Tag: Greed

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Rant against riches.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. ‭‭James‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We come into chapter five of James letter to the “twelve tribes scattered abroad”, which is generally understood to be Jewish Christians who were dispersed outside of Israel. First of all, “twelve tribes?” I thought ten of them were lost. I wonder who and what was left?

James really seems to go on a rant against riches, but we need to dig a little deeper rather than just thinking James was an anti-money, anti-wealth guy. It really is a rant against injustice and abusing laborers. The poor, the working class have never had proper care nor any representation protecting them from being cheated and mistreated. This is an ancient problem that God hated! God hated it then, He hates it still today. When wealth is generated by abuse of power and at the expense of the poor, everyone suffers! This is far more than the minimum wage issues we continue to battle around the globe. It’s greed with no regard to others and God has always been against it.

In the Old Testament, God had his prophets constantly speaking out, warning the kings and religious leaders to use caution when it came to employment of the poor as well as buying and selling goods. God has always wanted the poor to have equal access to justice through the judges and condemned “fixing” the scales to favor the merchants, while at the same time giving discounts and advantages to the rich. Not only does the Law command justice, “Do not pervert justice” (Leviticus 19:15), the Law also commands mercy and care for the poor, “Make provision for the poor” (Leviticus 19:9-10) and “Help the poor among you” (Leviticus 25:35-36). Psalms and Proverbs both encourage watching out for, even protecting the poor, “Uphold the cause of the poor” (Psalm 82:3-4), “Be kind to the needy” (Proverbs 14:21). God makes sure that we understand that our care for justice towards the poor is directly connected to our attentiveness to God himself! “Oppressing the poor shows contempt for their Maker” (Proverbs 14:31) and “Kindness to the poor is like lending to God” (Proverbs 19:17).

This is why James delivers such a heated discussion to Jewish Christians, thus to all real followers of Jesus. Is James against storing up riches for just the ability to amass wealth? Of course he is! It is a waste of time and contrary to those who have the “gift of giving,” as Paul writes about (Romans 12:8 ). But it becomes even more egregious to acquire wealth by mistreating others, “For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies” (James‬ ‭5‬:‭4‬). Since money & wealth is worthless in heaven, Jesus (Matthew 6:19-20) and James advise us not store it up here on earth where it just decreases its value, while corroding our soul. Justice and generosity mimic and mirror the character of God.

Prayer

​Dad,
I was always neutral to negative about money when I was young. Sure, I wanted to earn money, and have money, but my heart just wasn’t into amassing or scheming to get it and keep it. I didn’t feel that I was good at “handling” money anyways, and saw it as too complicated. That all changed when I started seeing money as means to BE generous, to live generous. I would say you taught me to kind of “gamify” giving. It became a joy to figure out how to out-give you! Which, as you said, can’t be done! It was so freeing and fun. I no longer fear money, either having it or losing it. I now know it’s a wonderful tool, emulating You, in grace, mercy and love. Thank you for your generosity and favor to those who will give even as you have given? Amen.

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Shhhh – God’s working in me.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In these sets of contrarian vignettes of comparison, Jesus weighs in on the top religious behaviors of the day. Those who have, what they believe is a rich physical and spiritual life, seem to be flaunting their superiority.

It’s always a humorous expression to try to “out-god” God himself. Religious folks ought to remember, God sees all and knows all. Meaning, He sees not only the acts of “pholiness” (fake holiness), but also the heart motivations behind the scenes. No matter the grand expression, God is almost exclusively impressed with the movement of our soul.

The striking, blatant, dark comedy on the ancient streets that day was this; as the hypocrites (a theater term btw) parade their generosity with great fanfare, they do so right in front of God standing right there in the common crowd! Jesus, who would give everything, his reputation, possessions (which was minimal), and life would not be celebrated with trumpets but with a morbid mix of cheers, jeers, wailing and shrieking. Jesus good deed was indeed public, but it was not admired by others, it was despised!

Most, if not all giving of money or service or kindnesses, should be done so in secret. It’s like one hand is demonstrably waving at a friend, while the other hand is slipping some needy person a Franklin. I love Jesus’ closing remark, “and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” You see that? Is it really about a reward at all? The hired Mariachi band maybe your earthly reward when you give obviously, but what’s the heavenly reward when giving in secret? I don’t know.

Here’s what I do know. When I emulate something good I exclusively learned from my Father (God), I honor him and it’s incredibly rewarding. When I see my own adult children doing something good they learned from myself or their mother – well it’s is rapturously joyful! When I give, I am modeling my Father’s character, His will and desires. That’s plenty of reward for me because shockingly, I see that salvation and sanctification are actually working in me!

Prayer

Dad,
In so many ways, I can hardly remember the person I used to be. Sure, I see flashes of dark shadows as sin continues to try to resurrect and control me. But in so many other ways, I see the light and love of your Spirit molding a new me. In this area of generosity, it has been such a remarkable journey. It’s not super scientific, but I feel that I have proven to myself that I can’t out-give you! In so many ways beyond money, it’s been a pleasure to grow in gifts that you are so good at – grace, mercy and generosity. Thank you.

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The heckler.

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.” Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” Luke‬ ‭12:13-15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Luke writes that some guy… just some dude yells out complaining about his brother. Is this a joke? Seriously. This could not have been a real comment with the guy expecting Jesus to settle an inheritance dispute with the family.

Then, instead of ignoring the comment, Jesus bantered back – haha “who made me judge?” It is kind of ironic response given that Jesus would judge ALL THINGS.

Arm-twisting is not going to be helpful in this case. However, Jesus does take a heckled comment to give the crowd a perspective on wealth as well as being poor. That’s right, he talks about a rich fool and those worried about their next meal.

For the heckler he says, looking beyond the cheap laughs, beware. He gives this younger brother a gift, the wisdom of God.

Guard against greed. Money? Yes. Power? Yes. Success, stature, social standing? Yes. Yes. Yes. Guard against every kind. Ah, but Jesus used the word, pleonexia: covetousness, avarice, aggression, desire for advantage. The word is two words combined: possess and more, the lust for more.

Jesus warned against the exceeding abundance of possessions. Where certainly the holder of such abundance loses control and the abundance now possesses or owns them! When there is an abundance, you no longer rule over it, it rules over you. Jesus, in a way, asks the brother, that’s not really the life you want, is it?

Who wants to be a slave of anything or anyone, let alone to a bunch of amassed wealth, power or influence. How many rich are trapped by their own wealth? How many politicians are trapped by their own power-base? How many celebrities are trapped behind the image or fame portrayed as success? All of them are simply rich, powerful or influential slaves – they are not free. Do you think money is what you need? How about power or popularity? Guard against pleonexia!

Prayer

Dad,
Whoa. I do not want to be a slave of abundance! No wonder you want me to be generous. Does generosity play a role in not listing for more? Not being owned or enslaved by the obsession for more? Wow. That’s amazing. Can the joy of giving BE the antidote for the poison of pleonexia? That’s a lot to think about. Sounds like wisdom to me!