Jesus said, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). Then Jesus tells us about a man’s ground that produced such a huge crop that he didn’t have enough room in his barn to store this crop. So he decided to tear down his small barn and build a bigger barn to store his crop in. The man was now convinced that he had plenty of good things stored up for many years; now he could take life easy and eat, drink and be merry (cf. Luke 12:16-19). But God said to the man, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:20-21).
The rich man thought it was his land, his crops, his barns—he forgot that everything actually belongs to God and that we are held accountable for how we use what He has given us. The rich man had replaced God in his life with his lusts for earthly things. When our life is over on this earth, the only thing that is going to count is where we will spend eternity.
The words “greed” and “greedy” are used 25 times in the NIV Bible, and there is not a single instance where either word is spoken of in a good sense. Solomon wrote, “A greedy man brings trouble to his family, but he who hates bribes will live…A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper…By justice a king gives a country stability, but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down. (Proverbs 15:27, 28:25, 29:4).
Solomon’s earthly wisdom and extreme wealth didn’t leave him with a satisfied life, or godly life. “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income” (Ecclesiastes 5:10). “The more we have, the more it takes to keep what we have!” (cf. Ecclesiastes 5:11).
The sins of greed, envy, covetousness are a part of the sin nature that we inherited from Adam and Eve—everyone is greedy to some degree. And those who don’t think they are greedy are only fooling themselves. Jesus said, “Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Some have used this verse to teach that it is easier for a poor man to get into heaven than a rich man, but that is not what Jesus is saying. They asked Jesus, “Who then can be saved?” And Jesus said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God” (cf. Luke 18:25-27). Jesus is saying that it is impossible for humans to save themselves, being rich or poor makes no difference.
God gives some people the ability to gain wealth, but if they use their wealth in an ungodly way they will answer to God for their actions. “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.” (James 5:1-6).
Some people have inherited vast fortunes. Most of these people did not commit any sin to become rich, but they will be held accountable as to how they used their riches. There will come a time in the eternal future that God will ask them, “Why didn’t you use the wealth I gave you to glorify Me? But instead you indulged yourself with earthly and fleshly pleasures.” You might say, “Don’t call me greedy, I’m not rich!” But if you envy someone for what they have, or you covet something that someone else has, then greed is a major part of your life. Some say that being wealthy is not a sin if our wealth is gained through honest work or business. But if that honest work or honest business leaves you with no time for a relationship with God, then you have made the work or business your god—and that is sin in God’s eyes. “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3).
I believe that the greediest people in the world are the ones that are lazy and don’t want to work, they want everything to be given to them. I’m not talking about those who are physically or mentally unable to work, but those who are able and refuse to work. Throughout the Bible hard work and a conservative lifestyle are commended, Solomon tells us that people who don’t want to work are destructive people (Proverbs 18:9, 24:30-34), but he also says that people who are skilled in their work will be noticed by rulers (Proverbs 22:29). Paul tells us, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat…If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (2 Thessalonians 3:10, 1 Timothy 5:8).
Greed, envy and covetousness are common to all humanity; all of us need to guard against these sinful attributes. Although earthly wealth can sometimes make life easier or better on this earth, it will have no value in heaven or hell. Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Matthew 6:19-21, Mark 8:36). Read Mark 8:38 and Luke 12:8-9 and consider what Jesus is saying!