority of His Gospel(for the nations)
Luke 10:25-37 The Priority of Your Love (for your neighbor)
Luke 10:38-42 The Priority of His Presence
Luke 11:1-13 The Priority of Your Prayer
Luke 11:14-28 The Priority of His Authority
Luke 11:29-36 The Priority of Your Repentance
Luke 11:37-54 The Wrong Kind of Religion(without relationship)
Luke 12:1-12 The Right Kind of Fear(not of men, but of God)
Luke 12:13-21 The Wrong Kind of Focus (not greed, but God)
Luke 12:22-34 The Wrong Kind of Fear(not worry, but trust)
Luke 12:35-59 The Right Kind of Focus
Luke 13:1-9 The Right Kind of Religion
Exposition: Note well,
1. NOT GREED BUT GOD: FOCUS ON GENUINE WEALTH (Luke 12:13-
21)
a. Luke 12:13-14 – Rabbi, tell my brother: Jesus is sort of brusquely (or
rudely) interrupted by someone in the crowd asking for Him to intervene in a
family dispute over an estate. This One Greaterthan Solomon is askedto
render judgment on the division, not of a baby but of an inheritance. Teachers
were expectedto render judgments basedon rabinnical law in disputes. The
inheritance law was so clearthat there was no way around it (Num 27:1-11;

192. Deut 21:15-17). The eldestson receiveda double portion of the estate[2](Deut
21:17)because he was responsible for taking care of their aging parents. This
man, probably a younger son, assumes he is in the right and wants a special
favor from Jesus to overrule what is clear. Notice that he does not ask Jesus to
mediate, but rather tells him what to do!).
b. Luke 12:15 – Be on guard againstgreed:Jesus refuses to become involved
in an estate judgment but instead this One who is wiser and greaterthan
Solomonpasses judgment on something higher than an estate. Jesus presents
principles that point to what is underlying the man’s request. A legal
judgment will not resolve the greedand angerin the brothers’ relationship. In
a culture where land rights and inheritance are of such greatimportance,
Jesus’response ofthe insignificance of possessions is a shocking statement.
The word here for greed (pleonaxia), is a desire to have more, an insatiable
craving for more and more that drives to self-destruction.
c. Luke 12:16-20 – Parable of the Rich Fool. Jesus brings the point to them
by telling a story about a rich fool. His harvest was so greatthat he had no
place to store his crops. He did not need the crop, for his barns were already
full. Therefore, he decided to solve his problem by building new and bigger
barns. Now let’s make sure we see where the greedlurks. The greedis not
found when his fields produce a bumper crop. Successdoes notindicate greed.
Jesus is not a socialist. There is no greed in building bigger barns. He is simply
planning ahead and taking care of the blessing. Jesus is not accusing wise
stewardshipas greed.
d. The greedis found in the reasonwhy he wanted to build the barns. He
intends to hoard all his wealth for himself. He is banking his whole future on
his possessions.The problem is his delusion. The Pharisees taughta prosperity
teaching, that material prosperity is a sign of divine blessing. The rich fool
followedthat false philosophy that God had enriched him because ofhis
pleasure in him. The man thinks that a full barn guarantees a full and
satisfying life – or so he thinks. Thus the man had no need to trust in God
because he had an abundant supply for all that he would ever need. He
assumes he has many years to live and that material goods cansatisfy the soul
(Luke 12:19). So instead of investing his goods wisely, he decided to retire, to

193. take life easy, eat, drink and be merry (Luke 12:19; Isaiah22:13-14;Eccles
2:24; 3:12; 5:18-19). His false philosophy led him to the conclusionthat one of
the highestgoals in life is to satisfyhimself, and he thought he could do it with
all he had accumulated. When the divine reaperputs His sickle to his life, he
dies that very night (Luke 12:20). And what is left to his family? A legacyof
greed.
e. Luke 12:20 – The rich fool: Like Luke 11:40, againthe word for foolis
aphron, indicating willful ignorance and spiritual and moral deficiency
(Psalm 14:1; 53:1). The wealthy man willfully ignores God’s principles for
living life. Godrequires life (psyche – life, soul, self)of him (Luke 12:19). The
man ironically speaks to his self, and it is his self that he loses (Luke 9:24 uses
psyche, too). The brother without and the wealthy man ‘with’ are both
motivated by greed. The prophet Jeremiahsaid of the rich that “when his life
is half gone, they will desert him, and in the end he will prove to be a fool”
(Jer. 17:11). The moral of the story is Luke 16:21 (cf. Job 27:8; Psalm 39:6).
f. APPLICATION:Jesus’point? Don’t put all your focus on greedily storing
up earthly wealth and ignore a relationship with God. Abundance of material
possessionswill never contribute anything toward life’s realmeaning. William
Hendriksen points out the rich fool’s two mistakes. He didn’t understand
himself. He was an expert in tending the soil, but an imbecile at tending his
soul. Second, he didn’t care about others. Have you noticed that the passageis
saturatedwith the first person. “I” and “my” are found a dozen times. Not
once was he thankful for what the Lord did for him. It was all about him. All
he could see was himself. Let me ask you a question. Are you greedy?
g. APPLICATION: How do you battle the temptation to clutch and hoard
and guard your earthly possessions? Chuck Swindollhas a couple of good
ideas. First, when you are blessedwith much, give generously. EvenEbenezer
Scroogelearnedthat generosityproduces a joy that riches can’t buy. Paul tells
us to setaside money regularly to give awayas the Lord prospers us (1 Cor
16:1-2). Understand that only a few things are eternal and invest in them.
They include the Lord, His Word, and people. That means investing in your
loved ones, your neighbor, and the nations. Second, whenyou plan for the
future, think terminally. Ask yourself, “What do I want to take with me when

194. I die?” Things we can take to heaven are testimonies of the people whose lives
we touched with the gospel. A Godly legacy. If we plan our lives around
eternal things, then we know we are making a sound investment for the
future. Third, whether you have much or little, hold it loosely. Don’t put your
hope in barns filled with grain. It canblow out of your of your hands. Hold o
to the Lord. He never lets go of you.
ADAM CLARKE
Verse 15
Beware ofcovetousness -Or rather, Beware ofall inordinate desires. I add
πασης, all, on the authority of ABDKLM-Q, twenty-three others, both the
Syriac, all the Persic, all the Arabic, Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, Vulgate, all
the Itala, and severalof the primitive fathers.
Inordinate desires. Πλεονεξιας, from πλειον, more, and εχειν, to have; the
desire to have more and more, let a personpossesswhateverhe may. Such a
disposition of mind is never satisfied;for, as soonas one object is gained, the
heart goes out after another.
Consistethnot in the abundance - That is, dependeth not on the abundance. It
is not superfluities that support man's life, but necessaries. Whatis necessary,
God gives liberally; what is superfluous, he has not promised. Nor cana man's
life be preservedby the abundance of his possessions:to prove this he spoke
the following parable.

195. THOMAS CONSTABLE
Verse 15
Jesus warnedthe man and the crowd, including His disciples, againstevery
form of greed. Greed is wrong because it exalts possessions to a place of
importance that is greaterthan the place they occupy in life. Quality of life is
not proportionate to one"s possessions. There is more to life than that. Even
an abundance of possessions does notbring fullness of life. The man had
implied that his life would be better if he had more possessions.Jesussaidthat
was not necessarilyso. People shouldseek Godrather than riches because
God does bring fulfillment into life (cf. Colossians3:1-4).
WHEN THE SOUL GOES BANKRUPT
Dr. W. A. Criswell
Luke 12:15-21
3-30-83 12:00 p.m.

196. And today: When the Soul Goes Bankrupt. Reading from the twelfth chapter
of the Book ofLuke beginning at verse 16 – Luke chapter 12, beginning at
verse 16, and then adding to it Mark chapter 8, verses 36 and 37. When the
Soul Goes Bankrupt.
And Jesus spake a parable unto them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich
man brought forth plentifully.
And he thought within himself, saying, "What shall I do? I have no room to
bestow my fruits."
Then he said, "This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater,
there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
And I will sayto my soul, ‘Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years;
take thine ease;eat, drink and be merry.’"
But God said unto him, "Thou foolishone!"
– Thou unthinking one! –
"This night thy soul shall be required of thee; then whose shallthose things be
which thou hast provided?"

197. So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
[Luke 12:16-21]
God’s business world.
Now Mark 8:36-37. Mark 8:36-37:"Forwhat shall it profit a man if he shall
gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in
exchange for his soul?"
You would think that our Lord were living today when He tells a parable like
this. Our modern world is engrossedwith unbridled, illimitable devotion to
material success – the acquisition of material things. We worship not Jehovah
God of heaven, but god of materialism and secularism. We worship
mammon. The theme and the thesis of modern life is productivity, progress,
advancement, achievement, and it is undeniable. It has been crownedwith
illimitable and unmeasurable success.
Travel in the days of Abraham was by foot or by riding a donkey. Evenmy
greatgrandfather came to Texas in a covered wagon. Three times I have
flown all the way around the world in an airplane. What my great
grandfather achievedin a summer’s coveredwagontrek, I can make today in
a few minutes.

198. In communication, in the days of Abraham, a letter might be written on a
piece of soft clay and bakedin the sun; or take a potsherd, a piece of broken
jar, and scribble on it a hieroglyphic and send it by a runner. Think today of
our progress in communication: I can sit before a televisionset and watch the
war in El Salvador or in Iraq. Radio is universal. It’s a marvel the success
and the achievement of modern materialistic devotion.
Think of building. The Pyramids, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Great
Wall of China were built by hundreds of thousands of slaves. Today, in our
city of Dallas, these greatbuildings go up with machines, hoists, levers, crews,
and, in some cities, rise to 1,600 feetinto the air.
Think of the luxuries we enjoy today. When the ancientRoman joined in a
Bacchanalia,the festival in behalf of Bacchus, the god of wine, runners
brought snow hundreds of miles awaydown from the Alps in order that the
wine might be cooled. Todayeachhome will have a refrigeratorand walk just
a few feetfor all of the ice that you need. It’s a remarkable achievementthe
advancementmade in the materialistic luxuries of modern life.
Samuel Butler, a militant atheist who believed in automatic and inevitable
progress said, and I quote, "Give the world time, an infinite number of
epochs, and according to its past and present system, like a coming tide each
epochwill advance on the other . . . man’s body becoming finer to bear his
finer mind, till man becomes not only an angel but an archangel" [The
EarnestAtheist: A Study of SamuelButler, by MalcolmMuggeridge, 1936,
page 92].
Progress. It is wonderful. It is amazing. It is spectacular. Itis almost
miraculous, but what they forget is this: there is progress also in aerial
warfare. There is progress also in atomic fission – the development of the

199. hydrogen and the [neutron] bomb. There’s also progress in germ and
chemicalwarfare. There is also progress in the use of radio and televisionto
disseminate political lies and the subversion of a whole nation. Progress is an
illusion.
Tell me, after all of these centuries of advancement, are we producing better
men today than Abraham or Isaac orJacob? Tellme, do you see any
evidence that goodis triumphing over evil? We can go, but are we going
better places? We cansee, but are we seeing better things? We can hear, but
are we hearing nobler words? As that big black man said in Ray Crawford’s
missionary volume Thinking Black, "To be better off is not to be better."
So the parable of our blessedLord: "Look at the goods that I have, but what
shall I do? I have not a place to store them, and this shall I do: I’ll build me
biggerbarns . . . and I’ll say to my soul, ‘ . . . Eat and drink and be merry.’
But God said, ‘Foolishone! This night thy soulshall be required of thee; then
whose shallbe all these possessions you’ve storedup for yourself?’" [Luke
12:17-20]. The bankruptcy of the soul.
There are two things that characterize the teachings ofour Lord. Number
one is this: the worth, the infinite, heavenly, eternal worth of the soul; and the
secondone: the transitory, temporal, ephemeral, ultimate worthlessness of
everything else.
In the parable, this man says, "Whatshall I do?" There’s not a human being
that ever lived that doesn’task himself that question: "Whatshall I do?"
And the everlasting, eternal reply of our Lord is this: "What shall it profit a
man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man
give in exchange for his soul?" [Matthew 16:26; Mark 8:36; Luke 9:25].

200. If I gain the military world, what am I profited? Alexander the Great
conquered the civilized earth and died in Babylon at the age of thirty‑ three in
a drunken debauchery. Caesarwas assassinatedatthe foot of the statue of
Pompey, his enemy. Napoleondied in indescribable loneliness and sorrow on
the little British island in the South Atlantic, Saint Helena. I stoodat the
bunker in EastBerlin where Hitler committed suicide.
I think of that philosopher who was speaking to a young warrior in the long
ago day of the Greek;and the young Greek was saying to the philosopher,
"I’m going to conquer the world."
And the philosopher said, "How?"
He said, "I’m going to conquer Attica."
And the philosopher said, "And what then?"
"Then I shall conquer the Peloponnesus."
And the philosopher said, "And then what?"
"Then I shall conquer Thessaly."
And the philosopher said, "And then what?"

201. The young warrior said, "ThenI shall conquer Macedonia."
And the philosopher said, "And then what?"
And the young warrior said, "Then I shall conquer Anatolia."
And the philosopher said, "And then what?"
The young fellow, "Then I shall conquer Parthia and Mesopotamia and Syria
and Palestine and Egypt."
And the philosopher said, "And then what?"
"Then I shall conquer Cyprus and Crete and Sicily. I shall conquer the
world."
"And then what?" said the philosopher.
"Then," saidthe young warrior, "I shall retire to my beautiful villa at Delphi
overlooking the AegeanSea."
And the philosopher said, "Young man, why don’t you do that now and spare
the carnage andthe bloodshedand the devastationof war?"

202. Or again, what shall it profit if I become the richest man in this world? If I
gain the whole world, what shall I profit?
A dear wife of one of the richestmen ever calledfor his friend and said, "Jim,
come and talk to my husband. He’s [paranoid]. He’s dying, and he’s obsessed
with his hands – with his hands."
And Jim came to visit his old friend, and as they visited, he said, "And your
hands, your hands. I don’t see anything wrong with your hands."
And the dying man said, "Jim, look at them. They’re so empty! They’re so
empty!"
Gain the world and all that’s in it. What does it profit? You young people
who listen so intently and reverently, in your history, you’ll read of the first
Roman Triumvirate – Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus. Crassus. Crassus was
the richestman the world had ever seen. Whenthe enemies of Pompey, and
then of Caesar, were proscribed, Crassusbought their estates fornothing,
accumulatedthem – by far the richest man in the world.
Somehow there’s something in wealth that never finds satisfactionin itself. It
means more, and it means more, and it means more. It never ceases:more
and more and more. So Crassus raiseda Roman army and turning toward
the East, he pillaged the temples of Mesopotamia andof Anatolia and of the
temple in Jerusalemof all of their golden wealth, and finally went to war
againstParthia, unprovoked, just for the greedof Crassus. And in that
provocationof the Parthians, he was captured and his army was defeated;and
the king of the Parthians took Crassus and poured molten gold down his

203. throat, saying, "You want gold? Here, drink it!" That’s how Crassus died in
Parthia.
And may I make a little historicalaside? From then on, the easternflank of
the RomanEmpire was never secure because ofthat unprovoked attack
againstParthia. You gain the whole world and all of its wealth, what are you
profited?
What could I say of the socialachievements andthe glittering life of these who
live in another world – from me at least?
My mother and father are buried in ForestLawn in the SanFernando Valley
overlooking the westernsea;and once in a while in these years past, I have
walkedthrough that vastmausoleum in ForestLawnin the San Fernando
Valley. Here is a glittering socialite like Marilyn Monroe. She committed
suicide. Here is a glittering socialite – died in dissipationlike JeanHarlow;
and here is a, beyond description in my day, idol of the screennamed Rudolph
Valentino – died of venerealdisease. Whatdoes it profit if you gained the
whole socialsatellite world and lose your own soul?
My soulis precious to God. If I were the only soul in this world, Jesus would
have died for me if I were the only one. My soul is precious to God. Our Lord
says that if just one somebody comes to Jesus, there is rejoicing in the
presence ofthe angels of heaven[Luke 15:7, 10]. My soul is precious to God,
and my soul is precious to me. I live in a house made out of dust, and it will
return to the ground from which it came [Genesis 2:7, 3:19]; but the me that
lives on the inside shall never die [John 5:24, 10:28, 11:26;2 Corinthians 4:16;
Revelation20:5-6]. My soul is precious to me.

