Archives by: Gary Hoag

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. Habakkuk 3:17-19

“Buy yourselves this knowledge, if you can, you kings, rulers, men of wealth, from the rising to the setting sun. You who are rich in worldly wisdom, get the gift of the plowman prophet, which could not be taken away from him who had received it. For the possessions which you so eagerly desire are beset with countless risks; thieves who break into houses, tyrants who confiscate, flatterers who plot, the sea that overwhelms, and the earth that quakes and yawns.

Therefore let the right hand of God be the hope and treasury of men, the hand that led his people out of Egypt, and in the desert provided abundance of good things, which brought Habakkuk to Daniel, and preserved Ishmael when he had been cast down from his mother’s arms; which provides for those of every generation; and which, finally, multiplied five barley loaves so that they equaled a great harvest, and one loaf supplied a thousand hungry men and filled a basket with fragments besides. Now to our God be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Asterius of Amasea (350-410) in his sermon, “Against Coveteousness.” This ends my exploration of a great sermon. Read it in its entirety here. This morning, I fly to Kentucky. I will facilitate meetings with seminary administrators from across the USA at Asbury Seminary over the next few days.

Today is a special day. GTP turns 3. We got our 501c3 status on 3 April 2019. On Facebook page we will release a series of infographics starting today. Like Global Trust Partners and check out our celebration of God’s faithfulness this week. We’ve given what we have and God has done wonders.

Alternatively, those who desire possessions beset themselves with countless risks, so don’t let that be you. Instead place your trust in the “right hand of God” as your “hope and treasury” for all that you need. Notice the one who does shares what he or she has. God makes it enough.

This sermon has been rich with biblical images and has reminded me of many things but one lesson stands out. Our trust is either in ourselves or in God. There’s no middle ground. And we show where we place our trust by our pursuits and what we do with what we attain.

The coveteous person accumulates and confiscates. The caring person distributes and shares. The coveteous person lives enslaved to scarcity. The caring person enjoys an abundance of God things from the right hand of God. It’s been rewarding to share this message to the world through GTP.

My prayer for all of us having explored this powerful sermon is that we will all flee from coveteousness and instead give what we have to God. And when we do, I pray that God will sustain local ministry and multiply our gifts from His right hand for His glory. Amen.

The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing. She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.” 2 Kings 4:1-7

“But I seem to hear, even though they are silent, those who are wont to say such things as these to their teachers: “How shall we continue to live, if we do not care for the getting of money? and how shall we satisfy our needs? How are loans to be repaid, and how shall a gift be bestowed upon him who asks it, if we are all to follow your admonition and be poor?”

This is the objection of an unbeliever, the speech of one devoid of understanding, who does not know that God is our Master, the director of our life, and that he himself furnishes the living creature what it needs, the means of getting both necessary food and needful clothing. For the providence of God is over all his works, and the misfortune of poverty never overtakes one who is rich in faith.

By presenting one of the divine narratives in proof of what I now affirm I shall, I think, offer sufficient evidence of it. In the history of the kings a widow woman is mentioned who, on account of her solitary condition was greatly oppressed. A greedy and churlish creditor pestered her, threatening to take away as pledges for her debts, her sons who were all she had left. And when the crisis in her affairs came and none of the rich had pity on her, she went to him who had humanity and faith.

Now this was Elisha the prophet, a man poor in this world’s goods, but abounding in immaterial wealth; an unworldly soul from among the plowmen, houseless, homeless, clad with but one garment; who had just had a legacy, and had received as his inheritance a cheap sheepskin and an invisible blessing, which fell from the chariot of fire.

Yet he did not send away the suppliant disappointed, nor did he despair of helping her because he had not what she asked, nor did he utter any sordid and doubting words, as many would have done, such as, “And where am I to get money to pay your debt?” but, like a most excellent physician when there are no medicines to be had, by an unexpected device he found a remedy for the disease and said, “Woman, what have you in the house?

