Killing Covetousness

Luke 12:13-21

A story is told of Mrs. Henrietta Garrett, a lonely 81-year-old widow. On the night of November 16, 1930, she died in her home in Philadelphia and, unwillingly, started the most fantastic case of inheritance litigation in history. She had failed to leave a will, or no will was found, to her $17,000,000 estate; a mystery left unsolved. She had expertly handled her financial affairs since the death of her husband in 1895 and, therefore, she must have realized that, without a will, her fortune would become involved in many legal battles. Although Mrs. Garret had, at the time of her death, only one known relative, a second cousin, and less than a dozen friends, attempts to prove relationship to her and to claim a part or all her estate have since been made by more than 26,000 persons from 47 states and 29 foreign countries, represented by more than 3,000 lawyers. In their frantic efforts, these alleged relatives have committed perjury, faked family records, changed their own names, altered data in church Bibles and concocted absurd tales of illegitimacy. As a result, twelve were fined, ten received jail sentences, two committed suicide and three were murdered. The estate has, in the meantime, increased to $30,000,000 and is not expected to be settled for some time.

Those who have aggressively pursued Mrs. Garrett's estate would probably agree with Oscar Wilde who said, “When I was young, I used to think that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am older I know that it is.” (Charles R. Swindoll, The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, Word 1998, p. 392).

Indeed, if life is lived with no thought toward God and His ways and plans, then financial gain and the ability to enjoy it really is all that matters. The writer of Ecclesiastes, whom we think is King Solomon, referred to this as life under the sun and called it vanity.

In the passage that we are looking at today, the Lord Jesus calls this covetousness or greed, depending on your translation. To covet is to be overly desirous of additional wealth or things that do not belong to you. And greed is synonymous...it is excessive desire for wealth and/or possessions. We of course know that “Do not covet” is the 10th Commandment and God helps us understand the meaning when He explains the word in Exodus 20:17, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” Obviously, based on it's position in the 10 Commandments, we can know for certain that God looks upon covetousness and greed as a very serious sin. Listen closely to how Paul describes it his writings:

· Ephesians 5:5, “For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”
· Colossians 3:5, “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

These passages make it abundantly clear that covetousness and godliness do not go hand-in-hand. Indeed, it is impossible because, as Paul states, to covet is to be engaged in idolatry. It is to worship something other than the one true God. Jesus says as much in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

In the passage we are studying today, Jesus takes on a cultural misconception about material wealth. In 1st Century Israel, as well as 21st Century America, material wealth was and is equated with blessings or success, if one isn't prone to view life from a spiritual point of view. To be wealthy meant that God was looking favorably on your life. To be poor or less privileged or sick or lame, etc., meant that one was not living well. Regarding the issue of wealth, Jesus' entire life was a rebuke of that sentiment. He never owned anything and was the most blessed and pleasing to God person who ever lived. And, as with the whole of Scripture, Jesus speaks quite clearly to the issue of covetousness. In our passage today, Jesus puts before us the need to kill covetousness and then, through a great parable, explains the attitudes necessary to do so. Lets look today at Luke 12:13-21...
Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Because it is idolatry and will lead to condemnation, we must, per Christ's demand, kill covetousness in our lives.

So, based upon Christ's words here as well as Paul's inspired words in Colossians 3:5 where we are told to “put to death” covetousness, let us see that...

In order to kill covetousness, we must...

1. ...realize that Christ's Kingdom, thus our kingdom, is not of this world.

Although I don't think about it all that much, I sometime wonder what is going through each of your minds as I am preaching. Of course, I hope and pray that you are thoroughly engaged in the dynamic and thought-provoking sermon and striving to be a determined listener...an expository listener...to the Word of God. But I also know, looking back on my own experiences, that some of your thoughts may be engaged elsewhere. Perhaps you are thinking about where you will eat lunch after church. Maybe you have a project at school or work coming up this week and you find your thoughts wandering in that direction. It is still the preseason, but there are a couple of football games on this afternoon. If you are a younger person, perhaps your thoughts are engaged at looking at that attractive member of the opposite gender a couple of pews over. If you are married, perhaps your thoughts are engaged with the admiration and deep affection you feel for your spouse. As I said, any number of such thoughts may be going through your mind.