204. I am resolvedI will not be
The dupe of things I touch and see.
These figured totals lie to me.
My soulis all that I have.
A builder, I, but not with stone.
The selfI am, not flesh or bone.
My house will ‘dure when stars are gone.
My soulis all that I have.
For me to traffic with my soul,

205. Would make me brother with the mole.
The whole world’s wealth is but a dole.
My soulis all that I have.
O Keeper of the souls of men,
Keep mine for me, from the waste ofsin.
For should it slip my hand, what then?
My soulis all that I have.
["My Soul is All I Have," T. D. Chisholm]
And our Lord, help us to be wise:not to store up treasures in this world to be
left behind and some day to face God empty-handed; but, Lord, may we be

206. rich toward Thee, growing in the favor and in the love and in the knowledge
of our dear Lord. Bless these greatthrongs of young people here today that
they give themselves to the high calling and purposes of God in Christ Jesus.
Bless this vast throng that when they say in their hearts, "What shall I do?"
that they reply, "This shall I do. I shall serve God first and foremostin my
life that my soul might grow toward heaven in all the rich things of our
blessedLord," in whose Name we pray. Amen.
THE ILLUSION OF PROGRESS
Dr. W. A. Criswell
Luke 12:13-21
2-11-68 7:30 p.m.
On the radio, on WRR the radio of the city of Dallas, turn in your Bible to the
twelfth chapter of Luke with us who are here this evening in the First Baptist
Church in Dallas. Luke chapter 12, and we shall read out loud together
verses 13 through 21;Luke chapter12, verses 13 through 21. And the name
of the sermon tonight is The Illusion of Progress. Oncein awhile I like to turn
loose onSunday night and preach a sermon on how things really are, and you
are going to hear one tonight. Like a guy put on gloves and getin a ring and

207. just knock the living daylights out of his opponent, lay him flat on the floor to
the count of one hundred fifty. That is what we are going to do tonight.
The Illusion of Progress: it is a sermon on the cheapness,the veneerof this
modern day and its attitudes. Well, let us read the Scriptures first; Luke
chapter 12, verses 13 through 21;now all of us reading out loud together:
And one of the company said unto Him, Master, speak to my brother, that he
divide the inheritance with me.
And He said unto him, Man, who made Me a judge or a divider over you?
And He said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness:for a man’s
life consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
And He spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man
brought forth plentifully:
And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no
room where to bestow my fruits?
And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater;and
there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
And I will sayto my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years;
take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

208. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee:
then whose shallthose things be, which thou hast provided?
So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
[Luke 12:13-21]
The text is, “Fora man’s life consistethnot in the abundance of the things
which he possesseth” [Luke 12:15], then the Lord illustrated it with the
parable of the rich fool [Luke 12:16-21].
May I say a word about that parable before I go up there and begin speaking
about the text? This rich fool devoted all of his life to the accumulationof
things, bigger increases, biggerbarns, bigger warehouses, biggerstore places,
buying more land to raise more corn, to feed more hogs, to make more money,
to buy more land, to raise more corn, to feed more hogs, to make more money,
to buy more land and all that treadmill which is the rat race of American life.
Well, anyway there was a wholesalegroceryman, and he wrote out his
epithet for his tombstone before he died. And he wrote it out; born a human
being, such and such date; died a wholesale grocer, suchand such date. Well,
somebody came to him and saidwhat a lugubrious epithet. What do you
mean by those words, pessimism?
Well, he said, “I mean just this. All of my life I’ve been selling
groceries. I had no time to marry. I was selling groceries. Ihad no time to
raise a family, selling groceries. Ihad no time to build a home, selling

209. groceries. I had no time to read a book or for any of the arts or for the
dramas or for pleasures oflife, selling groceries. And I had no time for God
and for church, selling groceries. And I made lots of money. I had no time to
travel though I had the money. I had no time for any of the fine things of life,
selling groceries.”
And he said, “I finally was so successfulI entered into the wholesale
grocerybusiness. And now I have money, and I have success, andI have
houses of business and points of distribution. But my life is gone and it is been
nothing but selling groceries. So whenI die, put on my tombstone, ‘He was
born a human being, such and such date, and he died a wholesale grocer, such
and such date.’”
“So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward
God” [Luke 12:21]. When I was preaching over there in Memphis, Tennessee
a few months ago, they were describing to me a doctor in the BaptistHospital.
We have one of the greatesthospitals in the world in Memphis. And they
were describing to me a doctor over there in that Baptist Hospital. And he
was a fine surgeon, and he fell into the way of making money from those
operations. And as he became more famous and more successful, his fees
mounted upward and upward and upward and upward and upward. And he
was making money, piling it on top of money, piling it up. And finally it
became a frenzy with him, operating, making money. And finally he dropped
dead, the richest doctorin any cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee.
Now to my text. “Fora man’s life consistethnot in the abundance of
the things which he possesseth” [Luke 12:15], and the title of the message,The
Illusion of Progress.We are all in it, all of us. There is not a schoolin the
world, unless it be some little Christian academy tuckedawayin a corner, that
doesn’t preachthe doctrine of evolution. “We’re on the way. Man, we’re

210. progressing. We’re moving.” And they illustrate it very poignantly,
dramatically.
Travel: when Abraham went from Ur of the Chaldees overto that
land of Canaan[Genesis 11:31-12:4], he followedthe greatcrescent. They
calledit the Fertile Crescent;up the MesopotamianValley, following the
Euphrates River, wayup there, then crossing overthrough Syria and down
into Palestine, one thousand five hundred miles. And it took him months and
months and months to make the journey. I made the journey in an hour and
a half one time, went straight across from Palestine to Ur, Bozrah, down there
in the lowerpart of the MesopotamianValley.
Progress, progress:when my grandpap on my mother’s side was brought to
Texas from Mississippi, they carried him as a little child in a coveredwagon.
I have gone from Dallas to Mississippiin about twenty-nine or twenty-eight
minutes. Progress,progress.
Communication: back yonder, in the years gone by, they’d write it out
in a tablet and bake it. And then a runner would carry it from Damascus
down into Egypt or some such place. And today I have sat and listenedto the
radio when Mussolini was declaring war againstFrance, whenHitler was in
those diatribes againstEngland, and when Roosevelt, whose memory is
enshrined on our dimes but not in my heart, when Roosevelt was making all
those speeches,trying to destroythe eighteenth amendment.
It’s a remarkable thing. Progress,progress, bridges:over there in that
country, the Mediterranean, the biggestbridge you will ever see in your life is
just about that big. It was the Romans who learned how to bridge a river, and
they did it with little arches, justabout like that. If you’ve ever been out to
Golden Gate Bridge across the San Francisco Bayor the Bay Bridge or the

211. WashingtonBridge, those bridges are over a mile long in a span. They are
tremendous things. Progress! Progress!
And buildings. When they built the pyramids it was by sweatand brawn.
Making a ramp up out of dirt, making a ramp up and pulling slave labor, one
hundred thousand men working by relays every day until they dropped dead,
hoisting those greattremendous stones up there in the air, building a
pyramid. Out there in HooverDam, used to be calledBoulder Dam, I saw
that thing go up, all of it built by tremendous electricaland mechanical
equipment, hoist and levers, raising up those untold thousands of tons of
concrete and poured it into place.
Or Solomon’s temple. Some of those stones you can see, there in Jerusalem,
some of them forty-five feethigh, ninety feetlong, thirty or thirty-five feet
broad; a tremendous thing done by human labor. Stand in New York City
and look at that skyscrapercalledthe Empire State Building, all of it done by
machinery. One thousand two hundred and forty-eight feettall. Or was it
one thousand two hundred forty-seven and a half? Just look at that thing up
there in the air. First time I went to New York City I gotmy throat
sunburned just staring around all over the place.
Remarkable, progress, progress! And the luxuries of life, oh, what a change,
what a new day. When those Romanplutocrats and aristocrats were reveling
in Bacchanalia,they had their slaves dashdown with pumping lungs from the
heights of the Alps carrying snow to cooltheir wine. Today, there is not a
poor critter among us that doesn’t have an electric refrigeratorstuck away
somewhere in his kitchenor in his side room.
Progress. Progress. And in the long ago dating, and in the long ago day, there
would be these bedeckedwomenand these beribboned dandies who would be

212. carried on the shoulders of porters and slaves. In sedans those men slush
through the mud and the mire and the rain and the snow in order to carry
that aristocrat, sethim down at some ballroom floor.
Today, look down any street, and there is a limousine and yonder is a
limousine and here is a limousine. And all of us have got enoughmoney to get
in a limousine at leastto go out to Love Field, on a long trip over there to Ft.
Worth International Amon CarterAirport.
Man, that’s progress, that’s progress. And we are persuadedthat we have
found the secretofthe evolution of the world. Samuel Butler, a militant
atheist and an author of another generationin England, Samuel Butler said,
and I quote, “Give the world time, give the world time, an infinite number of
epochs, and according to its past and present system, like a coming tidal wave,
eachepochwill advance on each, man’s body becoming finer to house his
finer mind, till someday man becomes not only an angel but an archangel.”
This is the attitude of modern education, and it’s the attitude of modern
society. Give us time. Give us time and man will become not only an angel
but an archangel. Justgive us time; progress.
Well, that’s what I want to talk about tonight. There was an old man with a
long flowing beard and long flowing hair. And he was a rich old codger. And
a con man came by and was going to sell him a luxurious automobile. So he
took the old fellow, who was blind and couldn’t see, and he sat him in a chair,
and he put a fan in front of him, and he turned on that fan a little higher and
a little higher, and that fan began to blow his hair and began to blow his
beard. And on the seathe was sitting, that con man beganto jiggle it up and
down. And he said to that old codger, “Man, are we a-traveling, are we a-
going? We’re going thirty miles an hour, and now we are going fifty miles an
hour. Now we are going seventymiles an hour. Now we are going a hundred
miles an hour. Man, are we going!” And he sold the old codgera luxurious

213. automobile and the fellow hadn’t moved out of his seat, hadn’t gone
anywhere! That is the finest picture that I know of modern society! Man,
we’re moving. We are going. We are progressing. Look atus. And we
haven’t gone anywhere!
I’m not denying that there is not development, that there is not evolution, that
there is not progress in every area of life. That is from immaturity to
maturity; from a T-ModelFord to a modern Lincoln sedan. I am not saying
there isn’t that revolutionary progress, anongoing. But don’t forgetthat you
have that same kind of progress in the effectiveness ofaerialbombing and in
the use of radio and television for the propagationof political lies! It is as
vicious in one as it is in the other.
And when you think that this world is progressing, there is not one iota of
evidence in all the history of mankind that goodever triumphs over evil or
that we are reaching someday, sometime a fairer and a better day. There’s
not an iota of proof, there is not a scintilla of evidence for it. Not at all! Notat
all!
A man displayed in the picture window of his store a thing that he called
“Finished Business.” Finishedbusiness, and what was the picture? It was a
picture of a nation whose cities were in desolation, and whose population was
in blood, and who had lostits very existence in the holocaustofwar; finished
business. That is a prognosticationofthe future of the world, which is
corroboratedby the Word of God.
The Word of God says that this civilization and this world shall find its
consummation and its end in a bloody, indescribable holocaust!. And the
Bible calls it the war of Armageddon [Revelation16:13-16]. Firstthere is the
rider on the white horse who comes delivering mankind as we think we are

214. going to be delivered by progress andby achievement. Then that rider on the
white horse is followedby a rider on the red horse, which is war. And he is
followedby the rider on the black horse, which is famine and pestilence. And
he is followed by the rider on the pale horse, which is Death[Revelation6:2-
8].
And yet we persuade ourselves this is progress. I am not denying that we
can’t go. But are we going better places than in the days of Abraham? Are
we? In about two or three days ago, I read where Howard Hughes is going to
build the largestand most luxurious hotel in this earth! Where did the
newspapersayHoward Hughes, that playboy, that billionaire playboy they
call him, where is he going to build that hotel? At a shrine where Jesus was
born, where godly people go to bow at the cradle of the Savior of the world?
No. Is he going to build that luxurious hotel, most expensive and most
luxurious in the world, and the biggestthe world has ever seen, is he going to
build it in some greatcenterof commerce and merchandise? No. Is he going
to build it in some political place? No. He is going to build it in Las Vegas,
Nevada, in order that more thousands cango out there and watch those naked
women squirm and shake and shimmy, and where they can drink and guzzle
liquor, and where they can gamble their fortunes away. That’s where he is
going to build it. This is progress!
We cango but are we going better places? We cansee but are we seeing
better things? And we can hear but are we hearing finer things? Are we? I
was in an evangelistic conferencethe other day, and one of those young
whippersnappers gotup there, he belongs to this generation. And he said,
“You know what?” He said, “You know, a child, a teenager, a youngsterby
the time he is sixteen years of age has spent five thousand more hours looking
at a television than he has spent in all of his life in school.” Looking atwhat?
I tell you the violence and blood and crime on television is enough to warrant,
to assure the disintegration and decayof a civilization. No wonder they callit
an idiot box.

215. Progress. Evolution. Look at us and where we are going and what we are a-
doing. Yes, some time ago a little diminutive missionaryby the name of Ray
Crawford wrote a book, Thinking Black. Thinking Black. And in that book
he describes one of those big black men who had been won to Christ. And the
time came when missionary Crawford was going down to the seaport, out to
the heart of Africa, down to the seaportand on a furlough back home.
And he gatheredaround him some of his finest black men who had been saved
and baptized and now belongedto the body of Christ. He gathered some of
those finest black Christians, and he took them with him down to the seaport.
And they were big men, giant men, a large statured African tribe. And he
beganto tell those men what they were going to see out of the heart of the
jungle and the wonders of the civilization.
When I was down there in the Amazon jungle, Tyrere’s children, two of
Tyrere’s children were flown into Yarinacocha, and that was the first time
they had ever been out of the jungle. It was the first time they had ever seen
anything besides the trees and those huts, and the tribal life of those
headhunters, headshrinkers;never had such an interesting time in my life,
watching those two children.
And while I am thinking about it, just let me saythis. The first time they ever
came to the camp, after an hour or two of their arrival, we ate dinner together
in the missionary’s house, and those two children were there. They had never
been at the table. Theyhad never seensilverware, eating things. They had
never seenanything, a rug, draperies, a house, anything. They’d never seen
anything. And they had such a hard time. It was very difficult for them.