Call to mind whether you have anything within, however small. For no one is so poor as to have absolutely nothing.” And when she replied that she had a cruse with a little oil remaining in it, he said, “Prepare me a multitude of vessels.” So she got them ready and filled them from the cruse.

Thus the debt was paid to the money-lender, and the woman departed, having found a way out of her difficulties. For the very little oil which she had told the prophet she possessed, contrary to her expectation gushed forth and filled all the jars she had made ready, and it ceased to flow only when there was not another vessel to receive it. And the gift was commensurate with her need. That was indeed oil which no plant, but the mercies of God, produced.”

Asterius of Amasea (350-410) in his sermon, “Against Coveteousness.”

In the climax of this sermon, Asterius removes the last device that the devil uses to cast doubt in our lives keep us in the clutches of coveteousness. It’s the question of provision.

“How shall we continue to live, if we do not care for the getting of money? and how shall we satisfy our needs? How are loans to be repaid, and how shall a gift be bestowed upon him who asks it, if we are all to follow your admonition and be poor?”

The best and only answer to this is the providence of God. We see this illustrated in the story of the widow and articulated by Jesus Christ Himself in the sermon on the mount.

In plain terms we worry about what we will eat, drink, and what we will wear. We think it is our role to provide when Scripture tells us that is God’s job.

This lesson today also reveals the key to generous living. We must put the immaterial wealth to work that is trusting in the providence of God in order to tap into resources for enjoyment and sharing.

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Matthew 19:21

“On account of covetousness men lose their natural friendship for one another, and whet their swords and array themselves against each other and like wild beasts fight one another with great ferocity. But how can one relate the consequences of these things? Massive walls are thrown down by engines, cities are taken, women led captives, and children enslaved. The land is wasted and ravaged, and the trees are warred against as though they were wrong-doers. There is great slaughter of those who are in the prime of life, and torrents of blood stream from the wretched corpses; and the wealth of the conquered is the victors’ prize.

There are, moreover, the lamentations of widows, the tears of orphans, who bewail at once both their fathers and their freedom. He who was day before yesterday possessor of great wealth, stretches forth his right hand to beg a bit of bread, and he who had many slaves at the loom, and houses full of garments, now clothed in rags does the work of a slave, forced to carry water and scrape the dung from the stable, and to perform most menial duties. There are besides countless evils which it is impossible to compass all at once. But of all of these, the beginning and cause and root is greed, unrighteous love of the goods that belong to another.

And if any one should extirpate this passion from the human heart, profound peace would be inevitably introduced into our life, and wars and tumults would be banished from among men, and all would return to the natural condition of love and friendliness. On this account, our Lord also carefully heals this disease, once declaring in his teachings; “Ye cannot serve God and mammon;” and on another occasion declaring wretched the rich man who was just about to die, even as he was picturing to himself the protracted enjoyment of luxury; and elsewhere teaching that that man was perfect who divided all that he had among the needy, and went over to a self-denying life, which is the mother and companion of virtue.”

Asterius of Amasea (350-410) in his sermon, “Against Coveteousness.”

We are near the climax of this sermon. Asterius spells out the explanation for the war and bloodshed in his day and in our own with the Russian occupation of Ukraine. It is driven by greed and coveteousness, and it leaves a wake of gloom and carnage.

But there is hope for profound peace. It’s is found only when we obey Jesus and choose the “self-denying” life of sharing what we have with those in need. This is where generosity comes into view as what the world needs most right now.

I don’t just mean sending aid to Ukraine through Mission Eurasia or some other group. That’s part of it, for sure. I mean living differently where God has us to show the world that doing good overcomes greed and caring surpasses coveteousness.

Don’t miss the message from Jesus. Hear it again. “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Anyone out there willing to choose the way of perfection?

