Our Lord calls special attention to the danger by a special admonition. Out of that little band that accompanied him, one made shipwreck on this rock. The whole life of Jesus was cast into a mould of uttermost hostility to it; and the effect was seen in the Pentecostal Church, where no man called anything his own. But we are fallen upon very different times; and neither the example nor the earnest warnings of Christ and his apostles, have power to keep down this spirit in the Church. If the token of a pure Church is its freedom from covetousness. then is the Church of our day corrupt in deed. The parable spoken In immediate connection with these words, shows that our Lord understands by covetousness, the laying up of much goods for many years, and rejoicing in that provision. The man described in the parable did not, that we are told, practice extortion or commit frauds in order to be rich; but being, in the providence of God, made rich beyond all his present wants, chose rather to consider his own future possible wants, and make provision for them, than to alleviate the actual wants of the poor around about him. He was unwilling to relinquish money that he did not now want, because a time might come when he would want it.
The Church has utterly discarded the idea that there is any thing in the word of God to hinder her from seeking any amount of wealth. There are thousands and tens of thousands of Christians, whose consciences would take alarm at once, at the presence of sin in other forms, who are deterred by no manner of scruple from embarking with all their heart in the endeavor to accumulate wealth far beyond any actual and even probable wants. " They pull down their barns and build greater," without a single ominous reflection coming to remind them of the poor, in whose barns there is nothing.
How shall a man beware of covetousness? Let him learn to look upon the things of others, to occupy himself more with the greater wants of others than with his own lesser wants, to know himself as simply a steward of the goods of God, and to shrink far more from being written down in the estimation of heaven " a fool," than in the estimation of earth. Had the man in the parable pursued any other course than he did,men would have said unto him, "thou fool;" but how infinitely more dreadful to hear it from God. Let the Christian know where his true wealth is; and trust God with his future wants. Has faith nothing to do with temporal matters? Who can say it that ever read the word of God?
A daily devotional written by a Baptist Missionary to India, Reverend George Bowen (1816-1888) over 150 years ago.
George H. Bowen (30 April 1816 at Middlebury, Vermont – 5 February 1888 at Bombay, India) was an American missionary, newspaper man, linguist, and translator in India. He was known as "The White Saint of India" for his resemblance in manner and dress to the Hindu holy men.
Our Lord calls special attention to the danger by a special admonition. Out of that little band that accompanied him, one made shipwreck on this rock. The whole life of Jesus was cast into a mould of uttermost hostility to it; and the effect was seen in the Pentecostal Church, where no man called anything his own. But we are fallen upon very different times; and neither the example nor the earnest warnings of Christ and his apostles, have power to keep down this spirit in the Church. If the token of a pure Church is its freedom from covetousness. then is the Church of our day corrupt in deed. The parable spoken In immediate connection with these words, shows that our Lord understands by covetousness, the laying up of much goods for many years, and rejoicing in that provision. The man described in the parable did not, that we are told, practice extortion or commit frauds in order to be rich; but being, in the providence of God, made rich beyond all his present wants, chose rather to consider his own future possible wants, and make provision for them, than to alleviate the actual wants of the poor around about him. He was unwilling to relinquish money that he did not now want, because a time might come when he would want it.
The Church has utterly discarded the idea that there is any thing in the word of God to hinder her from seeking any amount of wealth. There are thousands and tens of thousands of Christians, whose consciences would take alarm at once, at the presence of sin in other forms, who are deterred by no manner of scruple from embarking with all their heart in the endeavor to accumulate wealth far beyond any actual and even probable wants. " They pull down their barns and build greater," without a single ominous reflection coming to remind them of the poor, in whose barns there is nothing.
How shall a man beware of covetousness? Let him learn to look upon the things of others, to occupy himself more with the greater wants of others than with his own lesser wants, to know himself as simply a steward of the goods of God, and to shrink far more from being written down in the estimation of heaven " a fool," than in the estimation of earth. Had the man in the parable pursued any other course than he did,men would have said unto him, "thou fool;" but how infinitely more dreadful to hear it from God. Let the Christian know where his true wealth is; and trust God with his future wants. Has faith nothing to do with temporal matters? Who can say it that ever read the word of God?