216. So the next morning I went to another missionary’s house on the compound,
and they had those two children over there for breakfast. And the missionary
said to me, “Now we are not going to have them eathere at the table. We are
not going to have them eat at the table. We are going to let them eat over
there by themselves on the floor.”
So she spread out a little tablecloth on the floor, and those two children of
Tyrere’s ate there on the floor with their hands, by themselves. But what
impressed me about them was this. We sat down to eat and they sat down
over there in the corner, on the floor, around that little tablecloth. And those
two headhunter’s children bowed their heads before they ate, and he prayed a
prayer, it seemedto me ten minutes long.
Isn’t that something? Well, that’s like I am going to tell you about with
missionary Crawford. Those big black men were following him down to the
seaport, the greatcity on the ocean. Theywere helping him with his luggage
and with his baggage,helping the missionary on his furlough. So the
missionary beganto tell them what they were going to see;electric lights;
think of that, electric lights. And an automobile; think of that. And a paved
road; think of that. And houses, and water, and all the things that goes with
a luxurious modern living.
And as he describedthose things, those black men would open their eyes and
say, “Oh, I didn’t think of that.” And another one, “Oh! Imagine that.” And
“Oh! I never saw anything like that.” All except one. And finally missionary
Crawford turned to him and said, “Well, don’t any of these things impress
you? What do you think about them?”
And missionary Crawfordsays in that book that big black man laid his
luggage downand drew himself up to his full height and folded his arms and

217. lookeddown at the missionary, and said, “But sir, to be better off is not to be
better.”
First time I ever heard that sentence, and I’ve heard it a thousand times since.
To be better off is not to be better. This is not progress. This is not
achievement. I don’t want to be misunderstood. But just may I illustrate
these things as I see them in life?
I pick up this sweetand blessedBook, andover here, after the Book ofJudges,
I read one of the most precious romances in all literature. I read about Ruth,
sweetand precious Ruth. Ruth, to Naomi, a mother-in-law:
Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for
whither thou goest, I will go; where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall
by my people, and thy Godmy God:
And where thou diest, I will die, and there will I be buried; God do so, and
more also unto me, if aught but death separate betweenme and thee.
[Ruth 1:16-17]
Ruth, who lived three thousand years ago.
All right. In the Fountain Blue hotel in Miami, Florida, I sat and watcheda
modern Jewesssmoking one cigarette afteranotheruntil her fingers were
yellowed, drinking one glass ofliquor after another, and on her face every line
and lineament of dissolutionand worldliness. Yet you say, “This is progress!”

218. Compare Ruth who lived three thousand years ago and that modern Jewessin
the Fountain Blue hotel. Progress,progress,man, progress.
Joseph, sweet, humble but godly, faithful, trusting man of God, child of the
Lord. Or Daniel or Jonathan, just look at them! And I canthink of a modern
Jew who is as cheapand as grasping and as secularand material as the devil
himself. Yet this is progress.
Cornelius, an Italian of the Italian Band, a centurion, an Italian [Acts 10:1]:
when I was preaching up there in southern Illinois right across from St. Louis,
they all take the St. Louis papers up there. And every day while I was there,
three days, I don’t know how long it had been going on, I don’t know how
long it continued, but for three days the top of the paper, in a band about like
that, was describing the Cosa Nostra inSt. Louis, and named those Italians
who in the underworld were murdering and thieving and destroying. And I
think of the godly Italian Cornelius and the Cosa Nostra today. That’s
progress, progress!
You listen to me. You walk down the streets of a greatcity like St. Louis or
like Chicago orlike New York City, and you are overwhelmedby the
tremendous monument genius has raisedto the pristine glorious endowments
of mankind. These greatbuildings, and those marvelous sculptured pieces,
and those glorious paintings, and all of the things that go into the riches of the
culture and life of a greatcity, but we have never yet found an answerwhat
shall we do with the builder, and what shall we do with the sculptor, and what
shall we do with the painter.
There is no progress, justin things and things and things! And the Lord God
Himself said in my text: “Fora man’s life does not consistin the abundance

219. of the things which he possesseth” [Luke 12:15]. Readit in the Book, onthe
sacredpage.
This is what I call the illusion of progress;things, things, and mostly leaving
out God. I must conclude. MayI take a little incident out of New York City?
So many of you so many times have been there; business, culture, drama,
metropolitan, opera, sightseeing, World’s Fair, many, many, many occasions:
draw people to this most astonishing of all the modern Babylons of the world.
Upon a day I went up Fifth Avenue, lookedat this museum, at that one,
Guggenheim, Fisk, Metropolitan;walking around the greatMetropolitanArt
Museum in New York, one of the great, greatassemblies ofworld famous art
in the world. Justwalking around, just looking, roomafter room after room,
masterpiece aftermasterpiece. Youknow the painting that impressed me the
most? If I had the money I would buy it, and I would bring it down here to
this church, and I’d hang it up somewhere that everybody could look at it. In
that greatmuseum with all those glorious masterpieceswas a picture that an
artist had drawn, and it was this. You were looking inside a poor, poor man’s
cottage. And the elements of poverty were everywhere, a poor man’s cottage.
In the centerwas a rough, rough table, and just beyond, an open hearth with
pots and vessels,where the mother of the house was cooking dinner. And
there in the room was an old grandmother, agedold mother. And the
children were gathering around the table. And one of the older girls had a
little baby in her arms, her little sister. And the mother was preparing to set
the simple meal on the table.
And the door was ajarand in through the door was walking a laboring man,
making his living by the strength of his hands. And one of the little children
was going to meet him with gladness and love and welcome onher face. And
above the picture in the room the artist had drawn the blessed, and
wonderful, and precious, and loving Lord Jesus. You know how an artist

220. would draw. At the bottom it was kind of shadowy, kind of evanescentand
then gaining substance and finally the full figure of the blessedLord. And He
had His hands outstretchedover the family like this, looking down upon them
with His hands outstretchedin blessing. And underneath, the artist had
captionedhis picture, Christ Among the Lowly. That is real progress.
Man, we are going somewhere with folks like that, with a father like that, and
a mother like that, and an old granny like that, and with a home like that, and
with Jesus like that. This is real progress.
O God, that we could see it and that we could know it: “For a man’s life
consistethnot in the abundance of the things that he possesseth” [Luke 12:15].
And it isn’t airplanes and televisionsets and all of the gadgets ofmodern
scientific inventions that makes a nation great. It’s God that makes a people
great. And it’s real progress only if we move upward, heavenward, Christ-
ward, and God-ward.
Well, I just wanted to get that out of my system. And I’m all right now. I’ve
told you what I think about modern life and this modern day. Well, Merle,
let’s sing us a song. And while we sing it a somebodyyou to give himself to
Jesus;a family you to come into the fellowship of the church; a couple you
coming forward tonight, “Here I am, pastor, and here I stand. I give you my
hand. I’ve given my heart to the Lord.” Do it now. Make it now. Out of this
balcony round, you come. On this lowerfloor, into the aisle and down to the
front, “Here I am, pastor, here I come.” As God’s Spirit shall make the
appeal to your heart, come. And may God attend your way as you respond.
“Here I am. Here I come.” Do it now. Decide now. In a moment when you
stand up, stand up coming. Do it now, while we stand and while we sing.

221. Sometimes it is very difficult for me to know what to do. It isn’t easy, it isn’t
easyto turn loose and give your life completely to God. And many times a
man fights in his soul, a civil war rages in his heart. God calls one way and
the world, the flesh, and the devil pull another way. It isn’t easy, I know. But
I also know that God will help that somebody you, who will trust Him for a
victory. He will see you through. If God calls, answerwith your life, and let
Him win the battle for you! Should you give your heart to Jesus, should you?
Should you consecrateyour life to Him, should you? Should you put your life
in the church, should you? Does Godbid you come?
For just a moment let every one of us pray, just your best; and while we pray
for you; in a moment when the choir sings an appeal, down one of those
stairways or into the aisle and to the front, “Preacher, Godhelping me, here I
come, and here I am.” While our people pray and while the choir sings the
appeal, if that somebody is you who ought to come, make it now. Come
tonight, trust God for it. Let Him see you through. Make it now, while we
sing, while we pray, while we wait.
STEVEN COLE
How To Be ReallyRich (Luke 12:13-21)
RelatedMedia
It would be interesting and revealing some day to do an exit poll to find out all
the things that people had thought about during the sermon. Some of the
young men were no doubt thinking, “I wonder who that beautiful babe is
sitting three rows over? I wonder if she has a boyfriend? How could I meet

222. her?” Some of the young women were thinking similar thoughts about some
cute guy.
Some of the men were thinking, “I hope he gets through in time so I cancatch
the game on TV.” Some may have been thinking about their work and an
important meeting this week. Some of the women were thinking about what
they would fix for dinner after church. Others were thinking about problems
with their kids. Studies show that we canlisten four times fasterthan people
talk, so there’s a lot of time for other thoughts while you’re listening to a
sermon!
I would probably take it personallythat people are thinking about other
things while I preach, exceptfor the fact that people did the same thing when
Jesus preached. Who am I to think that I can do better than the Lord? Jesus
had just been preaching on the most solemn and weighty matters imaginable,
that we need to fearGod who can castus into hell more than we fear men who
can only harm our bodies. He stressedthat whoeverconfesses the Son of Man
on earth will hear Him confess them before the angels of God. He warned
againstthe unpardonable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. He was talking
about heaven and hell. You would think that everyone in the audience would
be tracking with Him on these eternally vital matters!
But just then a man in the crowd spoke up and revealedthat he hadn’t been
listening to Jesus’sermon at all! He said, “Teacher, tellmy brother to divide
the family inheritance with me.” If I had been Jesus, I probably would have
thought, “Where was this guy during my sermon?” The man was consumed
with his problem and he had come to try to getJesus to solve his problem. He
wasn’t there to have Jesus change his heart. He wanted his problem fixed
without confronting some deeper issues ofsin in his life. In his mind, his
problem was his greedy brother who wasn’tgiving him his fair share of the

223. inheritance. Surely, Jesus wouldsee the injustice of this situation and right the
wrong!
But instead, the man gotsomething he hadn’t bargainedfor! Jesus saw that
his words revealedhis heart. The man’s heart problem was not his brother’s
greed, but his own greed. Yes, the brother may have also beengreedy, and
Jesus’parable was not just directed to the man, but to “them,” which
probably included the brother along with the whole crowd. But this man had
his focus on getting what he wanted in this world. Jesus shows him that his
true need was to be ready for the next world. So the Lord refusedto take the
role of judge betweenthe man and his brother. Instead, He showedthe man
how to be really rich, namely, how to be rich toward God.
To be really rich, we must be rich toward God.
First Jesus issueda strong warning againstgreed. “Beware, and be on your
guard againstevery form of greed;for not even when one has an abundance
does his life consist of his possessions.” Then, He told a parable to drive home
the point. Jesus’warning indicates that we need constant vigilance to keepthis
enemy of the soul at bay. It won’t happen accidentally. If you do not post a
guard all day, every day, greedwill creepin unawares and get a stranglehold
on your life. Jesus here answers the vital question, “How can we invest our
lives wiselyso as to be rich toward God?”
1. We all have a choice about how to invest our lives.
The choice, simply put, is: Greed or God? Many might say, “Wait a minute!
That’s too black and white. Life isn’t that neatly divided into separate
categories. It’s more realistic to say that we can serve God and at the same
time try to getrich.” But Jesus drew the line plainly when He said, “You
cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13). He did not say, “should not,”

224. but “cannot.” It is an impossibility to serve both masters at the same time.
You must choose one or the other.
In Mark 4:19, Jesus saidthat the thorns that gradually grow up and choke out
the word are “the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the
desires for other things.” Greedoften isn’t a deliberate choice, where a person
decides, “I’m going to become a materialistic hedonist by spending my life for
as much money and as many possessions as I canget.” Rather, it creeps up
around us without our realizing it. It gets a slow strangleholdon our lives, like
thorns growing up around a healthy plant. So how canwe determine if we’re
falling into the sin of greed?
A TEST FOR GREED:
Here are five questions to ask yourself:
(1) DO MY THOUGHTS MORE OFTEN RUN AFTER MATERIAL
THINGS THAN AFTER GOD HIMSELF?
If I am often thinking about that new car or that nicer house or that better
computer, and I seldom think about how I can know God better, I am tainted
by greed.
(2) DO I EVER COMPROMISEGODLYCHARACTER IN THE PURSUIT
OF MATERIAL GAIN?
If I sometimes cheator lie or stealto get aheadfinancially or to avoid loss, I
am being greedy. If I am willing to shred relationships or to take advantage of
another person for financial gain, I am being greedy. If I care more about
making money than about being a witness for Jesus Christ, I am being greedy.

225. (3) DO I ENJOYMATERIAL THINGS MORE THAN I ENJOYKNOWING
GOD?
If my happiness soars when I geta new car, but I am bored by the things of
God, I am greedy. If I rejoice when I win a raffle or door prize, but I yawn
when I hear about a soul being saved, I am greedy.
(4) HOW DO I RESPOND WHEN I LOSE MATERIAL THINGS?
When the stock marketdrops, do I fall apart emotionally? If I getrobbed or
lose some or all of my things in a fire, does it devastate me? I’m not saying
that we must be stoicalabout such losses. We will always feelsome sadness
when we lose things. But if it wipes us out, then we’re probably too attached to
this world and its goods.
(5) WHAT WOULD I DO IF I SUDDENLY CAME INTO A FORTUNE?
I presume that none of you play the lottery, but what if you won the Reader’s
DigestSweepstakes?Whatif a distant relative died and left you a large
inheritance? Would your first thought be, “Now I can getthat better house or
car or boat”? “Now I cantake that trip around the world I’ve always wanted
to take.” Or, would you think, “Now I cansupport dozens of missionaries”?
“Thousands ofpeople can hear about Christ because He has given me funds to
invest in the spread of His kingdom!”
THE PROBLEM WITH GREED:
Some may be thinking, “What’s the big problem with greed? Sure, we all
know that it’s wrong to live for things and to graspafter them like Scrooge.
But successis the American way. As long as we’re not extreme about it, can’t
we pursue the nice things in life?” Our text reveals three fundamental
problems with greed:

226. (1). GREED IGNORESTHE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST OVER
EVERYTHING.
The man in the parable saw himself as the ownerof all that he had. Did you
notice the prominence of the first personpronoun in his speech? Six times he
says “I,” without any regardfor God. He refers to my crops, my barns, my
grain, my goods, and, most frighteningly of all, my soul. He would have been
in harmony with the proud and defiant words of William Henley’s “Invictus,”
“I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.”
The Bible declares, “The earthis the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world,
and those who dwell in it” (Ps. 24:1). God rightfully owns the whole works!If
He lets us use any of it, He still retains the ownership and we will give an
accountto Him of how we used it as stewards. Our lives are not our own. We
have been bought with a price. We belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. If He has
given you health, you will give an accountto Him for how you managedyour
healthy body. If He has given you intelligence, He will demand an accountof
how you used it for His purposes. If He entrusts material goods and money to
you, someday you will answerfor how you invested it in light of eternity.
The greedyman is proud. If you askedthis man, “How did you getall this
wealth?” he would have answered, “Igot it all by hard work, using my head,
and I had a little luck with the weather.” But he wouldn’t have acknowledged
God’s grace as the source of it. The greedyman is self-sufficient. His
confidence was in his many barns full of produce, not in God’s care. The
greedy man is his own lord. He asks himself, “What shall I do?” He proudly
declares, “This is what I will do.” He does not ask, “Lord, what would You
have me to do?”
(2). GREED IGNORESTHE PRIORITYOF RELATIONSHIPS OVER
RICHES.

