Recently, an elderly woman here in Florida won the $600 million lottery. I am happy for her and diligently looking into my family tree to see if I might not be a distant relative.
I was thinking about this and wondering how many people contributed to this lottery to bring it up to the $600 million level. I am not sure how much a lottery ticket is, but I am sure millions of people contributed to this. Everyone bought a ticket with the high hopes that they would be the winner.
I am not sure what I would do with $600 million, but I think I would like to try it and find out.
Everything you hear today has something to do with money. We have a culture obsessed with finances and it has even seeped into the church, of all places. Everybody wants to be rich.
We have seminars on how to get rich.
We have preacher’s teaching something they call “Prosperity Gospel.”
Commercials galore guaranteeing you wealth beyond your wildest dreams.
Then, we have the government trying to get as much of our money as possible under the guise of some government benefit. I would like Uncle Sam to keep his benefits and let me keep my money. That would be a wonderful and happy agreement.
I want to say right up front that I do not think there is anything wrong with money. If you did not have money, you would not be able to exist. It is not wrong to have money. It is not wrong to save your money for your retirement or something. It is not wrong to try to make money. Unless of course you are trying to print it. Also, it is not wrong to live within your budget. A foreign concept to this generation.
This parable has nothing to do with money but rather our attitude toward money. Attitude factors into everything in life.
In this parable, Jesus is addressing the subject of covetousness. This plague is ruining our country today. Once a person is tangled in the web of covetousness, it is all but impossible to break free.
Everybody wants to be rich and yet nobody wants to bear the responsibility that comes along with this.
We need to understand there are two definitions to prosperity. There is the world’s definition and then there is God’s definition.
The world’s definition has everything to do with external pleasures, which do not last very long at all and are subject to taxation, theft and devaluation.
God’s definition has everything to do with internal pleasures that focus on eternity. “With Eternity’s Values in View,” wrote the hymn writer Al Smith. When God talks about prosperity, His focus is on eternity. Jesus said,
“… A treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.” (12:34).
We must be very careful that we are not adopting the world’s definition of prosperity. Diligently we must search the Scriptures and our own heart to make sure we are all God wants us to be on the subject.
Covetousness will cause a person to implode, from which few people survive.
These parables, especially in the book of Luke, outline for us the rules for kingdom living. This is how God expects us to live.
It all boils down to verse 34.
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Everything rides upon your definition of the word “treasure.” If you are living by the world’s definition, you will face a lot of trouble in this world and in the world to come. However, if you are living by God’s definition, you will find great reward, satisfaction and security. Only God can give this to us.
The thing that affects our treasure is our covetousness. What we need to do is understand what covetousness is and the danger it poses to us and how we, in light of this danger, can overcome.
I. What is covetousness?
This is where we must begin. How we define covetousness will determine a lot about the quality of our life.
The dictionary defines it in this regard.
Covetousness:
1. An envious eagerness to possess something, enviousness, envy.
2. A feeling of grudging admiration and desire to have something that is possessed by another.
3. Extreme greed for material wealth.
4. Excessive desire to acquire or possess more (especially more material wealth) than one needs or deserves.
At the core of covetousness is a deep-seated dissatisfaction with what we have. We believe that if we have what somebody else has we will be satisfied. The problem is, we are never satisfied.
Covetousness is of such a nature that it never is satisfied. It always wants more. The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence.
The focus of covetousness is “I.” In verses 17 through 19, the rich man used the word “I” six times. That was the focus of his life.
Covetousness is firmly rooted in this world.
II. The Danger of Covetousness.
When we understand what covetousness is all about we can begin to appreciate its danger.
There are several dangers associated with covetousness.
1. Covetousness focuses exclusively on “self.” It is all what “I want.” When a covetous man sees something, he immediately wants it for himself regardless of the cost.
The danger is that a person can be so obsessed with what they want that they do not understand or notice the danger associated with what they want.
Everybody wants to win the lottery. Studies have proven that the majority of the people who win the lottery end up losing everything. Having $1 million and knowing how to handle $1 million are two very different things. If you do not know how to handle $1 million, it can really destroy you.
2. Covetousness in a person’s life replaces the Holy Spirit. Instead of being led by the Holy Spirit, a person is led by his greed and desire to possess material things.
Covetousness leads a person away from kingdom principles. It does not foster godliness.
Notice what Jesus said in verse 33.
“Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with money bags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.”
A covetous person will not do this. They have a sense of possessiveness. They want to possess material things.
The rich man in this parable was obsessed with what he had and wanted to keep it for himself. He had more possessions than he could possibly use and instead of helping others, he builds bigger barns so he could have more possessions.
Jesus called this man a fool. Notice what Jesus says in verse 21.
“So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Either the Holy Spirit, which will lead me down the kingdom path and the riches of God, is leading me or, the spirit of covetousness, which will lead me away from the kingdom of God, is leading me.
3. Another danger along this line of covetousness is that it gives a person a sense of false security. In verse 20 Jesus says to the rich man,
“But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’”
Material things can give us a false sense of security. But those things can be taken away. The stock market can crash and a person can lose their life savings. Material things are never secure.
The spirit of covetousness carries with it great danger to the person who is caught in such a web of deception.
III. The Cure for Covetousness.
As devastating as covetousness is, thank God, there is a cure. Not many people avail themselves of this cure. God has been faithful to provide for us that which will break this curse of covetousness upon our lives.
Jesus gives us the cure over in verse 15.
“And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’”
They are two things that provide for us a cure for this spirit of covetousness.
1. “Take care.”
The apostle Paul speaks about this in 1 Timothy 6:6-10.
This speaks about the fact that we need to be very careful about our life and not allow covetousness to sneak into our life. We need to be careful that our priorities are right and that the Holy Spirit is leading us each day.
2. “Be on your guard against all covetousness.”
This is a proactive attitude. We are to have our guard up against a spirit of covetousness. It is easy to be caught up in the possessions of life and gaining those possessions. It does not take long for my acquisitions to begin running my life.
Notice what Jesus says about this.
“For one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
The world judges a man by his possessions. Is he a rich man or is a poor man depending upon his possessions. It is easy for us to fall into this fallacy.
How much you have does not say anything about you, except you are a collector of things.
The great problem of covetousness is that it breeds a spirit of dissatisfaction. No matter how much you have, you are never satisfied with that. Always one thing more.
Possessions come and go. Their value rises and falls. Our life is much more than an outward thing. The value of my life is determined by my personal relationship to Jesus Christ.
When I give in to the spirit of covetousness, it introduces into my life trouble, which leads to more trouble.
The lesson from the rich man is simply that our focus should be on important things. As I walk with Jesus and get closer to Him, I will begin to understand what is really important.
Try this experiment. Go to a nursing home and try to find a half a dozen of the oldest residents. Talk with them for a few moments and find out what they believe to be important at this point in their life.
Some will be focused on their medications. Do not ask about how they feel, or they just might tell you. Some will focus on the food they are getting.
If you could take that individual and go back 50 years and talk to them what they think is important would be a whole lot different than, than now.
What you think you need is not what will really bring satisfaction to your life.
Are you really satisfied with Jesus?
Do you find your fulfillment in His fellowship each day?
Have you discovered the true treasure that God had for those who seek him with all their heart?
“Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.” (12:31).
If you truly trust God, He will give you everything you need when you need it.