As a pastor, if not careful, I could really begin to worry about such things. But, ultimately, I have One person that I am trying to please when I preach and that is God. I believe that if my preaching of the Word pleases Him, then such preaching will achieve what He wants in your life, thus I make it my ambition to honor the Lord, first and foremost, in my preaching.

Another fact that keeps me from becoming consumed with people's opinions of my preaching is the fact that the preachers we find in the Bible had “less than engaged” listeners at times. As recorded in Acts 20, a young man named Eutychus sank into a deep sleep as Paul was preaching. We then learn that Eutychus fell to his death out of a window and then Christ raises him through the ministry of Paul. Although I have had many people sleep during my sermons, no one had died...yet.

In the passage before us today, we have another “less than engaged” listener to the preaching of the Word. And this preaching is from the Savior, God-incarnate, Jesus Christ. And if someone can sit under the preaching of the Lord and be “less than engaged”, I surely can't complain.

Recall that in the passage we studied last week, Jesus spoke on some of the weightiest issues imaginable. He spoke on issues of hell and hypocrisy, fear and faith, etc. These are “ultimate” issues, so to speak, and our answers to such issues determines the course of our life and eternity. And yet, in the face of such preaching, a man from the crowd speaks out and says, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” So, as Jesus is speaking, this man's thoughts are not engaged with the content that the Lord is delivering. He is thinking about cold hard cash and how he can get his hands on more of it. He is being covetous.

As we look at this passage, there is no comment that gives us any insight as to the justice of the man's desire. He could be right in his request. Perhaps his brother, in someway, is wronging him. Or perhaps he is simply demanding more than he should get. Regardless, Jesus more or less says deal with it yourself. Such things don't concern Christ. Christ's concerns are the things which He has just been elaborating upon. Issues of how a man is made right with God and can live in light of who God is, these are what consume Christ. It is the gospel that consumes Christ. And thus He tells that man that He has far more important issues to confront and teach upon that simply settling worldly disputes between opponents.

As we think about things of this world, the material things that we will inevitably have, we need to have such an attitude also. Material well-being and “things” are of a secondary nature. Issues of eternity such as sin, righteousness in God's sight, and justice are of far greater import. In verse 15, Christ makes this clear when He states that our lives do not consist of the things that we have. In the context, money and possessions are emphasized, but reputation, achievement and social status can also be addressed here. As Christ taught upon in the previous verses, who we are in the inner man and how we relate to God, these are what define us. So Christ warns his listeners to “...take heed and beware of covetousness”. Note that He gives a double warning...take heed and beware...so that we will note the seriousness of the warning. Guard yourself strongly against such thinking. This is along the lines of what is found in Proverbs 4:23, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” We must make sure that we are not defining our lives by the things we have or by what we achieve in a worldly sense. Our lives, Jesus states, do not consist of the things we possess. And we must guard against such thinking.

Rather, how are we to think? The answer is contained in verse 21. Instead of focusing on material well-being here, we are to be rich towards God. We will speak more along these lines in a few minutes. But we must realize that Christ's definition of life is what we need to be pursuing. How does Christ define life? Here are a couple of statements from the Word that help us in this issue:

· John 17:3 ~ “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Based on this passage, life as defined by God is bound up in knowing God and His son. This is what defines a person. Ultimately, this is all that will define a person. At the end of life, one will be known only by whether or not he or she knows the Lord.
· John 14:6 (NKJV) ~ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” In this passage, further illumination is given that life is bound up in Christ. It is in God and Christ, and knowing Him, that life is defined.