227. You don’t have to read betweenthe lines to see that this man and his brother
were not bestbuddies at this point! The money had come betweenthem. How
many families have been divided over the settling of the family estate!How
many brothers and sisters are so angry that they won’t speak to eachother
because they are at warover possessions ormoney that belongedto their
parents! In this case, I presume that the man bringing the complaint had some
justification for his case. His brother probably had wrongedhim. But Jesus
confronted this man with his own greed.
The Bible is clearthat the number one priority is to love God and that
number two is to love our neighbor as much as we do love ourselves. Our love
of money and things is just a manifestation of our love of self more than our
love of God and neighbor.
(3). GREED IGNORESTHE SHORTNESSOF LIFE AND THE FACT OF
ETERNITY.
The rich man made a deliberate, thought-out decision(12:18-19), but he left
out one critical factor: eternity! He had his bases coveredfor many years on
earth, but not for eternity in heaven. Alexander Maclarenputs it, “The goods
may last, but will he?” (Expository Thoughts on the Gospels [Baker], p. 342).
Of course, he had no guarantee that eventhe goods would last. His barns
could have been hit by lightning and burned to the ground before morning.
Thieves or an invading army could have taken it all from him. Rats could
have eatenand polluted his storehouses. Nothing in this life is guaranteed
exceptdeath (and, perhaps, taxes!).
The rich man thought that he was being prudent. He had thought matters
through carefully. But God bluntly calls him a fool. The fool thinks about life,
but he doesn’t include God, judgment, and eternity in his thoughts. So, at
death the fool and his riches are parted for all eternity. God’s voice breaks
into this man’s life like a thunderclap without warning: “Frontand center

228. before My throne! Give an accountof how you have used what I graciously
entrusted to you!” The rich foolwas weighedin the balance and found
wanting.
Two men were at the funeral of a wealthy man. The first man whisperedto
the second, “How much did he leave?” The secondman replied, “He left it
all!” We always do, of course!
So eachof us has a choice to make about how we invest the rest of our lives:
Will I serve God or will I serve greed? There’s a secondfact to consider
regarding how to be rich toward God:
2. The world’s perspective on how to invest our lives is at odds with God’s
perspective.
The world says that life consists of things, but God says that life consists of
being rightly related to Him and to others. The world would view this rich
man as a success. He would be featured in business magazines as a model to
follow. He had not gained his wealth by dishonestor corrupt means. He had
workedfor it, poured his money back into the business, and had done well. He
was financially secure. He could now enjoy the goodlife: goodfood, fine wine,
servants, and whateverpleasures money could afford. Isn’t that what we all
aim for in life? Isn’t that why we go to college, so that we can geta good
career, make plenty of money, provide the finer things in life for our children,
and retire some day with plenty in our investments? What’s wrong with that?
William Barclay(The Gospelof Luke [Westminster Press], p. 164)points out
that this man’s “whole attitude was the very reverse of Christianity. Insteadof
denying himself he aggressivelyaffirmed himself; instead of finding his
happiness in giving he tried to conserve it by keeping.” His goalwas to enjoy

229. life, but in seeking his life, he lost it. What was wrong was the man’s focus. He
had the world’s perspective, not God’s perspective.
God’s perspective is not that riches are inherently wrong. Moneycan be a
greatgoodif it is used in line with God’s perspective. There are several
wealthy men in the Bible, such as Job, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph
who enjoyed God’s blessing and were godly men. But, to a man, they were
generous men who lived in light of eternity. As Paul tells Timothy,
Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceitedorto fix
their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us
with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in goodworks, to
be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a
goodfoundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life
indeed (1 Tim. 6:17-19).
So if we want to be rich toward God, we need to be carefulto distinguish
betweenthe world’s perspective and God’s perspective. We are bombarded
daily with the world’s perspective, which invariably is focusedon this life.
God’s perspective always takes into accountthe life to come.
3. To invest your life successfully, deposit it with Jesus Christand spend it for
His kingdom.
You deposit your life and all that you have into the Bank of Heaven. As you
withdraw from the account, you consider God’s purpose through His Son, to
be glorified in all the earth when every knee shall bow before Jesus. In other
words, you “seekfirst the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matt.
6:33).

230. This investment begins by depositing your life with Jesus Christ, which
means, entrusting your eternal destiny to Him. All of the goodworks that you
try to do for God will not begin to pay the debt of your sin when you stand
before Him. Jesus Christ paid that debt. On the cross, He cried out, “It is
finished” (John 19:30). The Greek wordmeans, “paid in full.” The wages of
sin is death, and Jesus paid that price for you if you will put your trust in
Him. When you stand before God and He asks, “Whatis in your accountin
the Bank of Heaven?” the only answerthat will suffice is, “The blood of Your
Son Jesus has paid for all my sins.”
Every investment requires trust, including the depositing of your life with
Jesus Christ. When you put your money into the bank, you trust the officers
and personnelof that bank to keepit safe for you. You may say, “Yes, but my
money is insured by the Federalgovernment.” So, you trust an institution that
is trillions of dollars in debt and is run by the likes of Bill Clinton? If you can
trust the U.S. government with your money, surely you can trust in Jesus
Christ as your Savior!
Then, to be rich with God, you must expend what God has given you in line
with His kingdom purposes. If you had come into a lot of money that you
planned to invest, presumably you would take some time, thought, and effort
to invest it wisely. You may even pay a financial counselorto give you some
insights on where to put that money. Yet, while most of us are quite careful
about investing money for our own purposes, we’re pretty sloppy when it
comes to investing in light of God’s kingdom purposes. But, as the parable of
the talents shows, we need to invest what God has entrusted to us in such a
way that it will bring a goodreturn in light of His purpose of being glorified
among the nations.
Does this mean that we can’t spend any money on ourselves? Does itmean
that we should live at a poverty level, drive old cars, only buy used clothes,

231. and never spend money for personalenjoyment or pleasure? I doubt if many
are tempted to go to those extremes, but, no, that’s not what it means. God has
blessedus with many things and it is legitimate to enjoy those blessings with
thankful hearts. Also, it is prudent and in line with Scripture to provide in a
reasonable manner for our future needs through saving and investing (Prov.
6:6-11).
But, at the same time I think that most Christians need to think much more
carefully about the question, “Am I really seeking first God’s kingdom?” Am
I constantly thinking of the stewardshipof my life and money in light of what
God is doing? Or, could the deceitfulness ofriches be getting a subtle
stronghold on my life?
We expectmissionaries to live modestly. We would be bothered if we heard
that a missionary we were supporting was getting rich. And, yet, we aren’t
bothered if we getrich and live lavishly. Missions strategistRalphWinter
argues that all Christians should live a missionary lifestyle and give the restto
the Lord’s work. We all should be as committed to the GreatCommissionas
missionaries are, evenif Godhas not called us to go to another culture. After
all, Jesus didn’t say, “All you missionaries shouldseek first God’s kingdom,
but the rest of you can just give a tenth, spend the rest on yourselves, and live
as you please.” Probably, most of us need to give more serious time, thought,
and effort to the matter of our stewardshipin light of God’s kingdom priority.
Conclusion
To be really rich, Jesus says that we must be rich toward God by laying up
treasure in heaven. Paul says that we do that when we are rich in goodworks,
generous, and ready to share. We should think of ourselves standing before
God, giving an accountof what He has entrusted to us. Will we be really rich
on that day?

232. At the end of the movie, “Schindler’s List,” the war is over and Mr. Schindler
is leaving the many Jews whomhe savedby employing them in his munitions
factory. He has spent his entire personalfortune to bribe German officials in
order to save these people from the death chambers. But as he looks at them,
he breaks down weeping and laments, “I could have done more.” They try to
console him, but he points to his nice car and says, “Icould have sold it and
save a few more lives.” He pulls out an expensive fountain pen and a watch
and says, “Thesecouldhave been sold to save another life.”
Schindler was not a Christian and he was not saving souls for eternity.
Perhaps the man was a bit too compulsive about his mission. But, still, when
we think of our Savior’s commission, to preachthe gospelto every creature,
we all need to ask ourselves, “Am I doing enough?” Am I laying up treasure
for myself, or am I getting really rich, rich towardGod, by laying up treasures
in heaven?
DiscussionQuestions
Is it wrong to seek to improve my financial condition? What about wanting to
get rich? Give biblical support.
How much is enough? At what point do we violate Jesus’point about not
laying up treasure for ourselves?
How can we be on guard againstall greed? Is all luxury wrong? How do we
define luxury in light of the world’s poor?
Are things like insurance and investments opposedto trusting in God and
seeking first His kingdom? Give biblical support.
Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 1999,All Rights Reserved.

233. BOB DEFFINBAUGH
Greed: The Affliction of the Affluent (Luke 12:13-21)
Introduction
When I read the parable of the rich fool, I cannothelp but think of Howard
Hughes. I do not know that he was a fool, but I do know that he was rich. I
also know, from some of the reports that went out at the time of his death that
while he had accumulated a greatdeal of wealth, he did not enjoy any of it in
his lastdays, perhaps his last years. In this sense, HowardHughes is a present
day example of that againstwhich Jesus was warning us in our text.
The dangerof thinking of a man like Howard Hughes as I read this text is that
this implies that the text applies primarily, perhaps exclusively to the rich. To
put the matter more pointedly, thinking of the rich fool in this text as Howard
Hughes enables me not to think of myself as a “rich fool.”
We may come to the parable of the rich fool with a sense ofsmug security.
Perhaps Jesus will be speaking to us when he gets to the next section, verses
22-34. There, Jesus is addressing His disciples. But here, Jesus is telling a
parable. There was not such person. And besides this, this man was very
wealthy. Jesus canhardly be addressing us.
I’m not so sure about that. In the first place, I think that most of us would be
hard pressednot to admit that we are, as individuals, affluent—rich, if you
would. Furthermore, our nation is, in comparisonwith others, exceedingly
blessed.

234. Furthermore, verses 13-21 are a part of a larger piece, and thus we cannot
separate the warnings and instructions from the words of Jesus to the
disciples which follow them. Note that in verse 22 Jesus’words to His disciples
begins with a “therefore,” indicating that what He is saying is basedupon
what has already been said. Note, too, that in our text Jesus warnedagainst
“all kinds of greed” (v. 15), which suggests thatgreed has a variety of forms,
some of which may tempt the rich, and others of which may tempt the less
affluent.
The Context of the Text
It is very important for us to approachour lessonand our text with a clear
graspof the fact that we are looking at but a piece of a much largerwhole. In
verse 1 of chapter 12 we were told that Jesus was surrounded by a very large,
and somewhatunruly crowd:
Meanwhile, when a crowdof many thousands had gathered, so that they were
trampling on one another, Jesus beganto speak first to his disciples (Luke
12:1).
As we continue to read through chapter 12, it can be seenthat Jesus was still
conducting His teaching in the midst of a large crowd. Thus, in verse 41, Peter
askedthe Lord whether He was speaking to the disciples or to the crowdas a
whole.
This large and unruly crowdseems to have setthe scene, notonly for the first
section(vv. 1-12), where Jesus warnedHis disciples about the danger of
hypocrisy, the hypocrisy for them of behaving differently than that which was
required of disciples. Boldness in living out one’s discipleship is also relatedto
the next segment(vv. 13-34), whichdeals with material possessions,for we
know that boldness as disciples in a hostile environment may costone his

235. property (cf. Hebrews 10:32-34). In the final section(vv. 35-59), Jesus deals
with the matter of readiness for His return, which, as we will see, has much to
do with our boldness and our willingness to be unfettered by material
possessionsin the present age. Mygreat fearis that we will not view this
chapter as a whole, since our study will, of necessity, be only of a segment at a
time. I urge the reader, therefore, to make every effort to read and to study
this chapter as a whole, indeed to study the entire book of Luke as a whole.
The Structure of the Text
I understand verses 13-34 to be dealing with the matter of material
possessions. Although our study will be only of verses 13-21,205 Ioutline the
structure of the entire section, in this way:
(1) The Setting (the request: “Tellmy brother… ”)—v. 13
(2) Jesus’Response:a message to the affluent (vv. 14-21)
The Problem and a Principle—vv. 14-15
A Parable and the Punch Line—vv. 16-21
(3) Jesus’Response to the disciples and the poor they represent—vv. 22-34
The Setting
(12:13)
As I understand the setting, the greatcrowdwhich presses aboutthe Lord
Jesus and His disciples is still an unruly mass. I suspectthat this one request
which Luke records for us is but one of many. I think of the occasionas
something like a presidential press conference.If you have seenone, you know

236. that the members of the press, while not that numerous, all clamorfor the
President’s attention, seeking to getthemselves recognizedand their question
answered. Fromwhat we see elsewhere, cries from those in the crowdwere
not unusual (cf. Luke 11:27). The man somehow gotour Lord’s attention, and
his question was recognized:
Someone in the crowd saidto him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the
inheritance with me” (Luke 12:13).
The man seems to have recognizedJesus only as a teacher, not as the Teacher,
not as the Messiah. He requests Him to respond, not so much as a teacher, but
apparently as the other teachers ofHis day might have done. What the man
wants is a judge, not a teacher. It would seemthat the man’s brother was
present, so that all Jesus would have had to do was to pronounce in this man’s
favor. The requestis not only for Jesus to do that which was outside of His
calling, but also that which was selfish, in that it would not in any way
contribute to the teaching needs of those in the crowd. A question askedof a
teacherin that setting should have been one for which the answerwould have
a broad interest or application. I believe the man assertedhimself, for his own
interest, and with disregard both for Jesus and for the crowd.
Jesus’Responseto the Man and His Request
(12:14)
Jesus respondedas a teacher, teaching, from the man’s own words, the error
of his actions, and drawing from this “interruption” lessons ofbroad and
generalapplicability. But first Jesus had a very few words to sayto this man
in direct response to his petition:

237. Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter betweenyou?”
(Luke 12:14).
Jesus’words indicate that the man’s requestwas in error. Jesus was a
teacher, though infinitely more a Teacherthan this man recognized. Other
teachers might be tempted to pronounce on such cases,but Jesus knew that
this was not within the realm of His calling or task, and thus He abruptly
refused the request. I understand that when Jesus said, “Man,206who
appointed me a judge or an arbiter betweenyou?,” He gives us an indication
that the brother was also present. Jesus would come, the secondtime, to actas
Judge (cf. James 5:9), but this was later. The man was not looking at Jesus as
Messiah, but only as a teacher, and Jesus wouldnot grant his brazen request.
He may have gotten the floor, but he did not get his request. What he gotwas
far more than he askedfor, but certainly what he deserved.
The Problem and its Remedy
(12:15a)
Our Lord was not looking for an opportunity to publicly humiliate this man.
Had He wished to do so, I believe that He would not have used a parable, but
the circumstances ofthis man’s life, the ugly reality behind his petition. But
neither was Jesus, as a teacher, willing to let this teaching opportunity pass
without using it as a “teachable moment.” Thus, His response exposesthe
sinful motive behind the man’s request:
Then he saidto them, “Watchout! Be on your guard againstall kinds of
greed” (Luke 12:15a).
The question must be asked, “Who is Jesus speaking to, who are referred to
by “them” in this verse?” I do not think it is the disciples, to whom Jesus

