Over the course of the last few weeks we’ve been looking at several imperatives that start off Hebrews 13, commands on how to live the Christian life: “Let brotherly love continue,” “do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,” “remember those who are in prison,” then last week “let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled.” Today we come to the last of the imperatives and the second of which identifies two of our most dangerous idols that we pursue for the sake of happiness—sexual fulfillment and a multiplicity of possessions.
4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. 5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
I’m fairly confident in saying that regardless of the century in which a person lives, sex and money will always be at the top of the list when it comes to our greatest battles and the temptations we encounter. Today we want to look at the temptation to greed and covetousness.
Decades ago Friedrich Nieztzsche wrote that with the absence of God in our culture, money would take His place. Money would become our idol.
“What induces one man to use false weights, another to set his house on fire after having insured it for more than its value, a third to take part in counterfeiting, while three-fourths of our upper classes indulge in legalized fraud…what gives rise to all this? It is not real want, — for their existence is by no means precarious…but they are urged on day and night by a terrible impatience at seeing their wealth pile up so slowly, and by an equally terrible longing and love for these heaps of gold…What was once done “for the love of God” is now done for the love of money, i.e. for the love of that which at present affords us the highest feeling of power and a good conscience.”
But so few of us really think that we are greedy! The other guy, sure, but not me. In fact, covetousness and greed are often admired in our culture. It is part and parcel of ambition.
The Bible also calls this covetousness and it is the last of the prohibitions in the Ten Commandments (Exod. 20:17) and the one that Paul says tripped him up (Rom. 7:7-8). John Owen has said that “covetousness is an inordinate desire to enjoy more money than we have, or than God is pleased to give us.”
Yet, love of money is a huge pitfall in the Christian life. So here in Hebrews 13:4-6 our author links together these two prevalent idols in our culture—the desire for sexual fulfillment and the desire for more and more.
The sins of sexual impurity and covetousness are linked in several NT passages (e.g., 1 Cor 5:10-11; Eph 4:19; 1 Thes 4:3-6), probably because their prohibitions are given side by side as the seventh and eighth of the Ten Commandments. Both the sexually immoral and those greedy for money pursue a myopic self-gratification that takes them outside the bounds of God’s provision. Such greed amounts to accusing God of incompetence as a provider of one’s most basic needs and, therefore, is incompatible with commitment to God himself (cf. Mt 6:24). Consequently, Christians are exhorted to keep their lives “free from the love of money” and to “be content” with what they have. (George H. Guthrie, The NIV Application Commentary: Hebrews, 437)
The pagan culture at the time, and our modern, especially New York culture today; puts those two things (money and sex) in opposition. For us today, sex is just a means to an end. It is not a holy, sacred thing. So you do it with whomever. But, money is very, very sacred and so you don’t share it with anybody. But you see, Christians are the opposite. Because in Christianity, sex is seen as a holy thing in itself. Something that you don’t share with anybody but your spouse. But money is not big a deal. You share it with whomever. (Tim Keller; Money and Your Faith)
Covetousness, either of another man’s wife, or someone else’s property, is a perilous snare. The Christian believes that in his providential goodness the Lord will give him what is good for him. He will work hard, be generous with his possessions, and leave the rest with God. He certainly does not spend his precious time fretting about how he can collect more money, or acquire more valuable things. This is the way the godless behave. The believer is grateful for those material necessities he already possesses and rejoices in far more satisfying spiritual possessions. His heart is set on those riches, not on the perishable things which have no value beyond death. Covetousness is born of doubt; contentment is the child of faith. (Raymond Brown, The Bible Speaks Today: Hebrews, 254)
So our author tells us, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have…” We are to be content with “what we have.” Although these are two separate statements, they are saying the same thing. Not to be in love with money is contentment. And if you are able to live in contentment with what you have, it means you are free from the love of money.
To grumble about our circumstances is to challenge the love and goodness of our heavenly Father. To be discontented implies that He has not provided us with what we need. Discontent was the sin of Israel in the wilderness. God had just miraculously delivered them from slavery in Egypt and He was miraculously meeting their needs, yet they grumbled and complained about their hardships and even threatened to return to Egypt.
