Isaiah 57:14-21: Greed For The Wrong Things

And it will be said: “Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”

For this is what the high and exalted One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. I will not accuse them forever, nor will I always be angry, for then they would faint away because of me—the very people I have created. I was enraged by their sinful greed; I punished them, and hid my face in anger, yet they kept on in their willful ways. I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners, creating praise on their lips. Peace, peace, to those far and near,” says the Lord. "And I will heal them.” 

But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.” - Isaiah 57:14-21

Greed is never satisfied-always wanting more-but it is a destructive habit. The idea that the one thing-the one goal, the one win, the one relationship-will bring me what I want and ease the sense of lack that I feel is a lie. But because it stops the clamor for a short while, I seek to perpetually stockpile a supply of that one thing and rest secure that my happiness is assured. That is greed. 

God knows that this false longing does to our soul, how destructive it is. It casts "up mire and mud" and leaves "no peace" It is toxic because we were never meant to fill that longing with a "what" but with a "who". When he sees those things pretending to be the answer to that which we most desire, he is angry. 

What is the best course for someone hooked on the drug of the insubstantial and momentary? I don't know. God himself tried many remedies for the people of Israel, but few seem to have worked, at least not for any amount of time. The punishment could not be such that it destroyed the very ones whom he loved.

I'm not sure what the solution is, because my own greed-for significance, for being right, for being secure-is a recurring theme. I think sometimes I can only pray the same prayer I prayed as a college student, "Lord, change me gently. I am weak and I am not sure I can take the breaking, so I will suffer with the slow, unsatisfying progress of someone who grows slowly." As the psalm says, "As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust." (Ps. 103:13-14)

Luke 12:1-21: Is My Motive Just Or Just Greedy?

Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

“I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God.  And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

“When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

“But God said to him, ‘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 whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” - Luke 12:1-21

Jesus was a traffic hazard. Walking through the crowds for him was like those scenes in movies where some important person tries to get from a door to the car, with microphones attentive, cameras peering and flashes highlighting his entire path. And always voices calling out and asking his opinion, but often just to satisfy themselves that he would reinforce opinions that they themselves were previously convinced of. 

Such was the case when someone in the crowd asked Jesus to "tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." Why did ask Jesus when you already know the answer? Because they wanted to be publicly validated in the rightness of their claim. So Jesus doesn't give a direct answer, because a direct answer would be a wrong one. Instead he speaks to the crowd and warns them about not the correctness of the claim, but of the motive for seeking the claim. It wasn't related to justice--the right thing--, it was related to the unquenchable to have more than his brother.

Under the guise of justice, this person was greedy.

What will I do when God says something to me? Will I seek for an interpretation which allows me to convince myself that Jesus shares the opinion I have already formed? Or will I allow him to challenge even the most brilliant of conclusions? And will I let him challenge my motives in concluding as I did?

That is the question I should ask.