How Greed Works
Tony Nester
Luke 12:13-21
It's a sad thing to watch a family fight over money. But it often happens. Children are quick to shout, ''Not fair!'' if their parents ever give a dollar more to a brother or sister. Money triggers the most arguments in marriage. Some of the nastiest fights occur over inheritances and how the family estate is divided among the surviving children. And that's especially the case when there has been a second marriage. No wonder we are forced to use wills, trusts, prenuptial agreements, and more legal maneuverings to manage money in families - and even then, some people hire lawyers to contest those documents. Family fights are often money fights. And so it was with this man in the crowd who called out to Jesus, ''Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.''
Money can quickly become more important than relationships. It can ruin marriages, families, friendships, and even churches. We are meant to love people and use things, but we are always in danger of reversing this: loving things and using people. So it was with this man who cared little about Jesus' teaching and wanted instead Jesus to get him more from his family's estate.
Jesus refused to hear the man's case: ''Who made me a judge over your family's finances?'' And then Jesus says to everyone who was listening, ''Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.'' Jesus rebuffs the man and warns against the dangers of greed.
It's likely that what this man was upset about was that his brother was older and therefore had received the double portion. Deuteronomy 21:17 assigns a double portion of the property and the right to manage the family estate to the firstborn son when the father dies. Jews weren't the only ones to practice this rule; many other cultures have done the same.
This practice became known as the rule of primogeniture. There was a good reason for ...
Tony Nester
Luke 12:13-21
It's a sad thing to watch a family fight over money. But it often happens. Children are quick to shout, ''Not fair!'' if their parents ever give a dollar more to a brother or sister. Money triggers the most arguments in marriage. Some of the nastiest fights occur over inheritances and how the family estate is divided among the surviving children. And that's especially the case when there has been a second marriage. No wonder we are forced to use wills, trusts, prenuptial agreements, and more legal maneuverings to manage money in families - and even then, some people hire lawyers to contest those documents. Family fights are often money fights. And so it was with this man in the crowd who called out to Jesus, ''Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.''
Money can quickly become more important than relationships. It can ruin marriages, families, friendships, and even churches. We are meant to love people and use things, but we are always in danger of reversing this: loving things and using people. So it was with this man who cared little about Jesus' teaching and wanted instead Jesus to get him more from his family's estate.
Jesus refused to hear the man's case: ''Who made me a judge over your family's finances?'' And then Jesus says to everyone who was listening, ''Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.'' Jesus rebuffs the man and warns against the dangers of greed.
It's likely that what this man was upset about was that his brother was older and therefore had received the double portion. Deuteronomy 21:17 assigns a double portion of the property and the right to manage the family estate to the firstborn son when the father dies. Jews weren't the only ones to practice this rule; many other cultures have done the same.
This practice became known as the rule of primogeniture. There was a good reason for ...
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