238. clearly spoke in verse 22. It could be the crowd, but I am not inclined to think
so. I believe that Jesus was speaking to the man, and his brother, who seems to
have been with him. The words of our Lord were, of course heard by the
disciples and likely by some in the crowd. I think, however, that Jesus’eyes
were riveted on this man and his brother. I think, also, that both men were
probably guilty of greed—the one for not giving his brother what was his due
(the older brother, who would be the executorof the will, as it were?), and the
other for demanding that he getwhat was his.
Jesus’words spell out the evil motive behind the man’s request: greed. They
also suggestthatgreed, like so many other sins, has a variety of forms, each
appealing to a certainsegmentof men. In order to avoid these various forms
of greed, men must both “watchout” for them and “be on their guard”
againstthem. It would seemthat the first command (“watchout,” NIV;
“beware,”207NASB)indicates the need to believe the danger exists, while the
second(“Be on your guard against,” NIV) underscores the vigilance needed to
resistthe evil for what it is.208
The Principle Underlying the Problem
(12:15b)
If the sin underlying the man’s request was greed, Jesus, the Teacher, goeson
to spell out the principle which shows the man’s values not only to be wrong,
but foolish. This principle is this:
“A man’s life does not consistin the abundance of his possessions”
(Luke12:15b).
I must say that I prefer the wording of the NASB, which reads,

239. “ForNot even when one has an abundance does his life consistofhis
possessions.”
Jesus not just teaching that life does not consistin possessions.He is saying
that even if one could amass a large accumulation of possessions, it would not
produce life. Stated in this way, we cansee that our Lord is addressing these
words to those who are affluent, to those who are rich, but who think that
“life” will be attained in accumulating even more. Life does not consistin
things. It does not even consistin many things. And so it is that His parable,
which is given to spell out the principle just stated, will tell of a rich man, who
is not rich enough.
The Parable of the Rich Fool
(12:16-21)
And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a
goodcrop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store
my crops.’“Thenhe said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and
build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll
say to myself, “You have plenty of goodthings laid up for many years. Take
life easy;eat, drink and be merry.” ‘ “But God saidto him, ‘You fool! This
very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will getwhat you
have prepared for yourself?’“This is how it will be with anyone who stores up
things for himself but is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:16-21).
Jesus refusedto serve as a judge, but He did a masterful job as a teacher.
Graciously, I believe, Jesus did not seek to spell out the principle He had just
taught, based upon the sin of the man whose requesthad provided the
occasionfor this warning againstcovetousnessorgreed. Instead, Jesus told a
parable of a fictitious man. This man was very wealthy, and he owned land
that was very fertile and productive. His barns were already full with the

240. produce and goods he had previously attained. Now, once again, the land had
produced bountifully. His bumper crop posedhim with a problem, however.
His barns were already full.
Jesus now takes us into the mind of the man. We can overhearhis
conversationwith himself. “I have no more storage space,”he said. “What am
I to do?” Then, the inspiration came. “I will tear down my barns and build
even biggerones.” Of course. He could increase His storage space.He could
enlarge his capacityto hoard his possessions.
This solution now having been conceived, the rich fool now chats with himself
in such a way as to revealhis intent, his goal. If his previous words have
revealedhis problem and the plan which will solve them, the next inner
conversationreveals the man’s motives and goals. He talks to himself.
Literally, he talks to his soul. Once he has built his bigger barns and put all of
his crops and goods into them, he will be able to say to his soul, “Soul, you’ve
got it made. You have many goodthings, enough to last for many years. It’s
time to retire, to take life easy, to enjoy the goodthings for years to come. Its
time to eat, to drink, and to be merry.”
God’s words pierce through the shallow thinking of the man, exposing his sin
and his destiny, which is vastly different than he supposed. God calledthe
man a fool, a man whose solution and whose wealthseemedto suggestthat he
was wise. If the man lookedforward to a long life, a life of ease, Godsaidthat
his life would end, this very night, before any of the good things of his
prosperity would be enjoyed. What he savedfor himself, another would
possess.
And then, the words of God seemto end, and the final verse is the application
of this parable to all men who would store up things for himself, rather than

241. to be rich toward God: “The one who would do so, who would do as the rich
fool, will share his fate.”
Where Had the Rich FoolGone Wrong?
God’s words, along with those of our Lord, were probably shocking to those
who heard them, and so they should be for us as well. The rich fool is a man
who would likely be praised by our culture, and perhaps in some of our
churches. He was a wealthy man. That seems to speak well of him, especially
in a time (then and now) when men equate spirituality and success.Today, we
call it the “prosperity gospel.” Here was a man who had been able to curb his
appetite, or so it seemed. Here was a man who is not described as spending his
money on himself, but who had the discipline to save it, “fora rainy day,” we
might say. Here was a man who thought of the future and who prepared
himself for it.
How could such a man be calleda fool? How could this man receive God’s
rebuke, and that of our Lord? How could he serve as a pattern for those who
are condemned, and who are judged? What is there about this man’s thinking
and motivation and actions which is foolish? What was the man who had
made the request of Jesus (and those who were listening, as well) to learn from
this story?
I believe that the story itself reveal several“foolish” elements in this man’s
thinking and actions. Considerthem with me for a moment:
(1) The rich fool was foolishin failing to recognize where his wealth had come
from. There is no evidence in the story that this man was particularly smart,
especiallygoodat his work, or that he was a hard worker. The man

242. apparently should not have takenthe credit for his wealth. Jesus was careful
to tell us that the man’s ground produced a greatharvest. Let’s face it. Good
ground produces goodcrops. Bad ground produces bad crops. And beyond
this, God gives the bountiful crops. This is precisely what God promised in the
Mosaic Covenant(cf. Deuteronomy 28:1-14). The rich fool did not seemto
recognize the source of his prosperity. Indeed, from what we are told, the rich
fool had no regard for God at all.
(2) The rich fool erred in his understanding of the purpose of wealth. If the
rich fool failed to graspwhere his wealth came from, he also failed to
understand what he was to do with it. He thought that wealthwas to store up
and to save, rather than to use. He further believed that wealth, when it was to
be used, was to be used for his own comfort and ease. He did not, as the Old
TestamentLaw had taught, see his wealthas the occasionfor praising God,
and as the means by which he could offer sacrificesand offerings, both
compulsory and voluntary. Neither did he see his wealthas a God-given
provision for him to minister to others, both by giving and by loaning to those
in need. It never occurred to the rich fool that when his barns could not hold
any more, he could have given some of his wealth away.
(3) The rich fool was foolishin that he saw his possessions as his security, and
as the basis for his ceasing to be productive. It would seemfrom this man’s
words that he not only planned to retire, but that he planned an early
retirement. His wealth, we might say, was his “socialsecurity.” I understand
him to be saying that he would be at ease once his bigger barns were built and
his crops were safelystored inside, along with his goods. He is planning to
“hang up his work jeans” and to retire to the rocking chair. He is looking
forward to eating and drinking the finest and in enjoying all the fine things
for the rest of his life.

243. (4) The rich fool was foolishin his presumption. The rich man presumed two
things about the future, both of with were false. First, he presumed that he
would possess his wealthin the future. Second, he presumed that he would be
alive in the future, to enjoy his possessions. Both of these presumptions were
shown to be false when his life was demanded of him that very night. Someone
else gothis possessions, andhe did not live to enjoy what he had stored up.
(5) The rich fool was foolishin holding a view of the future which was short-
sighted and which excluded the kingdom of God. The rich fool lived his life in
the light of the future, but that future did not include the kingdom of God,
death, or the judgment to come. The rich man’s future was only as long as his
earthly life, and only as broad as his own interests.
(6) The rich man was a fool both in the way he defined life and in the way he
thought life was to be obtained. The word “life” is frequently used in chapter
12. To the rich fool “living” or “life” was defined in terms of ease and
pleasure, in terms not just of eating and drinking, but of doing so in a way
that was enjoyable. And life was obtained by putting oneselfand one’s wealth
first. One found life by seeking life for oneselfand by ignoring others,
including God. Jesus told His disciples that the way for a personto obtain
“life,” to save his life was to give it up. The rich man lived his life exactlythe
opposite to the way Jesus taughtHis disciples to live. Those who die in the
pursuit of “life,” “living,” or “living it up” are aided by Satan, the murderer,
who leads men to death by promises them and causing them to pursue “life”
wrongly defined.
Conclusion
THE METHODS OF THE MASTER
Before we concentrate onthe messageofour Lord in this text, let us spend a
moment considering His methods. Jesus was the Messiah, something which

244. the man in our text seems to have failed to recognize, but He was also a
teacher, indeed we can say that He was the Teacher. While I do not think that
we should imitate every practice of our Lord, I do think that teachers canand
should learn from the Teacher.209
Jesus, as a teacher, would not be turned from His calling and function to that
which was not His task. Jesus refusedto act as a judge or an arbiter between
these two brothers, not because He was incapable of doing so, but because it
was not His calling. Many of us who teachare askedto make pronouncements
(that is, to make judgments) which are beyond both our ability and our
calling. While Jesus refusedto do what this man asked, He did use this man’s
interruption as a “teachable moment,” and thus He taught a lessonfor all to
learn, a lessonwith very broad applications, to those gatheredthat day. Jesus,
the teacher, did not judge, but He did teach.
When Jesus taught, He, unlike the Pharisees andteachers of the Law, avoided
the “gnats” andexposedthe “camels.”Biblicalteaching today often includes a
truck load of trivia, of detailedanalyses and of word studies and the like.
Goodteaching is based upon careful study, but it does not, in my opinion,
make this the substance ofthe lesson. Instead, the lessonfocusesonthe major
points, it exposes the essence ofthe issue, leaving the details largelyunsaid.
Goodteaching does not tell others all that we know, but it conveys to them a
few things they desperatelyneed to know.
Jesus’teaching—andI am convincedall goodteaching—focusesonprinciples,
rather than on particulars. The man had one goal in mind, having Jesus side
with him so that he got his inheritance. Jesus focusedonthe underlying
problem, the “heart” of the matter, which was greed, and He taught a
principle, which coveredgreedin a generalway: A MAN’S LIFE DOES NOT
CONSIST IN THE ABUNDANCE OF HIS POSSESSIONS

245. One clearlystated principle not only crystallizes the truth, but it also
expresses itin such a way as to be generally understood and applied. It also, in
my opinion, does not make the Christian life easyfor others, giving them a
quick and ready solution for all of life’s problems (the legalismof the scribes
and Pharisees did this), but it gives them the basis for understanding their
problems and for determining what they should do about them. Teaching by
principles places responsibility on the hearerto understand and to apply the
truth.
Note, too, that when Jesus taught, He avoided the particulars and the specific
problems of the man whose question prompted His lesson. Jesuscouldhave
provided some very intimate and spicy particulars about this man who
wanted his brother publicly reprimanded. Jesus could have rightly called this
man a fool, but instead He told a parable, and in this parable he exposedthe
rich fool’s greed, and in it also exposedthe man as a fool. Jesus taught the
truth in a way that would most encourage andenhance a godly response to the
truth.
THE MESSAGE OF THE MASTER
Jesus was not primarily teaching teachers how to teach, but rather teaching us
all how to live. Let us therefore focus on those principles which underlie our
text and which should governthe way we live.
PRINCIPLE ONE:ONE’S VIEW OF THE FUTURE DETERMINES ONES
PRESENTCONDUCT
The rich foolwas correctto live his life in the light of the future. He was
foolish in his conceptof what the future held. He assumedthat he would be
alive in the future, to enjoy the things he had storedup. His graspof the

246. future did not include God nor the kingdom of God. His future was entirely
“this life” oriented, earthly, sensual.
One’s view of the future is not a trivial matter. Theologians callthe doctrine
of the future eschatology. Eschatologyis vital to godly living. The prophets of
old told the people of God about what the future held because they knew that
people governtheir lives in the present by what they know will happen in the
future. Faith focuses onthe future. It focuses onthe promises of God for the
future, even enduring present pain, persecution, and death in order to
experience God’s promised blessings.
The expression“eat, drink, and be merry,” which we find in our text, is one
that is basedupon the rich fool’s perception of what the future held. In effect,
the rich fool planned to “eat, drink, and be merry” because he believed that
he would live. Ironically, others will “eat, drink, and be merry” because they
believe that there is no future (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:32). For the Christian,
their view of the future is what enables them to die now, knowing that they
will eatand drink in the kingdom of God. I believe this is why the last and
largestsectionofLuke chapter 12 (verses 35-59)deals with one’s preparation
for the future. We will therefore deal with this matter in much greaterdetail.
PRINCIPLE TWO:ONE’S DEFINITION OF WHAT CONSTITUTES LIFE
IS CENTRALAND CRUCIAL TO THE WAY WE LIVE OUR LIVES
The term “life” is used a number of times in our text, and in the verses that
follow. Almost always, the term from our word “soul” is derived is used (vv.
19 [2x], 20, 22, 23). Life, as God views it in these verses, seems to be one’s
physical life—living. Life, to the rich fool, seems to be more a qualitative
matter—living life in luxury, high on the hog, in tall cotton. The rich fool

247. presumed that he would have life, and thus he prepared to live “the goodlife.”
He died, a fool, leaving his treasure and pleasures behind.
Our definition of “life” theoreticallyand practically determines how we will
live our life. Forsome, life consists in the abundance of things. This text is
designedto blast this view as a myth. Some view life as being successful, oras
being esteemedor treated as we think we should be, or as having poweror
position. Whateverit is that constitutes “life” for us becomes our god. That is
why covetousness (orgreed), seeking things as our ultimate good and goal, is
calledidolatry (cf. Colossians3:5). And whatever is or becomes our god
becomes that for which we will sacrifice allelse. Thus, it is vitally important
for us to have the right definition for life.
Satanshine here, his diabolicalhand can be seenthroughout history, but and
at its very beginning. He is, we are told, both a murderer and a liar (cf. John
8:44). He seeks to turn men from life to death, and this he accomplishes by
lying, by enticing men to see the way of life as death and the way of death as
life. Thus he turned Adam and Eve from obedience to God, resulting in death,
all along assuring them by lying to them that they would not die. Satan
continues throughout history to seek to turn men from life to death. Thus we
must be very careful to determine what life is and how it is attained.
The Bible is crystal clearon this point, not leaving it to chance. Jesus came to
bring life. Indeed, Jesus came, teaching men that He is “the way, the truth,
and the life,” (John 14:6; cf. John 10:10). Paul therefore said that for him to
live was Christ. Christ is life, and if we have receivedHim by faith, He is our
life. Thus, Jesus cancommand His disciples to give up their possessions, their
self-interest, and even their lives, to follow Him, for the things they give up are
not life, but He is.

248. PRINCIPLE THREE:LIFE DOES NOT CONSIST IN THE ABUNDANCE
OF THINGS, EVEN FOR THOSE WHO CAN ACCUMULATE MUCH
How easyit would be here to think that this principle, the principle which
Jesus taught to the two brothers (first) and to the rest, applies only to those
who are rich by our definition. The rich man here is the one who is greatly
blessed, so much so that he does not have enough room to store it all. The rest
of the world certainly views us as filthy rich, and are we not just this? A
visible witness to this is the advent of mini-warehouses. My brother-in-law
just went into this business, and it is a very profitable one. Why? Because we
have so many possessions we have no place to keepthem. The rich fool in our
text tore down his barns and built bigger ones. We simply rent a mini-
warehouse.
I am not condemning storage, but simply attempting to show that our need for
storage testifies to our surplus, and thus shows many, perhaps most of us to
fall into the categoryofthose who are rich, and thus we must seek to learn
how the principle laid down by our Lord here applies to us.
One very discomforting question came to my mind as I beganto think of the
application of the principle our Lord taught to my life. Doesn’tthe goaland
the means of the rich foolsound a lot like our conceptof retirement. Don’t we
hope to be able to store up enough goods as we go through life to be able cease
our labor, and to enjoy the rest of our life as a kind of extended vacation? I
don’t think that I will seek to answerthis problem here, for one simple
reason:our Lord has not yet given us the answer. It is vital to recognize the
problem, before we seek to learn the solution. The solution is stated only in
very generalterms: we are to be rich towardGod. But what does it mean to be
“rich toward God”?

