Wednesday: Greed-Having Things Your Way
Read Isaiah 56:11. What sin is this warning about?
For us as fallen beings, greed can be as easy as breathing. And just as natural, too. However, it’s hard to imagine anything in the human character that is less reflective of the character of Christ than greed.
Image © Darrel Tank Goodsalt.com
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9, NKJV).
Only the Lord knows the damage that greed has wrought throughout history. Greed has led to wars. Greed has caused people to commit crimes that brought ruin upon themselves and their families. Greed can be like a virus that will latch on to its host and consume every virtue until all that remains is more and more greed. Greed is a malady that wants everything: passion, power, and possessions. Again, I see, I want, I take.
Read Matthew 26:14-16. What can we learn about the power of greed from this sad story?
Notice Judas’ words: “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” (Matt. 26:15, NKJV). Talk about letting greed override everything else! Judas had been privileged as very few people in all history: he lived with the incarnate Jesus, witnessed His miracles, and heard Him preach the words of life. And yet – look at what greed and covetousness led him to do.
“How tenderly the Saviour dealt with him who was to be His betrayer! In His teaching, Jesus dwelt upon principles of benevolence that struck at the very root of covetousness. He presented before Judas the heinous character of greed, and many a time the disciple realized that his character had been portrayed, and his sin pointed out; but he would not confess and forsake his unrighteousness.” – Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 295.
| Who, if not careful, doesn’t manifest some greed in his or her own character? How can we, through God’s grace, keep this natural tendency under control? |
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Judus did not believe. Martha did, “yes Lord I believe”. John 11:27. Judas did not believe that Christ had come to save the lost sinner, rather he believed Christ came to set up a kingdom with Judus at His right side. The real crux of the Judus Syndrome is he would not confess and foresake his unrighteousness. Martha believed that Christ was the Son of God, quite a contrast. Makes a difference in allowing the Holy Spirit to obliterate greed, pride, and self reliance. Same principle as surrendering our bad habits to Christ, a necessity. COL chapter 9.
Some must have heard the famous "I don't want what I haven't got"! When we are focus on Christ, we deal with our tendencies as much as possible! Through His love, Jesus can help us in this conflict. It is not easy, but if we accept the fact that in all He was tempted and was victorious, if only we depend on His strenght when ours is over, the miracle happens! Jesus is able to transform hearts! He is powerful to make us new! The most important question perhaps lies in our limbic system, "How much do I want to change?"
As crazy as it may seem, Jesus can even work in our will!
Judas Iscariot like all good investment bankers used speculation much like investors do now. One needs to know what the likely outcome of the future will be to buy or sell in order to make money. 30 pieces of silver is nothing compared to the massive gains Judas thought he would make once Jesus is forced into declaring Himself as the king of the Jews, overthrow Roman imperialism and he Judas would be made head of the treasury of this new government that Christ would set up on earth. How ever this never happened, Judas convinced himself that Christ would not allow himself to be taken by the priests and the mob that night in Gethsemane. (See Ellen Gould White Manuscript 28, 1897 and Letter 40, 1901)
When I am greedy,I am encroaching on someone else's need.
No matter how far down the path of greed we have gone Jesus is our detour back to the path of righteousness. He has reserved an inheritance for us that cannot be destroyed (1Peter 1:4)
No need for greed.
The point should not be missed that greed covers a lot more than money. While we may not be greedy for money because it is a bit obvious in a church environment, how many church members seek influence and control in their local church. Have you heard of church members becoming friends on Facebook with the new minister coming to the church so that they can be in a prime position to tell the minister about who to watch out for in their new church. Now that does not happen in our church does it?
Have you seen a church member, when it looks like a discussion is not going their way, who makes the statement, "Brethren and sisters, we need to pray about this and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us!" Covetousness for control and influence can be simple, subtle and completely devious.
And just when we have made up our little list of those who practise devious covetousness, it is time to ask ourselves the question, "How often have I done the same thing?"