Notice first of all in our passage that it is not money that is the problem, but the “love of money,” the desire to have more and more of it, to make our wants our needs. It is not sinful to have money, and some people God has blessed with greater wealth. I believe that God gives people wealth when He knows He can trust them with it—that it will not become an idol and will be used to glorify God and bless others. So money itself is not the problem. Rather, loving money is.
And it is not only the rich who face this temptation. Even poor people can be obsessed with getting money. 1 Timothy 6:9-10 expresses this danger that we all face:
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Money and possessions can be a snare that plunges us to ruin and destruction. It is a craving that can cause us to doubt God and ruin our spiritual life.
Men who trap animals in Africa for zoos in America say that one of the hardest animals to catch is the ringtailed monkey. For the Zulus of that continent, however, it’s simple. They’ve been catching this agile little animal with ease for years. The method the Zulus use is based on knowledge of the animal. Their trap is nothing more than a melon growing on a vine. The seeds of this melon are a favorite of the monkey. Knowing this, the Zulus simply cut a hole in the melon, just large enough for the monkey to insert his hand to reach the seeds inside. The monkey will stick his hand in, grab as many seeds as he can, then start to withdraw it. This he cannot do. His fist is now larger than the hole. The monkey will pull and tug, screech and fight the melon for hours. But he can’t get free of the trap unless he gives up the seeds, which he refuses to do. Meanwhile, the Zulus sneak up and nab him.
The author of Hebrews does not want us to fall into the trap of being so greedy for more that we imperil our spiritual lives.
Again, it is “the love of money” that is so harmful. And as such it is “a root of all kinds of evils.” Materialistic cravings and greed are a great evil because they show dependence on money rather than on Christ. Materialism is the antithesis of chapters 11-12, where a life pursuing heavenly rather than earthly rewards is extolled. Materialism also demonstrates that someone cares more about items they can see than about spiritual promises that they cannot presently see. (Bruce Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Hebrews, 233)
So terrible is this sin and so great is its power that, one who is governed by it will trample upon the claims of justice, as Ahab did in seizing the vineyard of Naboth (1 Kings 21); he will disregard the call of charity, as David did in taking the wife of Uriah (2 Sam. 11); he will stoop to the most fearful lies, as did Ananias and Sapphira; he will defy the express commandment of God, as Achan did; he will sell Christ, as Judas did. This is the mother sin, for “the love of money is the root of all evil.” (Arthur W. Pink, An Exposition of Hebrews, 1140)
Yet, most of us truly believe that if we had “just a little bit more” we would be happy. Instead of being content, we long for more; we believe that we need more. But the Scriptures say that this attitude will ruin us.
Leo Tolstoy once wrote a story about a successful peasant farmer who was not satisfied with his lot. He wanted more of everything. One day he received a novel offer. For 1000 rubles, he could buy all the land he could walk around in a day. The only catch in the deal was that he had to be back at his starting point by sundown. Early the next morning he started out walking at a fast pace. By midday he was very tired, but he kept going, covering more and more ground. Well into the afternoon he realized that his greed had taken him far from the starting point. He quickened his pace and as the sun began to sink low in the sky, he began to run, knowing that if he did not make it back by sundown the opportunity to become an even bigger landholder would be lost. As the sun began to sink below the horizon he came within sight of the finish line. Gasping for breath, his heart pounding, he called upon every bit of strength left in his body and staggered across the line just before the sun disappeared. He immediately collapsed, blood streaming from his mouth. In a few minutes he was dead. Afterwards, his servants dug a grave. It was not much over six feet long and three feet wide.
The title of Tolstoy’s story was: How Much Land Does a Man Need? How much money is enough money? For John D. Rockefeller the answer was “just a little bit more.” At the peak of his wealth, Rockefeller had a net worth of about 1% of the entire US economy. He owned 90% of all the oil & gas industry of his time. Compared to today’s rich guys, Rockefeller makes Bill Gates and Warren Buffett look like paupers. And yet he still wanted “just a little bit more.”
Forbes Magazine, February 19, 2024 issue reported: “For millennials, however, make that 480% more. In a 2023 study by financial services company Empower, millennials reported needing to earn $525,000 a year to be happy.”
