“All Kinds of Greed”

There Jesus gives us something to think about.  There isn’t just one kind of greed.  But can we expand on what 'kinds' there are as we read Jesus' words?  This got my brain going.  Is there greed in the very event that spurred these words by our Lord Jesus?  It begins with a demand that Jesus tell one brother to split the family inheritance with the other brother.  We could speculate ad nauseum on what this means exactly.

But greed is not just about wanting 'more' as its own end.  How often is greed wanting what someone else has?  I don’t have it, you do, and I want it.  Makes me think of kids and toys.  There is the toy the one kid hasn’t touched in forever until their sibling dares to pick it up.  His brother has the inheritance and he wants it!

There is greed to be found in seeking favor.  This one person is seeking the intervention of Jesus in the matter of the inheritance.  Might there be another authority that he could appeal to?  Judges or something among the Jewish leadership?  The gospel records a whole lot of different kinds of leaders among the Jews.  Certainly, there must be someone appropriate for the issue.  But go to Jesus, the one whose power is on the rise, seems indisputable, is doing amazing, powerful things in the name of God.  Maybe greed feels like ‘bragging rights’. “I got JESUS on my brother…”  I think there is a reason Jesus did not baptize anyone himself, but left that to his disciples.  Precisely to prevent someone boasting their greed that they got Jesus' 'real' baptism.

In his parable, Jesus outlines what is typically considered as greed, that our life does not consist of an abundance of possessions.  I am not what I have.  Which leads us to the rich man.  His lands produce abundantly.  He does not have enough barns to store all the crops.  He’s got barns, and I think it is fair to say that with those barns filled to the brim, he’s got more than enough.  So, tear them down and build bigger ones!  Man’s got grain and got goods!!  He is just out for more and more and more without any consideration to anyone else.

Then there is greed for what abundance can provide.  A life of leisure, to eat, drink and be merry!  (Note the word Merry, not Happy...)  No more work, no more responsibilities in the world.  Party time!  Leisure, eating, drinking, being merry, none of these are greedy unto themselves.  In discerning greedy behavior, look at the motivations.  This is not something shared.  This is very individual.  The rich man has it, is going to spend it, all for himself.  That's the greed.

But no matter what kind of greed, or how many kinds of greed that someone pursues, there is the great equalizer that shall not be overcome.  Be as rich and greedy as you want, gather as much as you can, trample whoever you can to get there, but it will NEVER save you.  Each of our lives will be demanded from us someday.  Question is where our hearts are, with God or not, to move to what is promised in Christ Jesus.

Peace

pastor pete