And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Luke 3:10-11

“This is your fruit, O abominable covetousness! Spurred on by you, the child becomes his parent’s enemy. You fill the earth with robbers and murderers, and the sea with pirates, cities with tumult, courts with false witnesses, false accusers, betrayers, advocates, and judges who incline whichever way you draw them. Covetousness is the mother of inequality, unmerciful, hating mankind, most cruel.

On account of it, the life of men is full of inequality. Some being surfeited, loathe the abundance of their possessions, as one disgorges food which has been too greedily swallowed; while others are in peril through extreme hunger and want. Some lie down under gilded roofs and live in houses that are like small cities, adorned with sumptuous baths and chambers, and most extensive porches, and every kind of extravagance, while others have not the shelter of two boards.

When they cannot live in open air, they either take refuge beside the furnaces of the baths, or, finding the attendants of the baths inhospitable, they dig into the dung like swine, and so contrive to get for themselves the needful warmth. Such is the marked disparity in the conditions of life, between men created equal in worth, and the cause of this disordered and anomalous state of things is nothing else than covetousness.

One is put to shame by his naked limbs; the other, beside having almost countless garments, dresses his walls with purple hangings. The poor man has not on his wooden table any bread to break; while the luxurious man sitting at his broad silver stable is delighted with its glitter. How much more just it would be that the poor man should feast to the full on the other’s luxury, and that the support of the needy should be the decoration of the rich man’s table!

One man, aged and unable to walk, or lame by reason of some outrageous mutilation, does not possess the ass that he needs to carry him about, while another does not know his droves of horses for their very multitude. One lacks oil to light his lamps, while another has a fortune simply in lamp-stands.

One has only the ground for his bed, while he who is unreasonably rich, is dazzled by the splendor of his couch, with its silver balls and chains instead of cords. These are the results of insatiable covetousness. For had it not introduced inequality into life, these anomalous heights and depths would not have existed, nor would manifold misfortunes have made our life joyless and tearful.”

Asterius of Amasea (350-410) in his sermon, “Against Coveteousness.”

One of the dastardly fruits of coveteousness is inequality. Imagine if instead we who aim at growing in generosity worked toward equality as noted in today’s text from the Gospels or from these words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 8:13-15

“Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”

God’s design and desire is that everyone has enough. The lesson of the manna teaches us that God is the faithful Provider. We also learn that those who have more than enough share with those who gather less than enough.

As I reflect on the powerful words of Asterius, it seems that at the core, inequality finds its root in selfishness and cherishes possessions and comfort over people and caring. The biblical texts call us to share sacrificially and to place our trust in God and not ourselves for our future care.

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 1 Timothy 4:1

“For how are those drawn into the service of demons who were once of the company of Christians and partakers in the mysteries? Is it not by the desire of acquiring great wealth, and of becoming masters of what belongs to others? Upon receiving from godless and impious men promises either of official preferment or of wealth from royal treasuries, they quickly put off their religion as a garment.

And such examples occurring in previous times, memory and tradition have preserved and handed down to us. And there are also instances which belong to our own generation, and are within the range of our experience. For when that emperor [Julian the apostate], who all at once cast aside the character of a Christian, and disclosed the farce he had long been acting, himself shamelessly sacrificed to demons, and offered many gifts to those who were willing to do the same, how many left the church and ran to pagan altars!

How many, taking the bait of emolument, swallowed with it the hook of apostasy, and branded with disgrace are wandering about among the towns, objects of hatred; pointed at as betrayers of Christ, for the sake of a little money; stricken from the list of Christians, as was Judas from the roll of the apostles; known by the name of apostate, as horses are known by the marks branded upon them; who simply allowed themselves to be drawn into the basest of all sins, and promptly followed the teacher of unhallowed and abominable impiety!”

Asterius of Amasea (350-410) in his sermon, “Against Coveteousness.” I am nearly done with this deeply serious and powerful sermon. But, it seems fitting for the challenging times in which we are living.

Throughout church history, people have “put off their religion as a garment.” It’s still happening today. The closer we get to the great Day of the Lord, the more rapidly people will abandon the faith. The deceptive doctrine that lures people away is associated with the love of money in Paul’s first letter to Timothy.