Thus, Jesus directs this man and His disciples to be sure to define life correctly. Life is made up of issues of eternity and only when we are living in light of such truth will our lives be defined as they should be. Matthew Henry comments that, “If he had come to him to desire him to assist his pursuit of the heavenly inheritance, Christ would have given him his best help; but as to this matter he has nothing to do...” (Matthew Henry's commentary on the whole Bible (Lk 12:13). 1996, Peabody: Hendrickson.).

Dear friends, Christ, who is our life, His kingdom is not of this world. It is of the heavenly realm and we need to make sure that we are striving to define our lives according to His kingdom. Turn to Colossians 3. This, again, is one of the passages where we are directed to kill covetousness. Look at verses 1-4 which explain to us why we need put to death things of this world.

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

It is after this declaration that we are told to kill covetousness. Covetousness is not to define us. Rather, Christ is to define us. Friends, does Christ and His kingdom define you? Are you consumed with knowing Him and striving to live in light of His return?

If covetousness would be killed in our lives, then we must...realize that Christ's Kingdom, thus our kingdom, is not of this world.

Secondly, if we would kill covetousness, we must...

2. ...recognize that God is the Source of all things...especially material well-being.

In order to reinforce the need to be defining ourselves accurately, Christ tells this parable. Please note that verse 16 is, again, a statement with no moral implications at all. It is simply a fact. “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.” This is a descriptive statement, not a teaching or prescriptive statement. Christ is not saying that the rich automatically will get richer. He is simply saying that this man, in this season, received a bumper crop. Friends, it has been my experience that, although I am not rich when it comes to tax-brackets in the United States, that there will be seasons of plenty and seasons of want in our lives. Paul articulates this pretty clearly in Philippians 4:11-13, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Riches come and go with some people having more and some less. But again, with our first point, wealth is not to define us, but rather Christ. This particular man in the parable, at this time, was full and abounding.

And in verse 17, he asks a legitimate question, “What do I do with all this wealth?” And, beloved, this question here is a vital one that all of us have to ask. What do we do with what we have?

The first thing we should do, which this man didn't, is acknowledge from where all things come? You are familiar with Genesis 1 and 2. In these chapters, we learn that God created everything. And if we can come to grips and live in light of Genesis 1:1, then this life will make a lot of sense, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” If this statement undergirds our thoughts and attitudes about existence, we will be well on our way to living in a manner that pleases the Lord. Commentating on this passage, Paul explains to the Colossians that Christ was right there with God when creation was going on. Colossians 1:16-17, in reference to Christ, says this, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” In other translations, this concept of consist is rendered hold together. In Acts 17:28 we are told, “...for in Him we live and move and have our being,...” All things come from God and our very lives are held together by God. As we celebrate the arrival of little Dutch Edward Hirai, our minds should be drawn to God, acknowledging that He “...formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Ps. 139:13-14). Regarding the parable before us dealing with crops, the Psalmist says in 104:14, “He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for the service of man, That he may bring forth food from the earth,...” Dear friends, all things come from God and are given to us by Him. Our very lives and breathe are from Him. Again, in 1 Corinthians 4:7, Paul asks, “For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” Everything we have comes from God and we should never boast as if it comes from us.

This man asks a question, “What shall I do...?” The first thing he should have done is to acknowledge and reverently thank God for pouring out these crops and giving them to him. Thankfulness and humble praise to God should have marked his life. Nothing he had was because of his own ability. And ultimately, nothing we do or have is sourced in anything other than God's purposes and plans.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, we are commanded to, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Along with rejoicing and praying, thanksgiving is to mark our lives because God has given us whatever we have, be it material possessions or physical and intellectual abilities...and, of ultimate need, the grace of forgiveness and eternal life. Everything comes from Him and if we are not acknowledging this, we are, as with this man, a fool.

Do you want to put to death covetousness? Then you will...recognize that God is the Source of all things...especially material well-being.
Thirdly, if we would put to death covetousness, then we will...

3. ...talk to God about how to best use what He has given to us.

