This morning we turn our attention to the problem of “Spiraling Greed.” To understand this problem, I want to thread two passages together. In Matthew 6:1-4, Jesus provides clearest picture ever of the motive that feeds greed. In Matthew 6:19-21, then, Jesus gives three practical ways to dismantle greed.
First, consider The Motive of Greed. When you hear the word “greed” what do you think? Your mind goes to greenbacks, someone doing way better than you, someone living a more luxurious life. It’s rare that a person think, “Ah, that’s me! Greed is my issue!” But greed has never been about simple economics, not dollars and cents, nor materialism. Greed is fueled by a deeper impoverishment of the soul, our sense that we’ve been left out, left behind, left unseen. At its deepest source, greed is a famine of identity, feeling unknown, unloved. It’s a frantic bid to purchase status and recognition, attention and love.
Greed is fundamentally relational and existential. Listen how Jesus frames greed. Matthew 6:1-4, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven. So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people.”
Jesus’ choice of imagery is profound. A prominent feature of Greco-Roman culture was the theatre. The theatre was complete with actors, scripted plays, stages, audience seating. The Greek word for “actor” was “hypokrite!” A hypokrite would put on a mask (in Greek the mask was called a “personae”… a hypokrites personae would mask their true identity). Hypokrites would obsessively “practice” their script, competing against other hypokrites. Their hope was to stand “in front of” a vast crowd, “to be seen by them.” Their reward was “to be applauded by people.” The hypokrites perfect their acts to receive “Doxa” which is Greek for glory, worship, honor, and praise. Now if you couldn’t win the acclaim of people in theatres you’d turn to the street corners. And if really desperate, even the synagogue stage. You’d have friends blast trumpets. In fact, you’d use almost any gimmick or pull almost any stunt to draw attention to yourself.
This is a profound insight. Greed is never about others, certainly not the poor, nor the cause of some real world need. Greed is the impoverished soul sparing no measure to garner attention, eyeballs, views, clicks, claps, likes, acclaim. Greed is performative—look what I’m doing. Greed is a soul’s desperate bid to manufacture love, attention, self-glory. In this light, the church stage, the Jewish synagogue, can be a stage like any other. A place where people grasp for attention, recognition, status, applause, approval.
So how then does money, material things, “treasure on earth” factor into greed? Money is the currency of recognition and “means” of visibility. Think about this. You have an abundance of money for our true needs (i.e. food, water, shelter). You have money enough for most reasonable pleasures (i.e. piece of chocolate, warm drink, a comfortable shirt). But there isn’t enough money in the world to quench a soul’s greed for status. For prominence (eyeballs) you must compete, stand out, stand above, differentiate, distinguish, or impress.
So again, greed isn’t an appetite for money and possessions in itself. Greed recklessly spends itself for eyes; to be seen. It’s a panicked, often desperate and reckless, bid for attention. But no matter how much greed spends itself the audience is never quite impressed, and worse, one’s soul never quite satisfied. Whatever momentary recognition, envy, covetousness is garnered quickly fades under the stage lights.
Second, consider The Cost of Greed. Greed obscures the glory of God, but how? Well for one, greed captivates our soul. And worse, it captivates the soul of others. When all your energy goes to winning the applause of men, who is the first casualty in that occasion? Listen carefully once again. Matthew 6:1-4, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven. So, whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. Truly, I tell you, they have their reward. But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
True worship obliterates greed. Because pure worship, giving fasting, or prayer seeks not the applause of men, but that exclusively of God! Remember that beatitude? Blessed are the pure in heart, they will see God? The divided heart cannot see God, its eye is full of itself, and full of the crowd. If an act of devotion is pure, it’s done for God’s pleasure, the applause of God’s glory. The goal is that people most see God in a thing.
Interesting enough, COVID radically altered public displays of generosity. Before COVID churches “passed the offering plate.” Nobody could imagine there being any other way. If you didn’t bump people with a plate, would they give? Indirectly, passing the plate was also a kind of way of separating “the sheep from the goats.” If you gave it filled you with a sense of pride. People notice that kind of thing over time. And they also notice the opposite—when a person never gives, or rarely gives, or inconsistently gives. Passing the plate was a kind of accountability, necessary to compel sacrifice.
