Sermon Central
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Greed Series
Contributed by Scott Maze on Jun 9, 2021 (message contributor)
Summary: Benedictine Monks had rules for just how much each monk was to eat in the monastery. But if one monk takes more than his share of the limited food, another monk goes without dinner lunch.
Listen to God’s words to His prophet: “Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 18 “Get up and go to meet King Ahab of Israel, who is in Samaria. He’s in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. 19 Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you murdered and also taken possession?’ Then tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: In the place where the dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, the dogs will also lick up your blood’” (1 Kings 21:17–19)!
These two had a history together. Ahab says to Elijah in verse 20: “Have you found me, O my enemy?” Elijah might have said, “Don’t shoot the messenger” but he said none of this. Elijah possessed an unusual courage.
The Judgment
Now, Ahab does tear his clothes in verse 27 in attempt to make things right. And God does delay His judgment until the king’s death (1 Kings 21:29), but some respects it was “too little, too late.” The die had been cast of lifetime of evil actions.
One chapter later, God delivers on His word when Ahab dies in battle: “So the king died, and was brought to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria. 38 And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes washed themselves in it, according to the word of the Lord that he had spoken” (1 Kings 22:37–38).
Elijah then turns his attention to Jezebel when she too will die for her sins. In fact, dogs will eat her and she doesn’t even have a decent burial.
Naboth believed in sacred places that were not for sale. Ahab believed everything was for sale. Jezebel believed there was no price too high. Elijah believed life was more precious than land.
Take-Away’s
What do we learn from this story?
1. The Blast Radius of Greed
No one’s sin is done in isolation. A man may consume pornography privately thinking it doesn’t hurt anyone. But not only does it influence the way he relates to women in society, it also creates a market for it, making it available to others.
A woman may insist she has the right to commit suicide because she belongs no one but herself. Yet, the moment her daughter finds her dead body, there’s no one who can console her?
When I fail to work when I am physically able, your taxes go up to pay for laziness.
We are interdependent, you and I.
No one’s sin is done in isolation.
Jesus said, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15 CSB).
Benedictine Monks had rules for just how much each monk was to eat in the monastery. But if one monk takes more than his share of the limited food, another monk goes without dinner lunch. The slightest miscalculation or greed on anyone’s part would leave someone without a meal. Imagine if you could the see the immediate impact of your greed in the same cafeteria room like these monks?
Greed is the actions of company executives during the financial collapse of 2008 when they took home bonuses of the taxpayer bailout to the tune of $1.6 billion that included personal use of company jets, chauffeurs, and country club memberships. Remember greed is so evil that it led Judas to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.