249. I believe that the following verses will give us much insight. I further believe
that the reasonwhy our Lord (as recordedby Luke) has so much to sayabout
money and its use is because this is such a serious problem. In addition to the
teaching of our Lord in Luke, we find the book of Acts providing us with a
greatdeal of data as to how the early church understood this teaching and
sought to apply it.210
RelatedPassages
1 Timothy 6-10;17-19 But godliness with contentment is greatgain. Forwe
brought nothing into the world, and we cantake nothing out of it. But if we
have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get
rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolishand harmful desires
that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a rootof
all kinds of evil. Some people, eagerformoney, have wanderedfrom the faith
and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to
put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God,
who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to
do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In
this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the
coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
James 4:11-17 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks
againsthis brother or judges him speaks againstthe law and judges it. When
you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12
There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and
destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? 13 Now listen, you
who say, “Todayor tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year
there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know
what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears

250. for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the
Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boastand brag.
All such boasting is evil. 17 Anyone, then, who knows the goodhe ought to do
and doesn’t do it, sins.
James 5:1-11 Now listen, you rich people, weepand wail because ofthe misery
that is coming upon you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eatenyour
clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosionwill testify
againstyou and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealthin the last
days. 4 Look!The wages youfailed to pay the workmenwho mowed your
fields are crying out againstyou. The cries of the harvesters have reachedthe
ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-
indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6 You have
condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you. 7 Be
patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for
the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and
spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming
is near. 9 Don’t grumble againsteachother, brothers, or you will be judged.
The Judge is standing at the door! 10 Brothers, as an example of patience in
the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11
As you know, we considerblessedthose who have persevered. You have heard
of Job’s perseverance and have seenwhat the Lord finally brought about. The
Lord is full of compassionand mercy.
205 “Luke 12:13-21, whichaddresses the problem of covetousness, is peculiar
to this gospel. This subsectionconsists ofa pronouncement story climaxed
with a rebuke of covetousness (vss. 13-15), followedby a parable about the
rich fool (vss. 16-21)which expounds the folly of such a covetous attitude.
Covetousnesswas prohibited in the Decalogue (Exod20:17;Deut 6:21) and
was spokenagainstby the prophets (e.g., Mic 2;2). It was a problem in the
church before Luke (e.g. Rom 1:29; Mark 7:22) and at the time of Luke-Acts
(e.g., Col3:5; Eph 5:5; 1 tim 6:10). In vs. 15a Jesus warns, ‘Beware ofall

251. covetousness.’The reasonwhy is setforth in the form of a principle in vs. 15b:
‘for a man’s life does not consistin the abundance of his possessions.’Jesus
says that what a personis cannotbe confusedwith what a personhas.”
Charles H. Talbert, Reading Luke: A Literary and TheologicalCommentary
on the Third Gospel(New York: The CrossroadPublishing Company, 1984),
p. 141.
206 “Man, is far from cordial (cf. Bengel, ‘He addresses him as a stranger’).”
Leon Morris, The GospelAccording To St. Luke, The Tyndale Bible
Commentary Series, R. V. G. Tasker, GeneralEditor(Grand Rapids: William
B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1974), p. 212.
207 “Actually beware scarcelydoes justice to the fore of phusassesthe, which
is rather ‘guard yourselves’(TEV): it is the taking of positive action to ward
off a foe.” Ibid.
208 I do not like the rendering of the NIV nearly as well as that of the NASB:
“Beware, and be on your guard … ” The latter rendering seems to better
convey the literal sense ofour Lord’s words, and to emphasize the two
elements involved in Jesus’warning.
209 Forexample, Jesus was God, and thus His every word was inspired. He
could therefore teacha greattruth by telling a story, a parable. Too many
preachers are “story tellers,” perhaps thinking that they are imitating Christ,
but their stories are not inerrant; often they take up time or, at best, entertain,
rather than to conveytruth.
My point here is that while Jesus did come, in many things (such as His
humility and obedience (cf. Philippians 2:5ff.), but not in all things. Jesus had

252. disciples, but He was God. Men should not make disciples of and for
themselves. They should make disciples for Christ. Jesus acceptedworshipas
God, but we must and cannotdo so. Thus, in the matter of Jesus as our
Example, we must distinguish those things about Him which we should
imitate from those which we should not.
210 A number of commentators suggestthatthe practice of the church in Acts
was really foolish. They tell us that when the early Christians sold their
property they only createdneeds which others then had to meet. I would
suggestthat the early church did exactlywhat our Lord taught, and that
which we would like to avoid. Their needs in later times provided an
opportunity for other Christians to practice the gospeland to demonstrate
their unity in Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 8-9).
Furthermore, as I understand it, the actionof these zealous saints was very
beneficialto them. In the first place, selling their homes and possessions freed
these saints to leave Jerusalem, and to go abroad, preaching the gospelas they
went (Acts 8:1ff.). It also was to their benefit in that their poverty protected
them from greatpersecutionwhen Jerusalemwas sackedby the Romans. The
Romans could easily identify the rich (by what they had, wore, how plump
they were, etc.), and would then torment them until they told where their
possessionswere storedor hidden. The people who had made themselves poor
by their generositywere not treatedthus, for they had nothing to lose, or to
take away.
For What Do You Labor? - Luke 12:13-21

253. Rev. Bruce Goettsche
Union Church of La Harpe Illinois
Luke • Sermon • Submitted 5 months ago • Presented10 years ago
Philippians 4:11–121 Timothy6:10Ecclesiastes5:10Luke 12:13–
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We have heard the story too many times – a family that was close was
fractured when it came time to divide up the family inheritance. It is a sad
fact that money and possessionscanbecome more important than family
closeness.We may say such a thing would never happen to us, but look
around . . . there are many hard feelings as a result of estate issues.
This morning we see someone who tries to drag Jesus into a family estate
conflict. What the man gets is not what he desired . . . but it is what he needed.
Jesus gives us some principles which, if followed, will change our lives as well.
Life is About More Than Stuff

254. Let’s turn to Luke 12:13-14
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tellmy brother to divide the
inheritance with me.”
14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between
you?”
This man doesn’t ask Jesus to decide what is right . . . He asks Jesus to take
his side in a family dispute. Jesus refusedto do so. It’s possible that Jesus
refused for one of two reasons:
If He startedrendering decisions in situations like this He would be
overwhelmed with these kinds of issues just like happened to Moses.
He knew this man’s heart was motivated by greedand therefore addressed
the realproblem rather than the surface problem.
Jesus turned to his followers and said,
15 Then he said to them, “Watchout! Be on your guard againstall kinds of
greed;a man’s life does not consistin the abundance of his possessions.”
This is an important principle to remember: Jesus points out that our value is
not measuredby our net worth. Life’s goalshould not be indulgence but
faithfulness.

255. To illustrate His point Jesus told a story about a very successfulfarmer. This
man had a bumper crop and we getthe impression he had a number of
bumper crops. He was so successfulthat he could not store all the surplus.
Don’t draw the wrong conclusionhere. There is nothing wrong with what has
happened to this man or with material prosperity….it is a blessing from God.
Abraham, David, Solomonand many others throughout the Bible were
abundantly blessed. The problem is seenin the verses that follow
17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build
biggerones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I’ll say
to myself, “You have plenty of goodthings laid up for many years. Take life
easy;eat, drink and be merry.”
Notice how many times the man said I (6 times) and how many times he says
“my” (5 times) in these three verses. The man had become self-absorbed. He
had been blessedabundantly and never even consideredhow he might honor
the Lord or help others with what he had been given. We see this in the
concluding picture in verse 21: “This is how it will be with anyone who stores
up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”
To illustrate the emptiness of the man’s pursuit the Lord said, “‘You fool!
This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will getwhat
you have prepared for yourself?’” The point: It’s all temporary! It’s a mirage.
It’s not real. No matter how much we have it can be takenfrom us in an
instant or we could be takenfrom the stuff in an instant!

256. Warning Signs of a Materialistic Heart
The Bible speaks quite clearlyabout greedand coveting. Greedis the
excessive wantof things. In Ecclesiastes5:10 Solomonwrote: “Whoeverloves
money never has money enough; whoeverloves wealth is never satisfiedwith
his income. This too is meaningless”In 1 Timothy 6:10 Paul wrote, “The love
of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eagerformoney, have
wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
Let’s try to be very concrete here so we can geta firm graspon what it means
to be guilty of greedor coveting when it comes to material things (this is not
just possessions, itcan also be positions or accomplishments.)What
characterizes a distorted view of the material?
First, when we begin to believe that our worth is tied to what we possesswe
have a materialistic view. Jesus said, “a man’s life does not consistofthe
abundance of his possessions.”(15)(Howeverthis is not the way the world
around us tends to view things. People are considered“successful” or
“valuable” basedon their
Net worth
Their earning potential
The achievements of their children

257. Their appearance
The number of committees on which they serve
Jesus points out that all of these things are superficial and temporary! The
Lord does not measure our lives this way. Man looks atthe surface things but
God looks atthe heart!
Max Lucado writes,
Think for just a moment about the things you own. Think about the house you
have, the car you drive, the money you’ve saved. Think about the jewelry
you’ve inherited and the stocks you’ve traded and the clothes you’ve
purchased….
All that stuff—it’s not yours. And you know what else about all that stuff? It’s
not you. Who you are has nothing to do with the clothes you wear or the car
you drive. Heavendoes not know you as the fellow with the nice suit or the
woman with the big house or the kid with the new bike. Heavenknows your
heart. “When God thinks of you, he may see your compassion, your devotion,
your tenderness or quick mind, but he doesn’t think of your things.
Define yourself by your stuff, and you’ll feel goodwhen you have a lot and
bad when you don’t. Contentment comes when we can honestly say with Paul:
“I have learned to be satisfiedwith the things I have.… I know how to live
when I am poor, and I know how to live when I have plenty” (Phil. 4:11–12).
[1]

258. Second, a person is caught in greedwhen they are more focusedon gaining
rather than giving and using. In verse 21 we read, “This is how it will be with
anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” When
the goalis to accumulate there is a goodchance that we have missed the boat.
When God gives great blessing He does so in order for us to use that blessing
to accomplishhis purposes. When an increase in blessing does not result in an
increase in generosityit indicates a heart problem.
The best wayto live would be to discoverwhat we need to live on and then
give awayeverything else. If we did this our standard of living would remain
the same even though our income rose. Increasedearnings wouldmean
increasedopportunity to share with others. If our income suddenly dropped
we would still be fine.
However, that’s not the way we live is it? As we earn more we “need” more.
We buy bigger homes, nicer cars, and coolergadgets. Think about how many
people you know who are making a greatdeal of money but they are just
barely getting by. They are living paycheck to paycheck becauseoftheir debt.
We have much but become imprisoned by our greed.
Think about your life right now. Do you believe you would be happy if you
could only attain something you don’t currently have?
A different home
A better marriage
A different job

259. An alteredappearance
A new “toy”
A certain award
Mostof us canname something. Things can’t make us happy. It is all an
illusion! Happiness comes from within. We truly enjoy life when we learn how
to be contentand satisfiedin the Lord and not in the stuff which tend to
become our idols.
Third, we know we are caughtin the snare of greedwhen We live to retire
rather than to serve. The goalof this man’s life is seenin verse 19 “You have
plenty of goodthings laid up for many years. Take life easy;eat, drink and be
merry.” The goalof this man’s life was to be able to do nothing!
The only time the Bible talks about retirement is in this passageofthe Bible -
and it is a negative reference!We have a wrong view of labor. We look at
work as a way to pay bills and provide what we need to buy stuff. God meant
labor to be something productive; a way for us to serve Him and bring Him
honor and glory.
I’m not saying that it is wrong to stopworking at your place of employment at
a certain age. There are times when we canno longerphysically and
sometimes mentally do what we used to do. We may reacha point where we
cannot do what we once did. However, at that time we should be looking for
things that we cando. Many people reach a point in life where they can now

260. volunteer on the mission field, in a hospital, in a children’s ministry. He frees
us to visit those who are sick, help those who are troubled and reachout to
those who are lost. Nowhere in the Bible does God call us to be lazy, self-
absorbedor to simply amuse ourselves.
Fourth we know we are caught in the grip of materialism when we grieve
excessivelyoverthe loss of that which is temporal. Let me illustrate this. How
would you respond if your car was totaledin an accident (and you could not
afford to replace it)? Would you mourn excessively?If so, your attachment to
stuff may be too great.
Think about how we moan when the power is out. We can’t watchTV, we
can’t use our computers, we can’t get on the Internet, we don’t have any air
conditioning (or heat), our microwave won’t work so we are afraid of
starvation! We moan and complain because “life is so hard!”. We need to
listen to what we are saying! We have become inordinately attachedto things!
When people survive a fire, flood, or storm though they lose everything else
people often saythis: “I’m just glad no one was hurt . . . the rest is just stuff”.
At those moments those people have gainedan important insight that we so
easilyforget: Life is a gift. We should be grateful.
God has given us all the goodthings we need for life. He has promised to
never leave us or forsake us. He has prepared a place for us in Heaven. God
has blessedus so abundantly that the rest of the world considers us to be
spoiled brats. Yet we complain. We feel entitled to a certain standard of living
and insist that the government make that standard possible.

261. Where is the gratitude for our daily bread? Where is the humble appreciation
of the simple things of life? Where is that attitude that says with Job, “Naked
I cam from my mother’s womb and nakedI will return. The Lord gives and
the Lord takes away, blessedbe the name of the Lord!”
Fifth, We are caught in the grip of Greedwhen we place our security in
material things. Too many people live their lives with the goalof being
financially independent. In other words when they reacha certain level of
income they will feel secure. It is a mirage! Money can’t make us secure . . .
only God can grant us security. Nowhere in the Bible are we told to take
refuge in our stock portfolio or to put our trust in our 401k.
Looking to the material for security is like driving fast on ice. You can tell
yourself that you have everything under control. . . but you are wrong! The
first time there is a difficulty and you have to hit your brakes you will slide
helplesslyout of control. The idea that we are in control of our lives is a myth.
We have very little true control over anything.
It is much better to anchor ourselves to the Lord. He never changes.He
cannot be defeated. He is not impacted by the economy, disease, orthe
fickleness ofmen. No matter how slippery the circumstances oflife may
become . . . He can keepus steady and getus to our destination.
How to Combat the Obsessionwith Stuff
So how do we move from obsessionwith the stuff of life to devotion to the one
who never changes? Letme give you three ideas.

