Are they Greedy or are We Coveting?

 

What you are about to read below was inspired by a Facebook post from a person who noted that oil companies are being greedy, by raising the price of gas. This is a normative response when prices go up whether it is gas or eggs.

Now as a person who has studied economics, there is a fair amount of ignorance in the statement that said oil companies or any company for that manner are being greedy, and an economic response would be warranted. Yet that would not be effective, because when people make statements about a company or person being greedy it is a statement not based on facts, but emotional. Emotional people do not respond to facts, if they did, they would not be emotional. But still, I want my response to be based not on economic data, but rather biblical data.

What does God say about greed? How does God determine what greed is?

There are only a couple of reference to greed in the scriptures. The term, greed or greedy is different in the Old and New Testaments, but they gather the same meaning. Greedy in the Psalms, Jeremiah and Hosea are about plundering, like a victorious army. Greed in Ezekiel is referred to an animal eating all it can. In the New Testament in Matthew and Luke, Jesus refers to the Pharisees in a term that is much like plunder, which is pillage. Paul and Peter in their letter use a term that is directly related to covetous.

What can we conclude from the study of the word greed from the text? It is something that we witness, and if not just a belief or the existence of greed. Plundering and pillaging are actions that a person can witness and know it is happening. The same can be said for Peter and Paul’s reference to covetous, it is an action that can be witnessed.

So, should a Christian just make a statement that someone is greedy, or a group is greedy because of the wealth the Christian sees? Is wealth itself evidence of one plundering, pillaging, or being covetous? My conclusion would be no. Why? Because I do not know how wealth came about. To assume that because a person or group has wealth obtained by sinful means is to judge without evidence. (Matthew 7:1) Before I make such a statement that someone is greedy, I need to ask myself these questions.

1. Do I know how the person or group earned wealth?

2. Do I know how the person or group uses their wealth?

3. Do I know why God has allowed the person or group to have that wealth?

The answer to each of these questions is NO because only God knows the answer to these answers. I believe this is biblically factual, as the clearest statement of greed is found in Luke 12:16-20. The rich man who had great wealth and was to build bigger barns to store his wealth would have not been seen to be greedy in his time, nor would he today, because this would be the same as putting our money in a savings account in case of emergencies. No one thinks that saving money is greedy, but God can see the heart, and God saw this man’s heart and called the man out on it. Hence the only one that is qualified to say a person is greedy is God. Our standards are subjective, God’s standards are not subjective. Greed that is of the heart can only be determined by God. If we do not witness the action of greed, we cannot assume that a greed is present in the heart, only God can know that for sure.

So why do we do it? Why do we call people and groups greedy? The answer is called Coveting. Coveting is something that Jesus warned his followers about. Coveting is a very seductive sin. The vast majority of our coveting is done in secret and in our hearts. We see the things that others have, and we wish within ourselves that we could have what they have, or be that type of person. In the case of calling out others for their greed, it can be seen as being righteous, calling out those who we think have stolen from others. We are filled with our righteousness, “Those evil rich people!”, that greedy corporation!” We get all puffed up at our self-righteousness, when in fact we are being deeply sinful, judging without evidence (Matthew 7:1) and coveting what others have (Exodus 20:17)

Is greed real? Of course? Is greed a sin? Yes.

Is it our place to make determinations that others are greedy?

We had better have evidence.

Are we being self-righteous, and covetous?

Most likely.

Darin Bracy is the pastor at Yorktown Baptist Church in Yorktown Virginia. He is a graduate of Veritas Baptist College with a BA in Ministry and a minor in History. He has a wife Stacy, two daughters, Ashlynne and her husband Justin, their daughter Harper and Aftyn, and her two dogs, Eddie and Lulubelle.

You can reach Darin at his email address, Darinbracy@gmail.com and you can see his video content on YouTube – Basic Baptist Guy

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