The author of Ecclesiastes informs us, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income” (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Our hearts resonate with the wisdom of these ancient words. C. H. Spurgeon amplifies this thought:
It is not possible to satisfy the greedy. If God gave them one whole world to themselves they would cry for another; and if it were possible for them to possess heaven as they now are, they would feel themselves in hell, because others were in heaven too, for their greed is such that they must have everything or else they have nothing.
Jesus also warned us that, “the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word” (Mark 4:19). Our spiritual growth is likely to be stunted by the desire for and the ownership of many possessions.
The sin is not in having more, the sin is being discontent with what God has given us. The sin is not in having wealth, the sin is in what you do with it. It’s not the amount, it’s the attitude… It’s not about what you have, it’s about how you feel about what you have.
The very first temptation in the history of mankind was the temptation to be discontent…that is exactly what discontent(ment) is – a questioning of the goodness of God.
The Scriptures tells us that desire for wealth is a danger. After Jesus’ encounter with the rich young man, Mark tells us:
And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:23–27)
Jesus’ point was that it is impossible for a man who trusts in riches to get into Heaven, because a rich man trusts in himself! However, by the grace of God it is still possible. God’s grace can change hearts. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus recommended:
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19–21)
So again, our author tells us, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have…” Choose contentment with what you have, over covetousness for what you don’t have. Don’t let your possessions possess you. “The avaricious man is never content: ungenerous and grasping, he always wants more and is always afraid of losing what he has” (Philip Edgecombe Hughes, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, p. 567)
An insatiable appetite to acquire possessions is a form of idolatry (Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5), since it relies on created things to provide the satisfaction and security found only in the Creator (Rom. 1:25; cf. Jer. 2:11-13). It’s idolatry because the contentment that the heart should be getting from God, it starts to get from something else. The Lord Jesus warned against covetousness: “One’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15).
Paul talks about contentment in Philippians 4 as a “secret” that needs to be “learned.” In other words, it doesn’t occur to us naturally. Naturally, from infancy we learn to strive for more. We cry out for more nourishment as babies, we fight for one more toy as infants,
10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Paul goes on to promise these potential givers, something that he and all of us need to remember, that “my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).
So Paul learned to be content no matter what his external circumstances were, whether “facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need” and then reflected on the reality that this was not due to his own strength, but “through him who strengthens me,” through his personal relationship with Jesus Christ, in total dependence upon Him.
What is contentment? It is an attitude of satisfaction with your present circumstances. It doesn’t depend upon the circumstances. Those circumstances could be good or bad. Contentment is “a result of faith in God’s provision and is a supernatural gift that can be found in any situation” (John Piper).
“The contented person experiences the sufficiency of God’s provision for his needs and the sufficiency of God’s grace for his circumstances. He believes God will indeed meet all his material needs and that He will work in all his circumstances for his good “(The Practice of Godliness, NavPress, 1996, p. 85). That is a contented person.
Don’t misunderstand what Paul is saying. This is not laziness or fatalism or yielding passively to whatever comes our way. This is not resignation. That’s not what contentment is. Rather it is a detachment from anxious concern by having learned to live immune from the poison of circumstances. It doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try to improve our lot in life, nor does it mean that we shouldn’t enjoy the material blessings God has given us. It simply means that whether we have a lot of stuff or nothing at all, our confidence in God and our joy in life are unchanged! We don’t transfer our trust from God to money, but continue to trust in God and enjoy Him no matter how much of this world’s “stuff” we have or don’t have.
John Ortberg concludes:
We keep thinking that a train called more will get us to a station called satisfaction.
What if trying to pursue satisfaction by having more is like trying to run after the horizon? Why would we ever expect more to be enough here if this is not our home?
What if the train is called contentment? What if the station is called heaven?
What if the station is real and is to be the object of our truest and deepest longings? Then we will see God face-to-face. Then our longings for glory, beauty, love, and meaning will be fully realized. Then the restless human race will finally cry out, “Enough!”
And God will say, “More!” (John Ortberg, When the Game is Over It All Goes Back in the Box, 200)
Grace Still Amazes 