262. First, we need to regularly considerthe shortness of life. We like to think that
we will live forever or that we are invincible. We need to tell ourselves the
truth: Life is fleeting. We must not delude ourselves. If this is all there is then
we should be miserable . . .we live, we die, we’re forgotten. However, if Jesus
is telling us the truth . . . if He truly did rise from the dead (and I believe with
all my heart that He did do so) then this life is only a prelude to the real thing.
What would you think of an athlete who exhaustedhimself or herself in the
pregame warm-ups? What if a person made it their goalto score more than
anyone else in those warm-ups and jumped up and down every time they hit a
ball out of the park from the batting practice pitcher? We’d saythe person
was a loon. They were missing the point that the pregame warm-ups were
designedto prepare us for the actualgame!
Aren’t we doing just that when we anchorour sense ofvalue, joy, fulfillment
and security to earthly things? We are expending all our energy in the wrong
place.
Second, We need to Confront our excuses ruthlessly. We are greatat
justifying everything. I canquickly move from “I’d like this” to “I need this”.
Before long I can convince myself that my life will actually be diminished if I
cannot obtain this certain thing. I can easilybe consumedwith my desire. I
suspectthe same is true for you.
We need to regularly tell ourselves the truth
I’m hungry but not starving

263. I don’t need it I just want it
Life will not be appreciably better because I have certainstuff . . . in factthe
more stuff I have the more complicatedlife tends to become. Maintaining our
stuff makes demands on our lives.
Things will not make me happy, will not earn me status, and will not give me a
sense ofcompleteness forvery long. Like a drug, the “high” of newness or
accomplishmentwill always be followedby emptiness and a “need” for more.
Materialismis an addiction that can destroyour lives.
Third, we need to Redirectour NaturalCovetousnesstowardthings of God.
Our challenge is to developthe kind of hunger for Godthat we have for that
biggerpaycheck, the more prominent title, or the newest“thing”. To do this
we must fall madly in love with the Lord. We must take time to reflecton His
greatness.We must learn to rest in His love; trust His sufficiency;savor His
Word; and pour out our hearts in prayer. If you are like me, I am a long way
from this goal.
At its core our problem is this: we don’t really believe God has our best
interest at heart. We know what He commands. We have heard His statement
that if we put Him first; if we pursue His Kingdom; we will find what we truly
need and we will also receive many of the other things we desire. God tells us
that He knows what is best for us. The problem is this: we don’t really believe
Him. If we did, we would follow His instructions as one follows a treasure
map. We would listen carefully, obey precisely, and move forward with
anticipation.

264. If we want to be free from the grip of the material we must start with one
basic question: Are we willing to radically and fully trust the One who has
loved us since before we were born? Will we trust His wisdom, knowledge and
love?
The other option is to continue to trust the crowd, MadisonAvenue, and our
own ever-changing desires. This is the more popular course but trusting God
is the more satisfying path. Trusting what is temporary will lead to a constant
need for more, and eternal emptiness. Choosing to trust the Lord will lead us
to contentment, love, a new sense of the true value of people and, did I
mention, a life that never ends.
God in His wisdom has left us to choosethe course we take. If you get nothing
else out of this message understandthat this is not a decisionto make
carelessly. Notonly will this decisioneffectyour joy both now and in eternity .
. . it may also impact what happens to your family after you have gone.
GreatTexts of the Bible
A Man’s True Life
And he said unto them, Take heed, and keepyourselves from all covetousness:
for a man’s life consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he
possesseth.—Luke 12:15.
1. The Evangelistconnects the text with a striking yet familiar episode;“One
out of the multitude said unto him, Master, bid my brother divide the

265. inheritance with me.” Here was clearly a twofold issue, moral and legal. There
was the question of right and there was the question of law. The one must be
answeredby the individual conscience, the other by the public tribunals.
Christ declines to take over the duties of either. “He saidunto him, Man, who
made me a judge or a divider over you?” Then He turned to the multitude
and resumed His work as a spiritual Teacher, chargedto setforward the
eternal truths which conscience,howeverfalteringly, attests, and to lay down
the moral principles which underlie all human happiness worthy the name.
“And he saidunto them, Take heed, and keepyourselves from all
covetousness:for a man’s life consistethnot in the abundance of the things
which he possesseth.”
2. Evidently this Jew was a younger son, who could not easilyforgive his elder
brother for enjoying a double share of their father’s estate. The elderbrother,
it is plain, was also one of our Lord’s hearers, and likely to be, in whatever
degree, attractedby Him; but, on the other hand, it may be takenfor certain
that he had no mind to part with any portion of his estate, orthe appeal
againsthim would not have been necessary. “Master,”criedthe younger man,
“speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.” Our Lord
might, it is clear, have met this appeal by a direct discussionof its intrinsic
merit. But in fact, placing Himself at the point of view of the speaker, who
could not yet know at all that He Himself really was, He asks what
commissionHe could be supposed to hold for deciding such questions at all.
“Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?” And then, as if glancing
at both the brothers—the elder, who held so tenaciouslyto his legalfortune,
and the younger, who was so eagerto share it—He rises into a higher
atmosphere, and His words become at once instructive to all men and for all
time. “Takeheed,” He said, “and keepyourselves from all covetousness,”for
one reasonamong others, but especiallyfor one—thatcovetousnessinvolves a
radical mistake as to the true meaning and nature of life: “a man’s life
consistethnot in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”

266. You find Christ giving various counsels to varying people, and often jealously
careful to avoid definite precept. Is He asked, for example, to divide a
heritage? He refuses;and the best advice that He will offer is but a
paraphrase of the tenth commandment which figures so strangely among the
rest. Take heed, and beware of covetousness.If you complain that this is
vague, I have failed to carry you along with me in my argument. For no
definite precept canbe more than an illustration, though its truth were
resplendent like the sun, and it was announcedfrom heaven by the voice of
God. And life is so intricate and changing, that perhaps not twenty times, or
perhaps not twice in the ages,shallwe find that nice consentof circumstances
to which alone it can apply.1 [Note:R. L. Stevenson, Lay Morals.]
I
A False Estimate of Life
1. Christ would warn His hearers againsta false estimate of life. He told them
that true life did not consistin anything external to man. Was the warning
needed? Who ever said that life consistedin wealth? The saying of our Lord is
a truism. But there are truisms and truisms. There are truisms which are
admitted to be such in the conduct as well as by the speechof men. And there
are truisms which are never questionedin conversation, and which are rarely
actedon. To insist on truisms of the former class is no doubt an impertinence;
to insist on truisms of this latter kind againand again, and even with
importunity, is by no means superfluous; and the saying of our Lord is
undoubtedly a truism of this description. The distinction which He draws
betweenwhat a man has and what he is, is as obvious, when stated, as it is
commonly overlooked. The saying that life consists notin what we have but in
what we are, is as true as the practice of making life consistnot in what we are
but in what we have is common. Intellectually speaking, the world did not

267. need these words of our Lord. Practicallyspeaking, there is no one of His
sayings which it could less dispense with.
2. We must not read the words of our Lord as if they meant, “A man’s life
consists in poverty.” Jesus did not say that, and it is not true; the degradations
of poverty are often as greatas the dangers of wealth. It is probably more
difficult for a man to live “a man’s life” in abject poverty than it is for him to
do so amid the abundance of things. Moneycan do splendid service in
providing the means for the cultivation of “a man’s life.” The pity is that so
few who have it know how to compel it to do this. In the mere process of
accumulation men are apt to forgetthe purpose of accumulation, and the hope
of adding hundred to hundred, or of building more barns and larger, becomes
a feverish instinct with no ulterior purpose whatever.
There is no evil in wealthitself, else our Lord had not spokenthe parables of
the Talents and the Pounds; and had He intended His charge to the rich
young man to be a universal rule, He would certainly have representedone of
the worthy servants as having given his Lord’s gift to the poor. But wealth
becomes evil the moment it is made the end and aim of a man’s life, for it
binds him to that which is temporal and physical, and blinds him to his
heavenly destiny—to the things that are spiritual and eternal. As a means,
however, it has as much right to its place in human life as any other gift of
God; and within the kingdom which Jesus soughtto found love would make
its wise administration a blessing and a joy. To him for whom “it is more
blessedto give than to receive” wealthmust procure the greatesthappiness,
increasing, as it unquestionably does, his powerto aid his fellows and to
support all worthy causes.
I said, just now, that wealthill-used was as the net of the spider, entangling
and destroying: but wealth well used is as the net of the sacredfisher who
gathers souls of men out of the deep. A time will come—Ido not think even

268. now it is far from us—whenthis golden net of the world’s wealthwill be
spread abroadas the flaming meshes of morning cloud are over the sky;
bearing with them the joy of light and the dew of the morning as well as the
summons to honourable and peacefultoil. What less canwe hope from your
wealth than this, rich men of England, when once you feelfully how, by the
strength of your possessions—not, observe,by the exhaustion, but by the
administration of them and the power,—youcandirect the acts—command
the energies—informthe ignorance—prolong the existence, ofthe whole
human race?1 [Note:Ruskin, A Joy for Ever, § 12. (Works, xvi. 102).]
3. But Jesus regardedwealthas quite a subordinate thing. Human law has
sometimes placedproperty before human life. It is notorious that in our
courts of justice to-day offences againstthe person are often much more
leniently dealt with than offences againstproperty. The judgment of Jesus, we
are sure, would be very different there. In His view a man’s life consistednot
in his possessions;these were the accidents ofhis life; he had other and higher
interests, and to these all His care was given. Let Him see a sick man, He was
moved with compassion. Let Him see a little child, and His instinct was to take
it up in His arms and bless it. Let Him see a multitude like shepherdless sheep,
and He must be their Shepherd. The labours, the cares, the sorrows, the joys
of men interest Him. But it is impossible to conceive of Jesus as being
interestedin money. “Shew me a penny,” He once said, and He lookedat it,
not to reckonwhat it could purchase, but to see whatit might teach. In regard
even to the higher uses of money, even its most unquestionable uses as means
towards food and raiment, He said, “Take no thought, labour not for these.”
It is certain that to Jesus money could never be worth fighting about, the loss
or gain of it could never be a matter of greatconsequence, the decisionof a
question such as this could never seemworth His while. There can be little
doubt that a greatdeal of the teaching of Jesus is diametrically opposedto the
views which rule in the City and to the axioms and the aims of business life.
We have come to attachvast importance, an altogetherexaggerated
importance, to the possessionofwealth. In all the greatcentres of population
there proceeds ceaselesslya twofold strife: there is the struggle of some for
existence, a desperate struggle, the incidents of which make the tragedies of

269. every day; and there is the struggle of some for wealth—no less anxious and
tragical, though far more sordid than the other. Now to both of these classes
Christ speaks. He says, “Is not the life more? Are there not needs which are
greaterthan all these? Food, raiment, comfort, luxuries—at the best they are
the means of life only, and if life be given up to the acquisitionof these, is it
not lost?” VictorHugo reminds us that “truth is nourishment as well as
wheat.” So it is undoubtedly, and it is nourishment of the nobler life. Let God
come into a human life, and it becomes life indeed.
The Monastic theory is at an end. It is now the Moneytheory which corrupts
the Church, corrupts the householdlife, destroys honour, beauty, and life
throughout the universe. It is the Death incarnate of Modernism, and the so-
calledscience ofits pursuit is the most cretinous, speechless, paralysing plague
that has yet touched the brains of mankind.1 [Note:Ruskin, in Life by E. T.
Cook, ii. 129.]
4. Our Lord even regardedthe possessionofwealth as a serious disadvantage.
Not that the rich will be punished in the next world to make up for their
happiness in this. No such crude doctrine of compensationneed be thought of;
but as a matter of fact, the rich did not hear Christ gladly. Their wealthdid,
in point of fact, keepthem from joining Him. In those days, it was not easyfor
anyone to adopt the wandering life of Christ’s disciples without first disposing
of His moveable property. The suggestionto the rich young man, “Sellthat
thou hast,” means, “Give up your fine house,” not “Sellout your capital.” In
the East, where investments in our sense are hardly known, wealth is largely
in the form of gold and trinkets, which are not easilykept safe in the absence
of the owner. In these words of our Lord the emphasis should fall on the
words “Come, follow me,” rather than on “Sellthat thou hast.” No sweeping
condemnation of modern capitalism canbe drawn from such passages;we
must considerour Lord’s whole attitude towards money and its uses.

270. (1) Our Lord’s dislike of wealthseems to be based on the factthat it almost
inevitably absorbs the time and attention of its possessor, whichshould be
given to higher things. Money makes men busy and anxious, carefuland
troubled about many things. The rich man in His parables is either a
luxurious sensualist, like Dives, or an “austere” man—a hard speculator—like
the ownerof the talents, or a money-spinner who intends to enjoy himself
some day, like the rich fool. In eachcase, the rich man can have no time for
the service ofGod, and the care of his own soul. Our Lord thinks much more
of the loss to the rich man himself than of the injustice which his existence
implies to the poor. The rich man forgets that life is more than a livelihood:
“Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” Our Lord pities
the mammon-worshipper more than He blames him: He regards him as one
who has missedhis way in life—as one who, in the words of the Roman
satirist, has lost, for the sake of life, all that makes life worth living.
(2) The love of money grows by that which it feeds on. Covetousnessdoes not
seemto be the temptation of those who have nothing, but rather of those who
have something. Few set their hearts on riches till the riches begin to increase.
“Enough” has been causticallydenned as “a little more than you have.” As the
possessiongrows, the desire to possessis apt to grow in yet greater ratio. It is
a sad sight, though common enough, to see how, when riches increase, a man’s
bounty may not only not increase but steadily decline. When that is so, it
means not only that the poor suffer, or that some cause ofGod suffers; more
than that, the man himself suffers. His spiritual manhood is blighted, and it is
a blight which spreads to every part of the nature.
Money grows upon men. They do not know how sweetit is until they have
saveda bit, then they begin to be strangelyenamoured. If they have not tasted
blood they have tasted gold, and a mysterious passionbegins to awake, the
consequencesofwhich none may foresee. It brings with it the sense of
importance, power, large possibilities of honour and indulgence, until in the
end the man is mastered by it and ruined by it, as bees are sometimes

271. drowned in their ownhoney.1 [Note:W. L. Watkinson, The Gates of Dawn,
243.]
In a country parish we can often see things in their naked reality which are
not seen, ornot remarked, in a town. There was an old man, possessedof
considerable means, who made me one of his trustees, a charge which I took
for the sake ofhis grandchildren. I have never seensuch a case ofabsolute
slavery to avarice. His only daughter died next door to him, and when the
watercame through the roof and fell upon the bed, I suggestedto him to
mend the roof: and he said, “Na!Na!many a womanas goodas her has had
to come on the parish.” Her funeral day came, and he and I were next to the
hearse. Justwhen the little processionwas about to start he cried out, “Bide a
wee,” and went into the house where the coffin had been lifted. I followedhim,
thinking he might be ill, but I found him drawing with both hands the
fragments of the funeral bread into a heap which he carefully lockedin a
chest. Poorold man, his owntime came soonafter, and I did my poor best to
comfort and prepare him. Within a few minutes of the end, he was earnestly
trying to speak, andI bent over him to hear his lastwords. I thought he would
be saying something that showedhe was softened. Whathe did say was:“Tell
them to buy the murnin’s in Dumfries; it’s a hantle cheaperthan at K—’s”
(the village shop).1 [Note:Prof. A. H. Charteris, in Life, by Hon. A. Gordon,
70.]
Oh what is earth, that we should build
Our houses here, and seek concealed
Poortreasure, and add field to field,

272. And heap to heap and store to store,
Still grasping more and seeking more,
While step by stepDeath nears the door?2 [Note:Christina G. Rossetti,
Poems, 197.]
II
What True Life Consists in
1. It is plain that true life does not exclude the physical. There is a physical
existence worth all your possessions. At least, so men have said. “Skin upon
skin; yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.” Life is worth having at
its lowestpoint. Life is worth living, if only as a stepping-stone to greater
knowledge, andinfinite riches, and eternalhappiness. But no possessions can
keepa man alive. Deathknocks atthe door of the castle and palace as well as
at the poor man’s cottage orthe beggar’s hut.
Some of the incidents of Wesley’s childhoodmust have deeply colouredhis
religion. One is the historic fire which consumed Epworth rectory in 1709,
when Wesleywas not yet six years old. On the midnight of August 24, 1709, it
was discoveredto be in flames. The rest of the householdmade a hurried and
scorchedescape, but John, in the alarm and hurry, was forgotten. The little
fellow awoke to find the room so full of light that he thought it was day; he
sprang from the bed and ran to the door, but it was alreadya dreadful
tapestry of dancing flames. The strong wind, blowing through the open door,
had turned the staircaseinto a tunnel of flame; the father found it would be

273. death to climb it. He fell on his knees in the hall, and cried aloud to God for
the child that seemedshut up in a prison of flame. Mrs. Wesleyherself, who
was ill, had—to use her own phrase—“wadedthrough the fire,” and reached
the street, with scorchedhands and face;as she turned to look back at the
house the face of her little soncould be seenat the window. He was still in the
burning house! There was no ladder; his escape seemedimpossible. One man,
with more resource than the restof the crowd, ran in beneath the window,
and bade another climb upon his shoulders. The boy was reachedand, just as
he was drawn through the window, he heard the crashof the falling roof
behind him. “Come, neighbours,” cried the father, when his child was brought
to him, “letus kneeldown! Let us give thanks to God! He has given me all my
eight children. Let the house go. I am rich enough.”1 [Note:W. H. Fitchett,
Wesleyand his Century, 32.]
2. But life is more than physical existence, more than the pleasures ofsense. It
is character—whata man, when stripped of his possessions,is before God.
The life spokenof here is intensive, not expansive. Measuredby what we are,
and not by what we have, is Christ’s rule. You may find a shrivelled soul in
the midst of a greatfortune, and a noble soul in the barest poverty. Life before
possessions!
In vain do men
The heavens of their fortune’s fault accuse,
Sith they know best what is the bestfor them;
For they to eachsuch fortune do diffuse.

