ODJ: be on guard
November 7, 2010
Then He said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own” (v.15).
READ: Luke 12:13-21
Last year on Christmas Eve, a New York cab driver found more than $21,000 in cash and jewelry left in his cab by an Italian tourist. He drove more than 50 miles to return the possessions to an address he found in the purse. The woman wasn’t home, so he left a note that contained his phone number. The tourist called and the driver drove back and returned her lost items, refusing to accept any kind of reward. The driver said to her, “I’m needy, but I’m not greedy.”
Jesus understood the dangers of greed, and He warned His followers to be on guard against it as well. Approached by a man who demanded that his brother divide his inheritance with him, Jesus responded to his selfish request with a dramatic story about guarding against greed (Luke 12:13).
A certain rich man’s land had produced an abundant crop. He was dissatisfied with his present storehouses and wanted to build bigger barns to store his crops. As he looked to the future, He anticipated many years of ease. But in the middle of his soliloquy of greed, God shook the foundations of his soul with one word: “Fool!” (v.20). He was foolish because, instead of fulfilling his moral duty of meeting the needs of others, he was storing up possessions for himself and wasn’t being rich toward God (v.21). The result was eternity apart from God.
This narrative is a clear warning against one of the seductive dangers of greed—self-sufficiency. Every follower of Jesus can guard against greed by repenting of it (Luke 3:14), being on guard against it, separating ourselves from it (1 Corinthians 5:11), being content with the things God has blessed us with (Hebrews 13:5), seeking God not gain, and serving others with our wealth (1 Timothy 6:17-18). —Marvin Williams
How does greed affect one’s relationship with God? With others? What lessons can we learn and apply from the rich fool’s tragic story?
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