MISERY-INDUCING GREED

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on 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 workers 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 the innocent One, who was not opposing you.

James 5:1-6

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

The matter of money and warnings about what can happen when a person accumulates it are found throughout the Bible. Two of the best are found in the sixth chapter of 1 Timothy. Here they are:

...godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Vv. 6-10

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. Vv. 17-18

It’s important to note that the scriptures are speaking out about wealth being a sin. Rather, it’s how a Christian believer allows their wealth to impact the way they live their lives before the Lord that is the matter at hand.

Those who handle affluency the proper way see that the Lord has provided what they have and feel a staunch responsibility and accountability to be good stewards of what He has given. They won’t be arrogant in their wealth or place their hope in possessions they can’t take with them when this worldly life is over. Instead, they choose to be rich in good deeds, using the money the Lord has provided “to be generous and willing to share” with others. They choose charity over vanity.

We also find James writing words on this matter of mishandling prosperity. Look again at his words here as found in the first six verses of chapter 5:

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on 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 workers 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 the innocent One, who was not opposing you.

Here we find rich employers of others refusing to pay workers for their labors. The cries of the harvesters, declaring the injustices of those they worked for, elevated into the heavens until they reached the “ears of the Lord Almighty” who would not look kindly on these transgressions as the rich mistreated the less fortunate while living in “luxury and self indulgence”. God’s Word made clear that misery was in the future of the wealthy offenders who would be reduced to weeping and wailing at the hands of God’s judgment on them.

Need an example of someone who allowed money to be their master and suffered the penalty of misery in return. We get a clue about who I’m referring to at the end of the passage from James, a verse that brings Jesus to the forefront.

Of course, I am talking about none other than Judas Iscariot himself who, even though he was a member of Jesus’ twelve hand-selected disciples, didn’t hesitate to help himself to the money earmarked to fund Jesus and the eleven others (John 12:6). He loved money and himself more than he loved his Master and this is what led to him so quickly selling out Jesus for 30 pieces of silver to the murder-driven Sanhedrin.

What happened after he had betrayed Jesus?

Misery, that’s what.

For we know that he tried to return the money, only to be rebuffed by the callous, uncaring chief priests and elders. Here’s what we read in Matthew 27:

When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” Vv. 3-4

Judas’ repentance was of no significance to the Jewish religious leaders who were sinning against God themselves with no remorse. Left empty in his regret and self condemnation, here’s what Judas did next in the midst of his greed-induced misery:

So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. v.5

Going back to the passage from 1 Timothy 6, Judas was a perfect example of someone who wandered from their faith because of the eagerness for money and, as a result, “pierced themselves with many griefs”. In his case, the griefs became greater than Judas’ willingness to live.

In the Bible, we find a lot of discussion from the Lord regarding money and how believers are to conduct themselves when they are blessed with an abundance of it. Ultimately, we should treat our possessions as if they aren’t ours but the Lord’s. And with this, we should always be consulting Him as to what He wants us to do with what He has entrusted us with. For when we do, we can be assured that our stewardship will honor Him because He is dictating that stewardship, leading us to allocate our funds in a way that make a kingdom difference here on earth.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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