274. As they do know eachcan most aptly use:
For not that which men covet most is best,
Nor that thing worstwhich men do most refuse,
But fittest is that all contented rest
With that they hold; eachhath his fortune in his breast.
It is the mind that maketh goodor ill,
That maketh wretch or happy, rich or poor;
For some, that hath abundance at his will,
Hath not enough, but wants in greateststore;
And other, that hath little, asks no more,
But in that little is both rich and wise;
For wisdom is most riches;fools therefore

275. They are which fortunes do by vows devise,
Sith eachunto himself his life may fortunize.1 [Note:Spenser, The Faerie
Queene.]
(1) A man’s life consists in the abundance of the things he knows.
I was once the guest, for a little time, of a man who owned a magnificent art
gallery. But he could saymore than “I have these pictures.” He could say“I
know them.” He had a marvellous pipe-organin his house. But he could say
more than “I have the organ.” He could say “I know the organ, its sweetness
and its power.” Some men are content to say “I have this, that, and the other
beautiful thing.” He is not so;he says, “Thesebooks—Iknow them; these
flowers—Iknow them; they seemto me like children; they have a speechthat
is all their own, and I understand it.” By the things we know, our reason is
enriched, and we are to live in our reason. We are to know the meaning of
things is no less substantial than the things themselves. We are to know the
things below us—that is power. We are to know the things about us—that is
culture. We are to know the things above us—that is character.2[Note:C. C.
Albertson, The Gospelaccording to Christ, 143.]
(2) A man’s life consists in the abundance of the things he does.
He who plants a tree
Plants a hope;

276. Rootlets up through fibres blindly grope,
Leaves unfold unto horizon free.
So man’s life must climb
From the clouds of time
Unto heavens sublime.
Canstthou prophesy, thou little tree,
What the glory of thy boughs shall be?
He who plants a tree,
He plants love;
Tents of coolnessspreading out above
Wayfarers he may not live to see.

277. Gifts that grow are best,
Hands that bless are blest;
Plant! Life does the rest.
Heaven and earth helps him who plants a tree,
And his work its own reward shall be.1 [Note:Lucy Larcom.]
(3) A man’s life consists in the abundance of the things he loves.
Walt Whitman was a strange man. He may have been a degenerate. Buthis
degeneracyhad genius in it, and he left a name that will never die. He once
said, “I love God and flowers and little children.” Was there any such thing as
bankruptcy for him? Notso long as God sits upon His throne, and flowers
spring up in every meadow, and little children smile. Whitman was poor, but
he lived an abundant life, for his inner resourceswere inexhaustible.2 [Note:
C. C. Albertson, The Gospelaccording to Christ, 144.]
Shields’ old friend, the Rev. Hugh Chapman, who had ministered to him in
his lastdays, said at the funeral service at Merton Old Church: “After a
friendship of twenty-five years, I have no hesitationin saying that Frederic
Shields knew and lived on his Bible as few whom I can recall. Literalist to a
large extent he ever was, howevermystically inclined in his rôle of artist, and
there was about him somewhatof the rugged Covenanterwho brookedno
compromise where for him the honour of his Masterseemedto be concerned.

278. Severe to himself, he was infinitely tender towards those who suffered, nor
could he hear the mention of pain without his eyes filling with tears. Forthose
who knew him well, and who had sounded the depths of his remarkable
personality, he had a unique charm, nor could you be with him for long
without leaving his presence a better man. Frederic Shields hated money as
much as he loved God, and it is these two points which stand out as I think of
him now, promoted to his well-earnedrest.”3 [Note:E. Mills, Frederic
Shields, 347.]
3. We can possessofoutward things only as much as we canuse. God has
endowedman with certain faculties and gifts, which are to be exercisedand
developed by certain things which this world of His produces. Our bodies are
to be sustainedand developedby lawful food; and for them Mother Earth
caters by her yearly supply of the goodthings of the harvest. Our minds are to
be cultivated and matured by observationand study, and for these God’s
book of nature and the works of genius, the broad fields of history and human
experience are the pasture-grounds in which the human soul is to feed. We
have, moreover, a spiritual characterto develop; and for that, Jesus is the
very bread of our life. But neither body, soul, nor spirit of man or woman,
possesses anything which it does not take up into itself, and utilize by making
part of its being. The demands of the body are satisfiedwhen it has used
certain elements of food; but all food besides is for the time being practically
nothing to the body, because it can use no more.
Wealth is a tremendous trust; it becomes a dangerous one when it owns its
owner. Our Brooklynphilanthropist, the late Mr. Charles Pratt, once said to
me: “There is no greaterhumbug than the idea that the mere possessionof
wealth makes any man happy. I never got any happiness out of mine until I
beganto do goodwith it.”1 [Note: Theodore Cuyler, Recollectionsofa Long
Life, 274.]

279. As a teacherwandered in Qualheim, he came into a mountainous region, and
saw a castle whichwas of dream-like beauty. “Who is the enviable man who
lives in such a palace?” he asked. His guide answered:“He is an unhappy,
helpless hermit, without peace, and without a home. He was born with great
artistic gifts, but employed them on rubbish. He drew nonsensicaland trifling
caricatures, distortedall that was beautiful into ugliness, and all that was
greatinto pettiness.”
“How does he occupyhimself now?”
“ShallI say it? He sits from morning till evening, making balls out of dung.”
“You mean to say, he continues as he began. Is that his punishment?”
“Yes!Isn’t it logical? He obtained the castle, but cannot use it.” Then they
went further and came into a garden, where they found a man grafting
peaches onturnips. “Whathas he done?” askedthe teacher. “In life he was
speciallyfond of turnips, and now he wishes to inoculate peaches, whichhe
finds insipid, with the fine flavour of turnips. He was, moreover, an author,
and wishedto rejuvenate poetry with bawdy peasantsongs.” “Why, that is
symbolism!” “Yes, and logic most of all.”2 [Note:A. Strindberg, Zones of the
Spirit, 103.]
4. The true life, coming from God, is satisfying and is not bounded by this
world. According to Christ’s teaching “a man’s life” consists in the cultivation
of the possibilities, of the highest elements of his being, in the annihilation
within it of all low desires, in the full setof its determination on the highest
ideals, in the cultivation of that powerof vision and of feeling by which a man
comes to apprehend God and has a sense ofthe spiritual world, in the

280. maturing of the faculty for drawing enjoyment from those sources which the
world cannot dry up. To do that is to know what “a man’s life” means, and to
do less than that is to live the life of an animal and not “a man’s life” at all;
and, unless the world’s best men and women have been its greatest liars, to
live a life like that is unspeakablymagnificent and satisfying.
A man may pay too dearly for his livelihood, by giving, in Thoreau’s terms,
his whole life for it, or, in mine, bartering for it the whole of his available
liberty, and becoming a slave till death. There are two questions to be
considered—the quality of what we buy, and the price we have to pay for it.
Do you want a thousand a year, a two thousand a year, or a ten thousand a
year livelihood? and canyou afford the one you want? It is a matter of taste;
it is not in the leastdegree a question of duty, though commonly supposedso.
But there is no authority for that view anywhere. It is nowhere in the Bible. It
is true that we might do a vast amount of goodif we were wealthy, but it is
also highly improbable; not many do; and the art of growing rich is not only
quite distinct from that of doing good, but the practice of the one does not at
all train a man for practising the other.1 [Note: R. L. Stevenson, Familiar
Studies of Men and Books.]
Is not the body more than meat? The soul
Is something greaterthan the food it needs.
Prayers, sacraments,and charitable deeds,
They realize the hours that onward roll

281. Their endless way “to kindle or control.”
Our acts and words are but the pregnant needs
Of future being, when the flowers and weeds,
Localand temporal, in the vast whole
Shall live eternal. Nothing ever dies!
The shortestsmile that flits across a face,
Which lovely grief hath made her dwelling-place,
Lasts longer than the earth or visible skies!
It is an actof God, whose acts are truth,
And vernal still in everlasting youth.2 [Note:Hartley Coleridge.]
III
The Way to True Life

282. 1. Our Lord would have nothing to do with the paltry dispute betweenthe two
brothers. And yet, in the greattruth which He proceededto enunciate with
regard to what constitutes life, there was the solution—the Divine solution—of
the particular problem raised on the occasionand of all similar problems.
“What about my inheritance?” was the question of him who viewed life from
the worldly standpoint. “A man’s life consistethnot in the abundance of the
things which he possesseth,”was the answerof Him who viewed life from
above. This, in effect, was what Christ said, “Man, I am not a judge or a
divider over you in things temporal and material. But listen to what I have to
say as to the things which constitute real and true life, and you will not trouble
yourself any longerabout this inheritance.”
It was as if Christ had said, as He read the story of that angeredand greedy
spirit, “Man, my word is not to your brother: it is to you. Beware of
covetousness.You are afraid of losing some property: but the thing you really
stand to lose this day with your hate and your greed is your own soul. You are
giving all the thought of your life to something that cannotsatisfy you if you
get it. Moreover, look into your own heart and confess yourselffull of greed.
Confess that if you could getthe whole inheritance to-morrow and oust your
brother, you would do it. It will take vastly more than getting that field to put
your life right.” Thus to a narrow and twistedand unhallowed passionthat
was distorting this man’s life Jesus applied a calm, eternalprinciple. He let in
upon the lurid thought of this man’s mind the calm and perfectlight of truth
and love.
For there are two ways of reforming men—an external and an internal. The
first method pronounces decisions, formulates laws, changesgovernments,
and thus settles all moral and political questions. The secondseeks,before
everything else, to renovate the heart and the will. Jesus Christ chose the
latter plan. He remained steadfastto it, and this alone evinces the Divinity of
His mission and the permanent value of His work. Suppose for a moment that

283. He had adopted the former method when these brothers came to Him, what
would have happened? His decisionwould only have settled a matter of civil
right and would not have changedtheir hearts. If love and justice are to
triumph, the two brothers, moved by the Saviour’s teaching, must themselves
settle their difference amicably and equitably. No doubt this was the victory
Christ soughtto achieve.
2. Now Christ taught the way to a true life by fixing men’s thoughts upon
Himself. He claimed to be life, and He declaredthat His missionwas to give
life in abundance. To have life, then, is to possessChrist, to be actuatedby His
motives, to revealHis trend of characterand passionfor goodness. This we
can do by coming under the influence of His Spirit.
I read one day about the influence of a man over a peculiarly savage deer-
hound. By persistentkindness he taught it to trust and to obey him, and
gradually under his influence its whole nature was changed. Insteadof being
savage it became gentle, insteadof being treacherous it became trustworthy. It
came, through his influence, to live an entirely different life; and we might say
with truth that it came to share the man’s life through trust and obedience.
The analogyis, of course, a very imperfect one, but it is surely by no means
either irreverent or unreasonable to find in such an incident an illustration of
what Jesus meant when He said, “He that believeth on the Son hath eternal
life; but he that obeyeth not the Sonshall not see life.” “He that followethme
shall have the light of life.” For it is verily true that the moment a man begins
to trust and to obey and to follow, that moment he begins to share the ageless
life of the Master, which has its roots in union with God and love for men.1
[Note:R. J. Wardell.]
3. This life can be strengthened in worship. And that means, not merely to
engage in certain ceremonialacts on a Sunday, but to cultivate the habit of
response to all that is beautiful and noble in nature and history and literature

284. and art and everywhere. The mere lapse of years, to eat and drink and sleep,
to be exposedto darkness and to light, to pace round the mill of habit and
“turn thought into an implement of trade,” to taste to exhaustion sensuous
delights—this is not life, but death disguised;but if men will be loyal to
conscienceandcultivate the habit of true worship, they shall know the
meaning of joy, they shall know the meaning of peace, they shall know the
meaning of strength, they shall know the meaning and feelthe fulness of that
“life which is life indeed.”
4. But, again, to enjoy this life, we must not keepit to ourselves;we must
expend it in the interests of our fellow-men. Possessionfalls under the great
law of distribution. To get we must give. Nothing is put into the hand of men
that is not intended to be used for the goodof society. The handful of corn is
of small value in itself if put under lock and key, but, handed over to the
ministry of nature, it may in due time become a greatharvest. Distribution is
not loss;it is only another form of gain. “He which sowethbountifully shall
reap also bountifully.”
Men ask whether they may not do what they please with their own. The
answeris “Certainly, but you must first find what is your own.” “Is not my
money my own?” “Certainlynot, your very hand with which you graspyour
pelf is not your own. The hand may have made the money, but who made the
hand?” If anything is our own, how singular it is that we cannot take it away
with us! The property is ours only that we may leave it. We brought nothing
into this world and it is certain that we can carry nothing out.
To Mr. Morley, wealth was only a means to an end; he valued it only as it
could be employed for noble purposes;he held it in trust for the goodof
others; he felt that it laid upon him the most binding obligations, and that he
was accountable notonly for making a right use of it, but the best use possible.
The distribution of his money was therefore the main business of his life. It

285. was a greatresponsibility to have the management of such a business as his; it
was a far greaterresponsibility to have the money that business brought him.
To accumulate it for its own sake was utterly foreignto his thought and
feeling; to amass it for the highestends, and be neglectful as to its wise
distribution, was, in his view, worse than folly; to shirk the responsibility, and
make others the almoners of his munificence, he regarded as being unfaithful
to the trust reposedin him by the One “who giveth power to getwealth.”
Mere giving, howeverenormous the amount bestowed, is, in itself, nothing,
and may be worse than nothing. It may be done selfishly, simply to gratify an
impulse; it may be done pompously, simply to gratify pride. As Lavater says,
“The manner of giving shows the characterofthe giver more than the gift
itself.” Therefore, whenMr. Morleyfound riches to increase, he felt it to be a
religious duty to make the disposalof his money a matter of earnestand most
careful solicitude. There was placedin his hands a mighty power for goodor
for evil, and he felt himself under obligationto Godand man to spare no pains
in using it to the best advantage for the Church and the world.1 [Note:E.
Hodder, Life of SamuelMorley, 285.]
A Man’s True Life
The GreatTexts of the Bible - James Hastings