7 Deadly Sins – Greed

 Today, we’re talking about the sin of greed. Greed is one of those sins that I think always brings to mind someone else.  I bet most of us would put the line where greed begins somewhere farther out than our level of greed.  In fact, some of you probably reacted by thinking, “I don’t have enough excess to be greedy.”  We say things like, “I worked hard for that money and I deserve to spend it how I want” or “Everyone else has a new Iphone so I deserve a new Iphone” or “I don’t know what the future holds, so I had better hoard more away.”  We’re not saying that having a new iPhone makes you greedy or that savings make you greedy, but almost all of us are affected by greed. 

Let’s start off with a definition: Greed is a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (such as money) than is needed. It’s a sin that paradoxically leaves us with less of what we really need. Here’s where the rub comes in: who gets to decide how much I need?  Do I decide that?  Is there a formula for it somewhere?  

Greed is a false pathway to enjoying life, built on the lie that this life is all there is. Jesus calls people foolish who store up earthly wealth but lack a rich relationship with God.

• Luke 12:15 Beware! Guard against every kind of greed.  Life is not measured by how much you own. 

• • • The word that’s translated beware literally means to guard yourself.  You’re under attack from greed and covetousness.  You need to guard yourself or it will destroy you. We have to be active about this, not passive. If that was the case in Jesus’ time, imagine how much more for us today? Our entire economy is built on the philosophy that you need more – ads, social media, peers 
    • Jesus reminds us that life is not measured by how much we own.  
    • The other twisted truth about greed is it almost always leads us to a feeling of lack and scarcity.  We don’t recognize the blessings God has already given us. 
      • If you have a garage, your car has a nicer home than the majority of the world’s population. 
      • If you have food to eat, more than one set of clothes to wear, and any money in the bank account that puts you in the category of wealthy when compared to the world’s population, yet how many of us feel rich?  

• Luke 12:16-20 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?

• The parable is not saying we shouldn’t work hard or that abundant crops are a bad thing. There are many exhortations in scripture to work hard. There are exhortations to save. 
• There’s no thanksgiving from this man to God for his providence.  There is no consideration to the needs of those around him.  It’s all about him.
• Thinking as an owner instead of a steward

• Luke 12:21 Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.

• • The man’s biggest issue wasn’t what he did have; it was what he didn’t have – a rich relationship with God. Wealth in and of itself isn’t bad, but it’s bad if we pursue it in place of a relationship with God. What if we pursued God like we pursued wealth?  What would that look like?  Think of how many years of education you went through for the career you have now.  What if we pursued God that way? 

Greed is destructive at every level: individual, family, and society

• • Greed brings destruction and brokenness at every level.  That shouldn’t surprise us.  As we saw earlier, all sin brings death.  Greed is closely related to coveting.  In fact, in many places in the bible you’ll see them used almost interchangeably in different translations. If we think of greed as wanting more than we need, coveting is wanting more than we have.  Think of what greed and coveting do to us individually. First, they rob us of contentment.  Is there anything that brings us a sense of peace like contentment?  But when you’re stuck in greed and coveting you won’t experience contentment.  
  • Second, greed robs us of thanksgiving.  Do you know how many benefits there are to being filled with thanksgiving and gratitude?  I read an interesting article from Forbes magazine titled “7 scientifically proven benefits of gratitude”.  It listed physical health, mental health, better relationships, better sleep, and better self-esteem as some of the proven benefits of being thankful.  This is an article from a secular magazine that acknowledges the benefits of gratitude.  But when you and I are stuck in greed, it robs us of that.  Would you describe yourself as a grateful person?  Would your friends and family call you a thankful person?  There’s a great conversation starter for you and your family or your small group. 
  • Greed is destructive at the family level

• Luke 12:13 Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide my father’s estate with me.” 

• • Jesus had been teaching on some really important, deep issues.  This man is oblivious to it, doesn’t have ears to hear, because he’s focused on his father’s estate. 
• Greed is destructive on societal level
  • Embezzlement, sex trafficking, drug trade, unfair treatment of works – all have foundations in greed. 

The antidote to greed is not poverty but generosity, looking outward to give to others in need. The reward for this is the ability to actually enjoy the stuff we have, recognizing it as a gift from God.

• • You can live in poverty and still be greedy. Poverty isn’t the antidote. 
  • It seems counterintuitive.  If I’m already wanting more than I have, how is giving it away going to help?  Another example of the upside down kingdom of God. 

• Luke 12:33-34 Sell your possessions and give to those in need.  This will store up treasure for you in heaven. And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe.  No thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it.  Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

• • • Not really our possessions, just managing them – Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.” 
    • What’s our knee jerk reaction to that first part of the verse – sell your possessions and give to those in need? God isn’t asking us to do it just for the sake of doing it.  He said that by doing it, we store up true riches.  We store up treasures in heaven.  I don’t know exactly what those look like, but if Jesus is using them to motivate us, they have to be pretty amazing. 

• 1 Timothy 6:17-18 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable.  Their trust should be in God who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.  Tell them to use their money to do good.  They should be rich in good words and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.

• • He didn’t say teach those who are rich not to be rich. He said teach them not to trust in their money and be proud.  It’s a heart issue.  It’s our attitude towards money and wealth. 
  • As we become more and more like Jesus, we’ll find ourselves being more and more generous.