So in verse 17, the man asks a legitimate question, “What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?” He then talks to someone about it...he seeks some advice. But the problem is that he talks to the wrong person. He talks to himself. Please note in verses 17, 18 and 19 all the personal pronouns. He says “I” four times and “my” five times. He also refers to his soul twice. This man is exceedingly self-consumed and wants to self-consume everything he has.

But where should he have gone for advice? He should have talked to God about it. In light of what we have discussed thus far, that our lives are defined by how we relate to God and also by the fact the God is the giver of all things, it only makes sense that we should speak to God...pray to God...about how we use what He has given to us.

But the covetous man is consumed with self and gives no thought to God. In fact, as we have looked at in other verses, covetousness is idolatry. It is worshiping the creation instead of the creator. Thus, one of the key signs that we are covetous is that we will not talk to God, but only consult our own desires, when it comes to how we handle our things.

Along with selfishness being a sign of covetousness, my friend Steve Cole (Sermon on Luke 12:13-21, April 25th, 1999; http://www.fcfonline.org/) lists off several other signs that will warn us about covetousness or greed being a problem in our lives:

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.

Do I ever compromise godly character in the pursuit of material gain? If I sometimes cheat or lie or steal to get ahead 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.

Do I enjoy material things more than I enjoy knowing God? If my happiness soars when I get a 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.

How do I respond when I lose material things? When the stock market drops, do I fall apart emotionally? If I get robbed 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 feel some sadness when we lose things. But if it wipes us out, then we’re probably too attached to this world and its goods.

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 Digest Sweepstakes? What if a distant relative died and left you a large inheritance? Would your first thought be, “Now I can get that better house or car or boat”? “Now I can take that trip around the world I’ve always wanted to take.” Or, would you think, “Now I can support dozens of missionaries”? “Thousands of people can hear about Christ because He has given me funds to invest in the spread of His kingdom!”

Dear friends, if talking to ourselves with no thought or joy in speaking to and seeking God's will in what we do with our things...if this is what drives us, then we are covetous, greedy people.

We are also very misguided. Note in verse 19, this man thinks that his eternal aspect, his soul, is safe because of his material gain. But as we see in verse 20, God is in charge of the soul. Just as our life is defined by knowing God and our material gain in this world is given to us by God, God is in charge of the end of life issues also. The Word says that God makes alive and He kills (Dt. 32:39). All of our days, including the end of our days, are ordained by God (Ps. 139). In light of this, we do well to live with a God-ward focus all of the time.

Lastly, Jesus says to be rich toward God. In 1 Timothy 6:17-19, we are given some help in understanding what it means to be rich toward God, “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” So, based on this passage, how do we rich towards God? It is pretty clear. We are to trust God, acknowledge His provision, do good, be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share. This is what is looks like to be rich toward God. The attitude is simply one of outward focus with all of life, including money and service. We need to be asking ourselves, on a consistent basis, how can my life and my resources be used for the benefit of others and the glory of God?

Perhaps the greatest driving force behind our giving of our lives and resources for God will be to meditate and rejoice greatly in the grace given to us through Christ on the cross. Take a look at 2 Corinthians 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” What is Christ's richness? He is God and lacks absolutely nothing. He is totally self-sufficient in Himself and needs nothing. What is Christ's poverty? He, in deep love and mercy, came to earth and lived an empty life, perfect before His Father, and poured out His life for us. He died on the cross, was buried and rose again, that we might become rich in Him. What is our richness in light of Christ's becoming poor? Our richness is that we have been brought to God by Christ. We are freely forgiven and freely loved. And, by His unmerited favor...His grace...we have eternal life.

