Menu
Menu
If we yearn for the true life with God in His heavenly kingdom, one of the evils we must rid ourselves of is greed.
“WATCH OUT and guard yourselves from every kind of greed.” Thus says our Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples as He warns them about the dangers of greediness. “True life,” the Savior points out, “is not made up of the things you own, no matter how rich you may be” (Luke 12:15 Good News Bible). Indeed, if we yearn for the true life with God in His heavenly kingdom, one of the evils we must rid ourselves of is greed. To be filled with greed is not just “improper for God’s holy people” (Eph. 5:3 New International Version); it can also corrode their faith in God, reducing them to nothing more than blasphemers destined for utter destruction:
“The greedy curse and reject the Lord … in their pride they think that God doesn’t matter.” (Ps. 10:3‒4 gnb)
Identified here are seven Bible-based depictions of greed—a description of what greedy people are like, the many awful things they do, and the terrible end that awaits them. Presenting, the seven “breeds” of greed:
“‘Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, We shall fill our houses with spoil’ … So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners.” (Prov. 1:11, 13, 19 New King James Version)
The fiercest in the pack, the hooligans are also the most easily identified as there is no mistaking the wickedness in their actions. They exact their greed for unjust gain in the most explicit terms—from petty shoplifting and pickpocketing to upscale theft and armed robbery, and the like. The hooligans are what every parent would want to keep their child away from, for they can be quite vicious and ruthless, with no qualms of inflicting harm on others or even shedding the blood of the innocent just to take their unfair share of the loot. Thus, this ever-timely parent-to-child warning:
“My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them. … Do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths.” (Prov. 1:10, 15 niv)
Unlike the hooligans who are unashamed to conceal their greediness, the abusive bosses come up with a convincing ploy to the detriment of unwary job hunters. They hire workers, promise them a hefty sum in exchange for their hard work, but only to delay or withhold the wage due their labor. The greediness of the abusive bosses lies in their audacity to unjustly take most of, if not all, the profit to themselves, without proper regard for the very people who help them earn it. Needless to say, an abusive boss is very much hated in the workplace, and the Bible has unkind words for such either:
“Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness And his chambers by injustice, Who uses his neighbor’s service without wages And gives him nothing for his work … Yet your eyes and your heart are for nothing but your covetousness, For shedding innocent blood, And practicing oppression and violence.” (Jer. 22:13, 17 nkjv)
Also oozing with greediness are the corrupt officials who take bribes from crooks of all kind and cover up their crimes. They do not care about the people who will suffer or get hurt along the way. They conveniently wield whatever power or influence they have to carry out the dirty work for their evil cohorts. They turn a blind eye to injustice, for what matters most to them is making themselves richer even if it means taking money and gifts from filthy hands. What a pity, indeed, for a society to be run by people like these!
“Your leaders are rebels and friends of thieves; they are always accepting gifts and bribes. They never defend orphans in court or listen when widows present their case.” (Isa. 1:23 gnb)
Often hiding in the guise of a professional or legitimate businessman, the profiteers show their true color in their unfair dealings with their clienteles. They make profit by cheating and mistreating their fellowmen with their wicked, money-making schemes. They could be the lender who charges excessive interest or the scheming lendee who borrows, then goes in hiding; the surgeon with a bogus license, or the con artist who makes a living by suing and blackmailing just about anybody. The profiteers are known by many other aliases—extortionists, money-launderers, swindlers, etc. But whichever hat a profiteer chooses to wear, the one charge he is surely guilty of and will pay for is the sin of rejecting the Lord:
“You take usury and excessive interest and make unjust gain from your neighbors by extortion. And you have forgotten me, declares the Sovereign Lord.” (Ezek. 22:12 niv)
Even within the religious circle, there are people whose primary motivation is greed. Among them are the false believers who, in the outside, may seem sincere in their intention to serve God—what with their expressive singing of Alleluias with tears rolling down their faces while waving their hands in the air. Behind that charismatic facade, however, lies their screaming desire for material gain:
“So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain.” (Ezek. 33:31 nkjv)
Such are the people today who join religion in pursuit of a better job, suitable spouse, cure for illness, and other material profits. This makes them the easy preys of their fellow opportunists—the false prophets—whose aim is to make profit by pretending to preach the gospel while banking on people’s materialistic inclinations (II Tim. 4:3‒4; II Pet. 3:16).
Greed is also evident in the various excuses given by the self-justifying servants who run away from their spiritual duties, such as those mentioned in this parable of the Lord Jesus:
“At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’” (Luke 14:17‒20 niv)
Notice the common denominator of the alibis given by all those who refused the Lord’s invitation to the banquet: It’s all about material concerns and self-interest. That’s what the self-justifying servant does. He prides himself in being hardworking and success-driven but leaves very little or no more time for worshiping and serving God because, truth be told, his eyes are fixed on material riches, not on God’s eternal blessings.
Another breed of greedy individuals are the offended givers who walk in the footsteps of Ananias and Sapphira. Like the ill-fated couple of the apostolic era (Acts 5:1‒10), the offended givers have many doubts and reservations when it comes to giving or offering. Their selfish love for money and material pleasure overtakes them, blinding them from seeing the truth that it is God Who commands the giving of offerings, and the promise to those who fulfill it goes beyond the treasures of this world:
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (II Cor. 9:7‒8 niv)
“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.” (I Tim. 6:18-19 nkjv)
Or else, suffer the grave consequence. At all times, let us be watchful and never allow ourselves to be filled with greed and become like these degenerate breeds who are bound to suffer a terrible fate:
“They are going to end up in hell, because their god is their bodily desires. They are proud of what they should be ashamed of, and they think only of things that belong to this world.” (Phil. 3:19 gnb)
