Have you ever wondered why ‘thou shall not covet’ made it into God’s Top 10 List? Surely there are worse sins out there. Well, what does the NT say?
Colossians 3:5 says greed IS idolatry, while Ephesians 5:5 says a greedy person is an idolater. These passages echo Jesus’ teaching in Mat 6:24, which says a person cannot serve both God and money. As such, ‘Thou shall not covet’ is a suitable bookend to the 10 Commandments, paired with ‘Serve God only’ (Commandment 1).
An idol (Commandment 2) is a non-negotiable we count on to find fulfilment in life. It is the thing we worship and adore; the thing we’d do anything for. Since we believe an idol will bring us ultimate happiness and satisfaction in life; we bestow ultimate value upon them. Covetousness is a form of idolatry.
For example, greed will lead a person to take bigger risks, push the boundaries of morality, and even break the law. Such decisions come with consequences. The GFC was caused by (i) multiple banks accepting questionable loans in order to make money, coupled with (ii) hundreds of thousands of people taking out loans they couldn’t repay, to buy ‘things’. The results of this western greed will be felt for years to come.
Greed and covetousness are not only an affront to our adoration of and reliance upon God, they are downright dangerous. Let’s be people who find our delight in the Lord, not in coveting money, or what our neighbours have.
Brendan McLaughlin