But during COVID you couldn’t pass the plate. Church had a choice-- hook up digital giving and survive, or bleed red and close your doors. During COVID giving went completely private. And against everyone’s wildest imagination, people gave more than ever before, and more consistently. Giving more “secretly” didn’t cause kingdom generosity to collapse—it deepened it!
Professional fundraising works on the opposite principle—not private secrecy but public recognition. Think of last public charity auctions you attended. People were out bidding one another (competing) in front of a vast crowd. Or think of a typical fundraiser. There is maybe a wall (a plaque, an entire building), prominently displaying name of the top donor. A brochure honoring various levels of generosity. Bronze (those who give up to $100). Silver (up to $1000). Gold (up to 10,000). Platinum (up to 100,000). “ooh ahh…who are the platinum people?” Fundraising gimmicks work because they appeal to a man’s deepest need (even greed) for recognition. You give us capital, we give you legacy, status, acclaim.
But when it comes to Kingdom, the pleasure of God ought be our highest motive. Our greatest hope, that people see God! Besides, how quickly we burn through the currency of praise. When you give for your own honor, it buys you, at best, 15 minutes applause, a fleeting glance, your name on a plaque nobody reads after ten years, a program brochure people deposit in the trash after a celebrative banquet. If you give for praise of men Jesus says, “You’ve been paid in full” The praise of men is entire payout, the ledger is closed, no balance due by Father. The hypokrite pays in performance; the audience pays in praise, the curtain closes.
Third, consider The Joy of Generosity. Would we not rather enjoy the truly satisfying, multi-dimensional rewards, of our Father who rewards what’s done in secret exponentially? There are two thieves of joy. First, spiritual pride. Spiritual pride can steal your joy of giving. Jesus says, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. That’s one reason I love automated giving—it allows to keep both hands on the plow. It frees my heart to stay completely fixed on God’s gaze, his glory, his pleasure.
Second, disobedience. Jesus says, when you give in secret the Father will reward you. And Jesus doesn’t specify—reward you when, reward you how? Reward you now? In eternity? Reward you monetarily, or spiritually? I’ve never met a generous person who didn’t feel exponentially rewarded across all categories of life when they gave. So then, what happens in the inverse… if you never give? The chronic non-giver isn't holding onto their wallet because they are prudent, because they have more bills than anyone else. They are holding onto their wallet because they feel spiritually bankrupt, chronically unseen. Jesus says giving changes all of that. When we give in secret the God who sees in secret sees, knows, provides…. And the greatest gift of all… promises you see God.
Three Practical Ways to Decimate Greed. First, Store Your Treasure in Heaven. Matthew 6:19-21, “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Just where, what, for whom are you storing your treasure? As you go through life, the truth of Jesus’ words will haunt you more and more. What shines and sparkles today will be thrown in a dumpster tomorrow. If not stolen then taken, if not lost in closet, then stolen from a storage unit, … it will lose its value in time. And in the very end, melted on Day of Lord. Only God can give you truly timeless, eternal treasures, lasting rewards.
Second, Shift Your Vision and Focus to Christ. Matthew 6:22-23, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness, how deep is that darkness!”
Our world is filled with darkness, because we’ve shifted our focus off of God unto ourselves. Don’t you want your eyes fully set on God’s glory? Don’t you want that for everyone around you? There is no light in greed. There is nothing life-giving about pining for attention of men. But to the extent we fix our gaze upon God, not only do we see God, but it spells salvation for our soul… and ultimately our world.
Third, Chose Whom You Will Serve. Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
When something doesn’t bring the reward we expect, we often double down on that thing. This is true of Greed. If spending 100 dollars doesn’t do it, we aim for 1000, 10,000, 100,000, 1,000,000, ten million, one hundred million, or one thousand million! When greed is your master it always leaves you impoverished, a spiraling debt. But when God is your master, the opposite happens. Your devotion to him is recognized, it’s rewarded. God promises to provide for all your needs, to even show Himself to you. God even invites you to his own table, where he lavishes you with every good thing. What is the beatitude? “Blessed are the meek they will inherit the earth.” Those who serve God become truly free—no longer slave to wealth, to man, to world… free to serve Christ, full of joy.