“Guard Against Every Sort of Covetousness”

He sounded a strong warning against covetousness and reinforced that warning with a thought-provoking illustration.

Hence, the Bible’s many warnings against greed and the related vice of covetousness are timely. (Colossians 3:5; 1 Timothy 6:10)

According to the dictionary, greed and covetousness share the element of “having or showing a strong desire for possessions and especially material possessions.”

Covetousness is a form of greed that is especially reprehensible in that a covetous person not only wants things for himself, but he sets his heart on things that rightfully belong to another.

Covetousness is bound to breed trouble.

Avoid Greed and Covetousness

18, 19. (a) What are greed and covetousness? (b) How can we guard against idolatrous greed and covetousness?

¹⁸ Christians also guard against greed and covetousness, which are closely related forms of idolatry.

“Be on the alert and on guard against every kind of covetousness, because even when a person has an abundance his life does not result from the things he possesses.”—Luke 12:15, NW.

Unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness filled the world of Paul’s day.

5. What aspects of the Mosaic Law are we going to consider?

⁵ Let us see what encouragement we can gain from just three aspects of the Mosaic Law: the Sabbath arrangement, the provision for gleaning, and the commandment against covetousness.

Guarding Against Covetousness

13. What is it that counts toward secure, happy living?

¹³ It is so very evident that the accumulation of wealth does not bring peace, security or prosperity to the nations, nor does it bring real happiness to the individual who may have gathered it through evil means and covetousness.

It is covetousness.

For example, it calls covetousness “idolatry.” (Col. 3:5)

In contrast, all who want to flee God’s day of wrath must give him exclusive devotion and resist any such covetousness.

He wrote: “Deaden, therefore, your body members that are upon the earth as respects fornication, uncleanness, sexual appetite, hurtful desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (Col. 3:5)

Covetousness is a strong desire for something we do not possess.

24. (a) Before becoming a baptized disciple to Jesus Christ, how may a person have used his body members and his power of speech? (b) What should he do now?

²⁴ “Deaden” Paul writes, “your body members that are upon the earth as respects fornication, uncleanness, sexual appetite, hurtful desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (Col. 3:5)

25. (a) Why is covetousness idolatry? (b) How can recognition of this fact help us to gain the mastery over wrong fleshly desires?

²⁵ One thing that can help us to gain the mastery over wrong fleshly desires is a recognition of the seriousness of covetousness​—an inordinate desire for something to which a person is not entitled.

“KEEP your eyes open and guard against every sort of covetousness, because even when a person has an abundance his life does not result from the things he possesses.”​—Luke 12:15.

Evidently, therefore, covetousness was involved in the case of the man who wanted Jesus Christ to pass judgment in his favor.

The point we want to keep in mind, though, is the one that Jesus makes at Luke 12:15: “Then he said to them: ‘Be on the alert and on guard against every kind of covetousness, because even when a person has an abundance his life does not result from the things he possesses.’”

Jehovah in his Word indicates how strongly he feels against covetousness, for he included this in one of the Ten Commandments.

How does Jehovah feel about covetousness or greed?

“Let fornication and uncleanness of every sort or greediness [or, “covetousness”] not even be mentioned among you,” states the Bible.​—Eph. 5:3; ftn.

We may also recall Jesus’ warning: “Keep your eyes open and guard against every sort of covetousness, because even when a person has an abundance his life does not result from the things he possesses.”

To be integrity keepers, we must not succumb to sinful covetousness or greed.

20. Why should we avoid covetousness?

²⁰ Allow no place for covetousness​—greedy desire for what belongs to others.

But most important is Jesus’ statement that covetousness defiles a man.​—Mark 7:20-23.

This truth is reinforced by what Paul said to the Christians in Colossae: “Deaden, therefore, your body members that are upon the earth as respects . . . hurtful desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5)

How may covetousness, greed, or “love of money” amount to idolatry?

The Almighty God calls attention to this selfish driving force of greed and covetousness behind Gog in these prophetic words:

19. Why does covetousness now ferment in Gog’s heart, and what, therefore, is his resolve?

¹⁹ The same covetousness that produced Satan the Devil in the paradise of Eden now ferments in the heart of this sovereign prince Gog and courses through every fiber of his being.

Greed and covetousness are manifestations of selfishness, a form of making an idol of self, and hence are condemned in the Scriptures as idolatry.

“Deaden, therefore, your body members which are upon the earth as respects fornication, uncleanness, sexual appetite, hurtful desire, and COVETOUSNESS, WHICH IS IDOLATRY.”

However, because of “the deceptive power of riches,” we should never underestimate the danger of being overcome by greed and covetousness. (Matt. 13:22)

No wonder that centuries later, Jesus warned: “Keep your eyes open and guard against every sort of covetousness”!​—Luke 12:15.

3. Briefly relate Jesus’ illustration recorded at Luke 12:16-21.

³ Jesus’ illustration was given on the same occasion that he spoke about the need to guard against covetousness, which we examined in some detail in the preceding article.

After warning about covetousness, Jesus spoke about a rich man who is not content with storehouses filled with good things he already has but who tears them down and builds bigger ones in order to lay up more good things.

He adds: “With covetousness they will exploit you with counterfeit words.”

They focus their “heart trained in covetousness” on the spiritually unsteady ones who have failed to make the truth fully their own.

Jesus left no doubt as to the danger: “Keep your eyes open and guard against every sort of covetousness” or greed. (Luke 12:15-21)

One dictionary of Greek says that the group of words rendered “greed” or “covetousness” has the sense of “‘wanting more,’ with a reference to power etc. as well as property.”

Then, consider the unique tenth commandment, forbidding covetousness.

The (Tenth) commandment, against covetousness, reminds us that Jehovah requires that our intentions always be upright in his eyes.​—Proverbs 21:2.

Formerly, men spoke of the “seven deadly sins”: pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy and sloth.

It is hard to see how the consumer societies in many wealthy countries could continue without a measure of covetousness, envy and gluttony among the populace.