Warning Against Covetousness

Luke xii.: 13-28. Golden Text.—Take heed, and beware of covetousness.—Luke xii.: 15.

Notes.—The date of the lesson is to be about the same as the last; the place near Jerusalem. No other writer mentions this incident. Master; Teacher; Covetousness; Inordinate desires; or more literally, the desire to have more and more. Goods; farm products, clothing, gold and silver. Take no thought: do not be worried nor anxious—over-careful. Meat; food of all kinds. Disciples; learners or pupils, corresponding to master or teacher.

1. One of the Company.—The Saviour had just been talking to a vast multitude on the subject of hypocrisy, and one of the crowd, not a disciple, came up at an inopportune time and made a very foolish request. Instead of going to the proper authorities which had jurisdiction in such cases, he took occasion to interrupt Jesus while he was speaking to a multitude, and such words as never man spake. None of the Saviour's precious words in the first part of the chapter had reached this fellow's heart. He could think of nothing but the inheritance, to be divided; he could not wait the law's delay, but must needs apply to the Saviour of the world to abandon his grand mission for awhile and go and settle some little property matter. Intense selfishness was at the bottom of this request. But then we must not hurl too many stones at this man; for even in our day many put on a cloak of religion, and attend the preaching of the word as this man did, and altogether for selfish and worldly purposes, and if preachers could only help such out in the heaping up of unjust gains, the preachers would have no rest. They would be very popular, indeed.

2. Who made me a judge, or divider over you?—Christ's earthly mission was not to become a judge. He was a teacher. So the duty of the preacher to-day is to stick to his teaching. When he abandons that for the forum, or merchandize, or politics, the church will lose something, and the world will not gain much.

3. Take heed and beware.—A double warning is given here, because the sin is a very common and great one. Let us not make a common mistake, that only the rich are covetous. It is a sin common to all classes. Women, as well as men, are warped and crooked by it. Many people, not worth two hundred dollars, are as covetous as the devil would desire them to be. There are two kinds of wealth attainable in this world; that of character, and that of property. When both are combined, and belong to one person, he is truly rich; the man with but little of this world's goods, but rich in character, occupies a position to be envied by millionaires. He who is rich in property, and nothing else, is poor indeed. Lazarus was rich; Dives, poor.

4. The Rich Man.—It was no sin to be rich, and to have new and well-filled barns. It was the duty of this man to make all he could, and take care of everything he made. Joseph, in Egypt, collected much corn, and preserved it with care. He was right. David laid up much treasure, and no one blamed him. It is not the get...