Put simply, God blesses obedient servants, then demons intervene. They tempt stewards to think the money they possess is theirs to spend as they please. They spout lies that stewards need money to sustain us, when God is the One who supplies all we need for enjoyment and sharing. This is just a sampling of the deception.

How does this relate to our generosity? The generous person must abandon “the desire to acquire.” During Lent we set aside our desires to partake of the only One who satisfies. If we don’t abandon “the desire to acquire” it will not only hinder our generosity, it can lead to apostasy.

I think that those who “put off their religion as a garment” (like Judas or Julian) don’t intentionally choose that path, but rather they make small bad choices that lead them way off course over time. Ultimately, they regret it. To avoid apostasy, set aside “the desire to acquire” by giving what you have to God.

Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. Isaiah 59:1-2

“The fine linen perished, the kingdom departed to another, the luxuries passed away; but the sin of them went with him, as a person’s shadow follows him when walking. And for this reason, after his extravagant banquets, and his luxurious table, he begs for a drop of water that falls from a leper’s finger, and calls to alleviate his punishment the beggar who, perhaps, when he lay at the gate, did not even have hands; for surely if he had had them he would have driven away the dogs that licked his sores. And he desires to join Lazarus, seeing him on the other side, and is hindered by the ditch or gulf between them, which was no hole that had been digged nor artificial ditch like that which one can see between hostile camps in war. But the Scripture, I think, means that his sins were the obstacle that cut off the approach of the condemned to the righteous. And the prophet Isaiah sets his seal to my interpretation, when he sternly rebukes a foolish people and says, “Is the Lord’s hand shortened, that it cannot save? Or is his ear heavy, that it cannot hear? But your sins stand between you and God.”

Asterius of Amasea (350-410) in his sermon, “Against Coveteousness.”

Why sit in such strong preaching and share excerpts as posts? The lack of generosity rooted in coveteousness is not a financial issue but a spiritual issue. And during Lent, the only right response is confession and repentenance because God first and foremost wants our hearts.

The rich man should have aided Lazarus whilst he was living. Now is the time for us to use what we have to show love of God and love of neighbor. Soon the time will come when the luxuries will perish. Many will regret squandering God’s resources at that time who have not put them to work today.

Father, forgive us for our many sins related to coveteousness. We have cared more about comfort than Christ, more about luxuries than the lives of those in need around us. Help us chart a new course by your Holy Spirit, lest our desires destroy us. Hear our prayer in your mercy in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” Luke 16:25-31

“Pass over in thought to the time to come, when you shall be no more; when a small plot of earth shall hold your body, insensate, returned to dust, and a little tablet, a few spans in size, shall cover all that remains. Where then will be your wealth and your gathered treasures? Who will be the heir of what you leave behind? For it is by no means certain that it will be he whom you suppose. If you leave children, perhaps they will be beaten, and driven weeping from their ancestral home by some covetous man like you.

But if, being childless, you mean to transmit the inheritance to one of your friends, do not regard your will as an immutable law, a thing strong and incapable of being set aside. It will require but little exertion to make the writing invalid. Do you not see those who are constantly contesting wills in the courts, how by all kinds of attacks they wrest them by putting forward as advocates skilful lawyers, invoking the aid of eloquent orators, suborning witnesses, corrupting judges?

So from what you see while you are alive, learn what will happen after you are dead. If you have gotten your wealth justly, use it, as did the blessed Job, for needful purposes; if unjustly, restore it to those who have been defrauded of it, as you would a thing captured in war, giving back either just what you took, or that with something added, as did Zacchaeus. If you have no wealth, do not get any by wickedness.

For as you go the inevitable way, your sin, a bitter portion, will follow you, while the enjoyment of your ill-gotten gains will be left behind for whom you know not. And then you will admire David because he says, “He heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.” And observe also the rich man contrasted with Lazarus, of whom we have just read in the Gospels, a narrative which is no fable composed to inspire terror, but a true picture transmitted to us of what is to be.”

