What Does The Bible Say About Greed
“What does the Bible say about greed?”There are many warnings in the Bible about giving in to greed and longing for riches. Jesus warned, Luke 12:15“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions”Matthew 6:19and 24 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal… You cannot serve both God and money”Did Jesus pursue the acquisition of money? No. On the contrary, He became poor for our sake2 Corinthians 8:99 You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.and had “no place to lay his head” Matthew 8:2020 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man[a] has no place even to lay his head.”The only disciple concerned with wealth was the embezzler Judas, who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.Greed and a desire for riches are traps that bring ruin and destruction. “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil,” and Christians are warned, “Do not put your trust in wealth” 1 Timothy 6:9-109 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.1 Timothy 6:17-1817 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.18 Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.Covetousness, or wanting more than we have, is idolatry.Ephesians 5:55 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.The principle to remember is contained inHebrews 13:55 “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’It is the love of money, and not money itself, that is the problem. The love of money is a sin because it gets in the way of worshipping God. Jesus said it was very hard for rich people to enter the Kingdom of God. When the rich young ruler asked Jesus in Matthew 19:16-22
The Rich young Man
16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher,[a] what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep[] the commandments.”18 “Which ones?” the man asked.And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely.19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’”20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. By instructing him to give up his money, Jesus pointed out the young man’s main problem: greed. The man could not follow Christ because he was following money. His love of this world interfered with his love for God. People are more likely to cry out to God when they are in need than when they have plenty. Too often, the wealthy become complacent and self-satisfied and ascribe their riches to their own efforts instead of acknowledging that every good gift comes from God. The easier our lives become, the more enjoyment we derive from our wealth, the greater the temptation to store up treasures on earth, instead of in heaven. If we focus on earthly things like material wealth and possessions, then we fail to give God the glory and worship He deserves. We are to serve God, not waste our time trying to become rich Proverbs 23:44 Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit.Our heart’s desire should be to store up riches in heaven and not worry about what we will eat or drink or wear. Matthew 6:25-34“But seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”