“Be on your guard against all kinds of greed”

–Luke 12:15

While living in North Carolina, I had a friend named Jack with whom I regularly played golf. We did so as part of a quartet consisting of that 70 year old who still worked in the uniform rental industry, a retiree named Bill who was a bit older, and John, a man my age. All three were members of the church I served at the time. John was by far the best player in the group and I, by any measure, clearly the worst. Thus, John and I were usually paired together for any golf outings with Bill and Jack.

Jack, in his delightful way, would refer to our team as the “young punks.” He was no less insulting of his own twosome, referring to their pairing as one who was  “arthritic [untrue] and the other older than dirt!”  Occasionally the four of us would play for what he called “perpetual bragging rights,” which in Jack-speak meant until the next time we played. 

Every now and then in one of our rounds, he would attempt a risky shot. My entire golf game could be described as risky, particularly for the way it put other golfers in harm’s way!  For Jack, it was more of a calculated chance and would typically come on a shot when the standard advice was to lay-up. That term means one should put the next drive short of some water or sand hazard and then hit a second shot to the green instead of trying to cover the entire distance in one swing. Often Jack would take the safe route, but if having an especially good round, would go for broke. 

To be fair, his boldness would occasionally pay off, but the times I remember best are when the ball would go straight from his clubhead into the pond or sand or woods. Whenever that happened, Jack would respond with his great laugh, turn to me and say “That’s what you preach about all the time isn’t it—being greedy?” Actually, I’m not sure I had ever preached an entire sermon on the topic, much less on a regular basis.  Still, I understood his point. As there are risks involved in always trying to get more; an impact which goes far beyond the golf course.

Jesus addressed that matter once when someone from the crowd shouted out “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.”  In response, Jesus said “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” He goes on to tell the parable of a man whose land produced abundant harvests. Instead of giving away the excess, the farmer decided to tear down his barns so that he can construct larger ones. His plan was to store more grain and then take life easy. In that tale, before the man can act on his idea, God says “You fool!  This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?”  

Even if I wasn’t a recent retiree, I would confidently affirm that Jesus was not suggesting we should refrain from planning ahead or enjoying the fruits of our labors. Instead, he was warning against a life in which one puts trust in material things and is focused chiefly on acquiring more and more stuff. The contrasting heavenly virtue to that deadly sin is charity; a life of generosity.

In my years as a pastor, I saw countless saints who modeled such an existence. There was a retired schoolteacher in the same congregation as Jack named Betty Funderburk. Her husband had been the president of the only bank in that small town and when it was purchased by a larger bank they became quite wealthy.  In humble fashion, she continued to give, once purchasing three adjacent homes to help the congregation expand. 

I’ve seen that same trait in parishioners who never had a high net worth, too.  Such individuals would faithfully give at least ten percent of their income back to God through the church even though they never made a large salary.  I had a member who joined one congregation soon after my arrival and immediately became one of the highest givers.  Her lifestyle seemed quite modest. When I had the opportunity to chat with her privately I said, “It’s clear that you were taught well about generosity along the way.  Who most inspired you in that regard?”  “My mother,” she replied.

In contrast, I also had some members who had luxurious homes, fancy cars, and took expensive vacations, but gave little financial support to the ministry of their church home. They would imply and sometimes openly state that by giving of their time or talents to the congregation they had done their part. To be sure every church and non-profit organization needs individuals to commit their energies to make things run smoothly. Yet I can’t think of one Biblical moment when Jesus suggested that volunteering was a substitute for being generous with their treasures, too.

Without a doubt, human beings can be greedy or bountiful in other ways as well. Those same contrasting traits can appear in regards to how individuals share love or forgiveness, compassion or understanding. In such matters, Jesus would have us be generous as well. Yet on the day he spoke the words above he was talking about material wealth. His words remain true even in an era of cryptocurrency.     

We still live in a world that teaches we will be happiest by accumulating more and more things. To such voices, Jesus speaks the truth.. “Be on guard against all kinds of greed,” he said “for life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” If we can begin to accept that insight and act upon it, we will be freed from the tyranny of things and experience the incredible joy that comes from acts of generosity.

So that even if our golf shot ends up wet, we can still laugh and celebrate the true blessings of which our life consists.   

Source of all that I possess, thank you for the blessings entrusted to me. Help me find new ways to grow in a life of generosity and to guard against greed in all its forms.  Amen.