Beloved, do you want to take heed and beware of covetousness? Do you want to put it to death per the direction and admonition of Christ? Then talk to God constantly about what He has given to you and how to best use it for His purposes and glory. And also consider deeply His giving of Himself to you through Christ.
Conclusion:

The man in this parable thought he was “Somebody” because of his God-given wealth. We run that risk also. Michael Oh, president of Christ Bible Institude of Japan offers us a remedy for this. He says...
Become a Nobody for Christ
Tell the students to give up their small ambitions and come eastward to preach the gospel of Christ. — Francis Xavier
Many people leave college with the goal to “be somebody.” And this usually means getting a good job, making good money, buying a nice house, driving a nice car, attaining some important position, and helping your kids to do the same.
For the Christian, “being somebody” usually means all of that and faithfully going to church on Sundays and Bible study during the week.
But I believe that Jesus is calling for people to be a nobody for him — people who would forsake the “American dream” to be a part of bringing gospel hope to the nations. People who don’t mind if they are not recognized, respected, praised, or promoted — as long as the name of Jesus is cherished, exalted, and adored. People who understand that Jesus didn’t come to this world and die on a cross so that we could have a comfortable suburban life and enjoy going to our local church's corporate gathering on Sundays.
Jesus is calling people who could compete in the corporate rat race (and win) — but either choose not to so that they can share the gospel with the neediest in Thailand or choose yes so that by excelling in their profession they can give gobs of money away for God's global cause (something their co-workers wouldn't understand). I believe that Jesus Christ is calling for well-trained, well-educated, godly, capable, wise, talented nobodies.
John Piper reminds us that we have three choices – go, send, or disobey. And it’s my hope and prayer that the very best of this generation will go — young people who could be somebody in this world choosing to be nobodies for Jesus.
And that doesn’t mean that you have to be a preacher. There's hardly a job or profession that you can have in America that you can’t do in the mission field. You can be a musician, a physician, a professor, a dog catcher, a secretary, an actuary,...a mixed martial arts fighter (it doesn't matter). My point is that missions is simply doing what the Lord has gifted and called you to do — where there are few or no Christians — so that those who cannot be saved without believing in the gospel would hear the life-giving good news of Jesus through you.
It’s choosing to forsake the comforts and glory of the American dream to live in an African jungle, or any foreign land, and speaking in a foreign tongue, choosing to be slightly uncomfortable and really need God so that he might have have the glory he is worthy to receive.
Why choose to be a nobody when you could be a somebody? Because life is not about us. It’s not about how much money you can make; it’s not about how secure and comfortable you can be; it’s not even about living a quiet life and being a consistent church attender. And not only is it not about us, it’s also not even about the nations that are lost without the gospel. Ultimately it really is about God. God is worthy to hear from each of his servants for whom he died – "Lord I would go anywhere for you. Lord, I would do anything for you."
We must realize that we have absolutely no right to tell God, “I’ll do this for you, but not that.” We must understand how globally worthy he is to be loved and adored, how incredibly hard the task of making him known is, and how great are the sacrifices needed to see that happen. This is how much we want to see Jesus worshiped by every tribe, language, people, and nation — we are willing to be nobodies to see it happen.
He must become greater; I must become less ~ John 3:30
Beloved, let me add this, you needn't go to a foreign land to be a nobody for Christ. Boulder and the surrounding area needs nobodies like this. Go to where He has called you and use what He has given you to glorify God's grace of the Cross.
Because it is idolatry and will lead to condemnation, we must, per Christ's demand, kill covetousness in our lives.

In order to kill covetousness, we must...
1. ...realize that Christ's Kingdom, thus our kingdom, is not of this world.
2. ...recognize that God is the Source of all things...especially material well-being.
3. ...talk to God about how to best use what He has given to us.


Discussion Questions:
· How does one tangibly live in light of the fact that this world is not our home?
· Do things of God, such as salvation and missions, excite you more than material blessings of this world? How might you develop more passion for eternal riches? How does Colossians 3:1-5 help in this area?
· Take a look at 1 Timothy 6:17-19. How do we strike a godly balance of being rich toward God and enjoying that which He gives to us? Are these two things compatible?
· How can we plan and save for the future and still be rich towards God?
· At this moment, if your soul was required of you by God, are you prepared to meet Him? Why or why not?