Asterius of Amasea (350-410) in his sermon, “Against Coveteousness.”

Luke’s Gospel gives us a true picture in a world filled with false messages. The time to live out your faith through generous giving to the poor is now. Jesus also cryptically alludes to His own death and resurrection and the disbelief of many that accompanies it.

The time to live out what you believe is whilst you are living, for it is not what you say but what you do shows what you really believe and where you place your trust. If these words from Asterius sound striking, it is because he aims to get your attention and mine.

He would add: do your giving while you are living, then you will be knowing where it is going! This leads me to celebrate the recent formation of the GTP Trust Fund which accepts complex asset and major gifts like estates. If you want to know more reply to this email.

People who own all or portions of buildings and businesses need help to give those assets to God. That’s why at GTP, we partnered with MB Foundation to draw on their expertise. Give one or more assets today to lift up the poor not with a handout but a hand up. Don’t wait until it’s too late!

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7

“To him, engaged in this distressful toil, the poor man presents himself, asking for some of the endangered grain, but he does not give it; or, if he gives it, he bestows it parsimoniously, and half-heartedly, parting with it with extreme reluctance. Therefore, I beseech you, if you are such a man, do not undergo these infinite hardships. For the covetous man who lives in luxury is deserving of pity, since he bounds his existence with the belly’s enjoyment and other pleasures, regarding this as the goal of humanity.

But in the case of the mean and penurious, his wretchedness has no limit, since he receives the goods of many, and does not give even to himself, and so has nothing for his pains. For who does not know that nothing, except the virtues, exists for its own sake, but we do one thing in order that we may accomplish another? No sailor traverses the sea simply for the sake of sailing, and no farmer passes his life in toil simply for the sake of farming; but it is manifest that both persevere amid their hardships that they may secure, the one the increase of the earth, and the other the wealth of maritime trade.

But tell me now, O covetous man, what is your goal? To accumulate? And what kind of an object in life is this, to heap up and gloat over unused substance? The very sight, he replies, delights me. Then attack your disorder in another way. For you can allay this longing with what belongs to others. If the glitter of silver delights you, sit beside the silversmiths and gaze steadfastly upon the strong and glittering sheen; or haunt the markets, and enjoy the richly wrought vessels, platters: and pitchers.

For the sight of them is free and unhindered. Watch the moneychangers also who are continually reckoning and counting the coin at their tables; but, better yet, yield to good advice and give up this inclination. For amendment is easy, since covetousness is not a necessity of nature, but a direction of choice, and to change it is not difficult for those who consider their own advantage.”

Asterius of Amasea (350-410) in his sermon, “Against Coveteousness.”

I’ve been on the shores of Lake Erie this weekend so the sailor word picture fits. My late uncle and his wife were greenhouse farmers so working the land for the increase from the earth also seems relevant, and at the end of the day, what Asterius brings into view is the choice we all must make.

Choose covetousness, which is a pitiful existence that results in reluctant giving at best, or cheerful giving, which God loves and which shows God’s love. It’s one or the other. What I can’t get over is how vivid Asterius writes and his words are more than 1,600 years old. Had he attended yesterday’s memorial service, he would have said this: “yield to good advice.”

He’d say get out there and do business: sail, farm, or toil diligently at any productive occupation. But then he’d add that we should make the choice not to accumulate but to distribute. Not to aim at luxury but at serving the poor. Death gives us perspective on how to live life. Thanks God (and Asterius) for the lesson as I return to Denver today.

If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest. Exodus 22:25

“Now let some one who has been seized with this disease of covetousness tell me what is the object of this toil for gain? For I know that many with whom I am acquainted, love money more when they are sick than when they are in health. If the doctor prescribes for their recovery softie inexpensive medicine, such as parsley or thyme or anise, which can be procured without expense, they readily heed his directions.

