Luke 12:15
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Take heed and guard against covetousness, because a person's life, worth and happiness do not consist in and are not measured by the abundance of property he owns. Covetousness is the desire to gain, accumulate and store wealth for self, an excessive love of gain that fixes the heart on material increase instead of spiritual riches. It is illustrated by the rich man whose ground yielded plentifully, who purposed to pull down his barns and build greater to store his goods and take ease for many years, but whose soul was required that very night, showing that stored wealth cannot secure life and passes to others. Instead become rich toward God by using abundance to do good, bless others, help the needy and lay up treasure in heaven, rather than hoarding or withholding from God and suffering people. Such devotion to acquiring money is dangerous because it turns the heart from God and human need, chokes generous impulses and godliness, and becomes idolatry that sets up another god and cannot coexist with serving God.
Meaning of the Warning
Take heed and guard against covetousness, because a person's life, worth and happiness do not consist in and are not measured by the abundance of property or possessions owned. Possessions do not make life truly abundant or secure, and the length and happiness of life and true security do not depend on the amount of earthly goods acquired. Storing wealth cannot preserve life or keep doom away, for confidence in stored goods failed when the one who trusted them to secure years of ease died that very night and what was stored passed to another.
Covetousness means the desire to gain, accumulate and store wealth for oneself, including excessive desire for wealth and love of gain and growing devotion to getting money. Worldly acquisitions pursued with excessive love of gain are dangerous because mind and work taken up with planning and laboring to pile up riches dull spiritual life.
Covetousness as self-seeking cuts the soul off from life. To live for self is to perish, for in living for self a person rejects the divine love that would flow out in mercy to others and thus rejects life itself, since God is love and love is life, and whoever chooses the earthly rather than the spiritual must pass away with the earthly. True life is found in Christ and is expressed in giving and sacrificing for the good of others, in contrast to the selfish spirit of getting to draw to self which is the spirit of Satan opposite the spirit of Christ to give and sacrifice self.
The warning was spoken over an inheritance dispute and exposes what lies beneath disputes over land, property and all similar quarrels, making possessions of secondary importance. Fixing the heart on material gain instead of spiritual riches crowds out the call to receive an eternal inheritance. To put worldly gain and the kingdom of this world first is a great temptation that discards the Word of God, lets the god of this world assume supremacy, and sets up another god to be worshiped.
The verse is a solemn and explicit divine command directly forbidding indulgence in covetousness now. It was urged repeatedly and earnestly everywhere upon those seeking salvation, in rich homes and in the temple and in the streets, against devotion to acquiring money. Greed is not a harmless desire for possessions but a sin with grave consequences, as seen when unlawful gain cost conscience and hope of heaven.
Parable of the Rich Fool
The warning is illustrated by the rich man whose ground brought forth plentifully, leaving him with no room for his fruits so that he purposed to pull down his barns and build greater in which to bestow all his fruits and goods. He said to his soul to take ease and eat, drink, and be merry for many years to come, trusting his stored goods to secure for him years of ease. He stored his abundant harvest for himself and gave no thought to the needy, though his goods could have helped them and brought glory to God. God said to him, Thou fool, because his soul was required of him that very night, and the things he had provided would pass to others. His confidence in his goods could not preserve his life, showing that earthly wealth cannot secure life or keep doom away, and that what is stored for self passes to another who inherits it. So it is with everyone who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.
The parable rebukes those who profess to believe the truth and to expect Christ soon, yet have abundance and act over the case of the foolish rich man. They bury themselves in the cares of this life and in work, tearing down and building greater to bestow their goods, giving little time to study and prayer. While professing to be pilgrims and strangers they plunge deeper into the world, with treasure and heart on earth. They are called to be wise and to shun that example, using the blessings given them to bless others instead of turning them into a curse, for to all such God will say, Thou fool, and love to God is shown only as much as works show it.
