Sermon On Cupidity

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, a German philosopher and philologist once remarked: “In spite of all the value which may belong to the true, the positive, and the unselfish, it might be possible that a higher and more fundamental value for life generally should be assigned to pretence, to the will to delusion, to selfishness, and cupidity. It might even be possible that what constitutes the value of those good and respected things, consists precisely in their being insidiously related, knotted, and crocheted to these evil and apparently opposed things - perhaps even in being essentially identical with them.” 1 John 2:15-17 reminds us: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world - the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions - is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

Cupidity is defined as "Greed for money or possessions." It is synonymous with avarice and acquisitiveness. The desire for money in our present society can often become of prime importance to some people to the hapless detriment of others. They can employ many tactics to achieve their aim which may include blatant deceit combined with unethical practices.

Greed is considered as one of the seven deadly sins. Luke 12:15 warns: "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions."

Cupidity is all-consuming in that it can develop bad traits in human nature. Selfishness may become evident which will possibly include jealousy of the possessions of others.

1 Timothy 6:10 confirms: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

There was once a slightly unscrupulous Antique Dealer who had always hoped to find a valuable item that would make him a small fortune. In his venture to make money, he regularly undervalued the true worth of items that were brought into his shop by customers and then subsequently inflated the selling price. He used to rent a shop in a prime location in a town situated on the outskirts of London. Although he did a reasonable trade, it was nothing that would make him abundantly rich.

He used to advertise in the local paper that the best prices would be offered for items of value that were brought to him for an appraisal of worth. One particular afternoon, he was busy dusting and cleaning the items in his shop when an elderly lady walked in. He stopped what he was doing and approached the prospective customer. “Good afternoon madam” he politely stated, “Can I help you?” The lady opened a large paper parcel and revealed a violin case. She handed it to the dealer stating: “This used to belong to my husband. He was the lead violinist in the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Sadly he passed away five years ago and I have no further use of it. I have never learnt to play the instrument and all it is really doing is gathering dust and taking up space in my small cottage. I wondered if you may be able to offer me a few pounds for it?”

The antique dealer opened the case and to his amazement discovered that the contents revealed a fairly tatty Stradivarius violin which was marked accordingly and had reputedly been made by Antonio Stradivari and his family. These instruments are considered unique and considered to be one of the most valuable violins in the world. They are extremely sought after and considered high-quality instruments that could be comparable to a work of art. Similar violins have been sold at auction for six-figure sums.

He decided that this was the item that he had always hoped for. He could not believe his good luck and if he could purchase this item for a reasonable sum, then he stood a good chance of making his fortune by selling it through a London Auction House.

He tentatively asked her if she knew anything about violins? He was delighted to hear that she knew nothing whatsoever. She informed him that she had no insightful knowledge of musical instruments or, indeed, what they may be worth if they were to be offered for sale. While she always enjoyed listening to her husband playing with the orchestra, that was as far as it went.

The dealer was discreetly rubbing his hands with glee. He informed her that he didn't consider that it would be worth a great deal of money as there was not a great call for this type of instrument. They did not sell well and were quite difficult to learn to play by a novice. To achieve a reasonable standard was considered quite exceptional. He then asked: "What sort of figure did you have in mind for this instrument madam?" She responded "I don't really know. Do you think I could possibly get £100 for it?" The dealer laughed and responded: "I think you have great expectations there madam, I could possibly go as high as £50 if that would interest you?" The lady stated: "I don't know, I was hoping for more than that, as I have an electricity bill of nearly £100 to pay. Since the death of my husband, I have little income and sometimes find it difficult to make ends meet. I would be so obliged if you could raise your offer for me?" The dealer replied: "I am an honest man and like all my customers to leave happy and satisfied. As you appear an honest person, I will be fair with you and give you your price. I believe that honesty should always be rewarded." The lady smiled and thanked him very much for his generosity. She was given the agreed £100 and left the shop extremely contented.