But if he mentions some drug, the ingredients of which are rich and complex, and they are sent to the apothecary or the perfumer to purchase it, they give up their lives rather than open their purses. For being earthly-minded they think the possession of earthly things to be life itself. These men are profoundly depressed by general prosperity and delighted by general distress.

They pray that intolerable burdens of taxation may be imposed by public proclamation that they may increase their money by usury. They want to see their neighbors throttled by money-lenders, in order that they may secure for themselves their farms, their chattels, or live stock, when through necessity they are thrown on the market at a low price.

And they keep continually looking up at the sky, like those philosophers whose work it is to investigate astronomical phenomena, not studying the movement of a star, nor trying to observe what house is occupied by one of the planets, but curious about the state of the atmosphere, whether the signs that present themselves promise a downfall of rain or a drought. And if they see any portent of any calamity threatening to fall on the community at large, they rejoice over it.

They gather everything into their warehouses, which they closely seal and secure with double bars, while they continually measure and reckon up their stores. And while the covetous man cherishes such expectation and in his mind’s eye sees himself rich, if a thick cloud arise, he is frightened as though danger were imminent. If showers besprinkle the earth he begins to weep.”

Asterius of Amasea (350-410) in his sermon, “Against Coveteousness.”

There’s a lot in this sermon. As I head to a memorial service with family today in Cleveland, I ponder what is important in light of eternity after visiting the graveside of my aunt and uncle today (pictured above).

We must focus on hard work to earn an income rather than practice usury (gain at the expense of others). We must care about the Master’s desires more than markets. We must store up resources in heavenly warehouses rather than on earth.

These are key lessons to grasp life. At the end of the day, I am learning that the one who cares about preserving riches, comfort, and earthly holdings, without realizing it, has become a captive to coveteousness. It’s a dark and deceptive master!

Those who value possessions over people will come to realize that “gathering everything” will only leave them empty. God help us value people over possessions so we end up generous givers for your glory. Amen.

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Matthew 6:3

“The covetous man is odious to the members of his household, severe to his domestics, useless to his friends, ungracious to strangers, troublesome to his neighbors, a sorry companion to his wife, a penurious rearer of children, a bad master of himself; at night full of anxiety, by day absorbed, talking to himself like one demented; abounding in wealth, yet groaning as though in need; not enjoying what he has, and yet seeking what he has not; not using his own, yet casting avaricious eyes upon the property of others.

Such a man has a great flock of sheep that fills the folds in which it is penned, and covers the plains on which it pastures. And if a single sheep belonging to his neighbor appear in good flesh, taking no notice of his own vast flock he lays greedy siege to that one sheep of his neighbor. The same is true in the case of his kine and of his horses; nor is it otherwise in the matter of his land. The house is crowded with everything, but nothing is made any use of.

For it is impossible for a greedy person to have any enjoyment, but his house is almost like a grave. For see, graves are often full of silver and gold, but no one uses the riches. The body is not sustained by them; the soul finds no satisfaction in them; for alms are not scattered by the right hand of the dead.”

Asterius of Amasea (350-410) in his sermon, “Against Coveteousness.”

Coveteousness destroys people. It causes us not to play our God-designed role in our homes and communities. When afflicted with it, we never have enough, and we constantly desire the possessions, long to experience the pleasures, and seek the power that others have.

And coveteousness also hinders generosity. Note the cryptic statement that ends today’s post from this powerful sermon from antiquity: “Alms are not scattered by the right hand of the dead.”

I am attending a memorial service tomorrow for my aunt and uncle. It has me thinking about what we must do during our lives. And almsgiving is on my mind as we are in the heart of the Lenten season, so this post is rightly timed.

In biblical times, the reason Jesus would say not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing related to giving is because the left hand was associated with coveteousness and the right hand with generosity.

So Asterius is saying in plain terms that coveteousness will destroy you and me and our generosity. God, show us the areas of my life riddled with coveteousness and root it out in your mercy, we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.