We should not be surprised at the things that gossip in face book and other computer sites display. Some have much more time to waste than others. Covetousness is the last of the ten commandments and the list is rather extensive. God chose the commandments because He knows the weaknesses of His chosen people. We fit the category very well. The last line definitely applies to us. We often focus on what we consider the "real" bad sins. God was not slack. They all are bad. It may be time to read them again with application.
Greed - human way - you feed me, I feed you!
God's way - He feeds and expects nothing back!
Which way do we want to follow!?
Alice, I'd say that's not quite a reality! God does want something back! Yes, there is something to give back to Him! He wants our hearts!
The point is that we give Him filthy cheap attitudes, body, mind, spirit and heart while He gives us all back new and transformed! God sees value where there is none!
(He created us for perfection while we chose decadence!)
Thank God, He can take all our greed and defects and transform into something new and beatiful! (For His own glory!) Because He is God! Because there is nothing created by Him that does not have a perfect purpose!
Have a great day, with love!
The Apostle Paul said, "And having food and raiment, let us therewith be content," 1 Timothy 6:8. This is our only safety against greed. This is where Judas failed. Being with Jesus he had "food and raiment," he had all that was necessary for him to be content and be safe with his saviour and his "Fellow Apostles of Jesus."
Greed is when one always think about himself or herself.human way is always that.But God's way is the opposite ..always doing the things that can save humanity for His love is so much and nothing can compare it.So if we have that same passion for saving these souls for God's kingdom greed will never be seen in our lives.May God bless us to live a life like Jesus.Amen.
The Pastoral District which has the church I attend is sadly a classic example of another form of greed Seventh Day Adventists often fall into. I suggested a new form of evangelism at the business meeting in September 2017 which was accepted unanimously. My Pastor has told me he has no time to help me arrange it as he is so busy visiting sick and bereaved members.
The role of Pastors IS EVANGELISM but repeatedly I have seen the demands and expectations of the church members for the Pastor to deal with their problems is so big the Pastor(s) have no time for evangelism.
I am NOT saying the sick and the bereaved should not be visited just church members demand the wrong person do the visits. The Book of Acts gives us the example of who should be doing the visits.
Acts 6J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
The first deacons are chosen
6 1-4 About this time, when the number of disciples was continually increasing, the Greeks complained that in the daily distribution of food the Hebrew widows were being given preferential treatment. The twelve summoned the whole body of the disciples together and said, “It is not right that we should have to neglect preaching the Word of God in order to look after the accounts. You, our brothers, must look round and pick out from your number seven men of good reputation who are both practical and spiritually-minded and we will put them in charge of this matter. Then we shall devote ourselves whole-heartedly to prayer and the ministry of the Word.”
5-6 This brief speech met with unanimous approval and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochurus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch who had previously been a convert to the Jewish faith. They brought these men before the apostles, and they, after prayer, laid their hands upon them.
7 So the Word of God gained more and more ground. The number of disciples in Jerusalem very greatly increased, while a considerable proportion of the priesthood accepted the faith.
NOTE especially verse 2 " The twelve summoned the whole body of the disciples together and said, “It is not right that we should have to neglect preaching the Word of God in order to look after the accounts."
Deacons if functioning properly with the Elders should be able to deal with almost all the needs of the church members freeing up the Pastor to focus on Evangelism.
Do you demand the Pastor deals with your problems? Are you taking up the Pastor's time so much (s)he has no time for evangelism?
But just because in the book of Acts there was a unanimous acceptance of the seven deacons to look after the accounts, there is nothing there saying that God accepted this as the solution for the neglecting of the Greek widows. The "Word of God" is very clear that all and especially the leadership are to "Feed the hungry." For after the seven deacons were selected to feed the Greek widows, those same seven deacons became and maybe even more so than the other apostles.
I meant to say that "Those same seven deacons became evangelists and maybe even more so than the other apostles." But here I will also add that not more so than the Apostle Paul.