Call to Unselfish Stewardship
The verse calls for becoming rich toward God by using abundance and blessings to do good, bless others, help the needy, and lay up treasure in heaven, rather than hoarding treasure for self or withholding wealth from God and suffering people. The rich fool stored his plentiful harvest in larger barns and planned years of ease, eating, drinking and being merry, giving no thought to the needy and bringing no glory to God, yet his soul was required that very night and his provided goods passed to others. So it is with everyone who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God, and the warning rebukes those who profess to expect Christ soon yet bury themselves in cares and work, tearing down and building greater while giving little time to study and prayer, with treasure and heart on earth though claiming to be pilgrims and strangers. They are called to be wise, to shun that example, and to use blessings to bless others instead of turning them into a curse, for love to God is shown only as much as works show.
Devotion to acquiring money is dangerous because the pursuit of riches and excessive desire for wealth can turn people from God and human need, weaken spiritual life, and lead them to forget the claims of God and of others. The love of riches can root true godliness out of the heart, choke generous impulses, dull the soul, remove divine favor, make people indifferent to the suffering and afflicted, and paralyze the soul, leaving even the rich miserable, discontented and unsatisfied and ruining the soul. Prosperity is entrusted by God, not given so that time and attention may be devoted to planning and laboring to pile up more, and when mind and work are taken up with getting, the lent gift is put before the Giver though the Giver is greater than the gift. Gratitude for the infinite price paid in redemption on the cross should shame a life of selfish ease and indulgence, and wealth brings responsibility so that those who withhold it selfishly from people in need will face judgment, while keeping God's commandments leads to mercy and love toward others.
Covetousness is idolatry that cannot coexist with service to God and must have no place among Christians, for to put worldly gain and the kingdom of this world first discards the Word of God, lets the god of this world assume supremacy, sets up another god to be worshiped, and breaks the command to have no other gods before Him. The kingdom of God does not consist in meat and drink, and whoever makes the things of this life first under Satan's great temptation will learn to his sorrow that life and happiness do not consist in abundance of worldly goods acquired. Despite the solemn and explicit divine command to stay on guard and reject greed, covetousness still abounds creating discontent in families, envy of the poor against the rich, oppression of the poor by the rich, and even in the church in selfishness, avarice, neglect of charities and robbery of God in tithes and offerings. The doom that follows disregarding it is seen in Achan, Judas, Ananias and Sapphira, and Lucifer who coveted a higher state, with Achan sacrificing conscience and hope of heaven for unlawful gain just as he was forbidden to take the spoils of Jericho.
Covetousness and avarice are evils plainly condemned, and when cherished and indulged they grow until they dominate character, as seen in Judas whose cherished greed made him guilty and who took offense at correction instead of turning from sin and obeying. Christ's teaching against them is meant to correct these evils, and the proper response is to obey and turn from them rather than resent correction, even when concern for the poor and appeals to avoid waste are twisted into excuses for greed. The warning is especially urgent because covetousness is common in the last days, and those blessed with great light must not strive in a tame, listless way without religious interest but must put the whole heart into Christ's service through daily prayer and watchfulness and through supreme love to God and to those for whom Christ died, valuing knowing God rather than accumulating possessions.
Applied to the use of the Lord's money, the verse calls those who spend it on unnecessary things to examine their use of it and to direct means toward helping others and advancing God's work. Unused houses, lands and money are to be put to use in helping advance God's work rather than kept for selfish purposes, exposing selfish holding and accumulation of wealth. Even useful-looking improvements in one place, such as in Battle Creek, should not be funded at the expense of fields lacking buildings needed for God's work, since life is not measured by how much property or wealth is possessed. Applied to church building and institutional growth, contributions are to be freely given and houses of worship should be neat and appropriate, not costly cathedrals with needless adornment and display, and should not burden the church with debt. Material expansion must not be made the measure of success by immense, debt-financed buildings and concentrating resources in one institution, since such accumulation can draw people away from useful service and weaken piety. Applied to children, the lesson warns against covetousness and selfishness by teaching self-denial early rather than indulging them until they expect every wish to be granted and everything to center on them.