02.22-02.26 2016
Greed REGULAR Devotions
Update: During the season of Lent we are considering the 7 Deadly Sins. This week we
consider Greed. During Lent, our focus is different. In this season we meditate on the depth of our sin
as we prepare to consider Good Friday and the death of God that we might be forgiven. We also
consider how much sin cripples us in order that we might appreciate and long for the fruit of the
resurrection in our own lives.
Greed (covetousness) is a VERY common topic in Scripture. Jesus himself spoke more about money than
any other topic. Living in country that has long embraced the economy of capitalism and consumerism,
it is very difficult for us to “see” Greed. We have been enured (made tough by habitual
exposure. Hardened.) to Greed by the world around us. Like with most of the 7 Deadly Sins, we tend to
think that there are people “way worse” than we. While there are definitely people who are
“extremely” greedy, we delude ourselves if we think we have not been formed by consumerism to
regularly and perpetually hunger for more. I think we all agree with the billionaire Rockefeller that
“enough” is just a little more, or one dollar more.
Song for this week – - Jesus I My Cross Have Taken http://tinyurl.com/km4huzr
Where possible we will use songs that are live recordings of our worship singing at Church of
the Redeemer. You should be able to access them by clicking the link. You can also download them to
your computer, phone, etc. (Please copy & paste rather than drag & drop).
Some Recommendations
The goal of the study/reflection questions is to help you get into the text and meet Christ in it, i.e., to
worship and meet with God. Avoid engaging with these questions as if it’s a “quiz” where the goal is to
get the “correct answer” and then move onto the next question. My prayer, goal, and hope is that the
questions will help open up the Word of God – what it means and what it is saying – in order that you
might meet God, experience Christ, and hear from the Holy Spirit.
1) I do recommend the full liturgy for each day.
2) The “Bible Study” reflection questions for each day of the week are inserted towards the end of
this document. Most often the questions will require time of reflection and pondering in order to
find answers or to let the answers sink in to our souls. Be prepared to not rush
through them. The goal is to experience/hear from God.
3) Sing the song! (Really) Each week we focus on two songs. Download them to your phone or iPod so
you can listen repeatedly during the day. When we sing, our mind, body, heart, emotions, and will
are all engaged in worship! If this week’s songs do not appeal to you, substitute a personal favorite.
02.22-02.26 2016
Greed REGULAR Devotions
Confession (Galatians 5:13)
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for
the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Father we confess to you our sins of greed. Have mercy on us. For we know we have sinned.
Gracious Father, we also ask that you open our eyes. Show us where greed has crept in.
Greed has led us to store up treasures on earth rather than in heaven. Forgive us.
Greed creates anxiety in our souls. Heal us.
Greed has caused us to put our faith in possessions. Free us.
Greed fosters discontentment in our hearts. Rescue us.
Greed prevents us from living generously. Save us.
Holy God, hear our confession now. Also, speak to us now. Open our eyes to see the sins that
are hidden from us, even the sins that we have renamed as righteous.
Absolution (Luke 12:32, Ephesians 1:11-14)
32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of
him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to
hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of
truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy
Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise
of his glory.
Intercession
Pray this week for your own self, your community, church, city, and this world to know the resurrection of
Jesus in accepting the good news of the gospel. Pray by name those you want God to bring into his
kingdom.
Scripture Readings & Reflection
N.B. There is a Closing Prayer after the lyrics of this week’s song. Even if you don’t participate in this
song this week, don’t miss the closing prayer (after the song).
Monday:
Greed tries to satisfy the restless soul with things that were never meant to satisfy it, and, temporarily at
least, silences the desire for God that is the clue and pathway to true happiness. So greed not only steal
from others, it also steals from ourselves, and in the process it impoverishes both. Graham Tomlin
1) There are two main hurdles to our “seeing” and “hearing” what God is talking about with regard
to greed.
a. (Especially in Presidential Campaign seasons) We are given only two categories to
consider “economic” things:
i. The “conservative” value of Free Market Capitalism (consumerism and trickledown economics) or
ii. Democratic Socialism including “the re-distribution of wealth.
02.22-02.26 2016
2)
3)
4)
5)
Greed REGULAR Devotions
b. Living in a country with a strong history of capitalism and wealth, we have been enured
(made tough by habitual exposure. Hardened.) to greed by the world around us.
Consider the following statistics (using a conservative definition of what a Christian is):
 20% of Christians give away zero to church/charity.
 72% of Christians give away less than 2% of their income.
 The “average” Christian gives is only 2.9% of their income.
Consider the following texts and ask God to open your eyes to the danger and prevalence of
Greed:
a. Matthew 13:22
b. 1 Timothy 6:10
c. Matthew 6:24
We can often miss how much greed impacts us. Take some time to reflect on the wealth of the
USA. (It might help if you can bring to mind news-footage/movies of other cultures/countries,
or remember international travel).
Enter into the lyrics of this week’s song (sing if you can).
Close with the Closing Prayer below.
Tuesday
Greed is a misdirected love. It is a condition of the heart. Greed adores good that are temporary and
rejects those that are everlasting. Jeff Cook.
1) Today we consider how greed blindly ignores and/or actively distracts us from the reality of
heaven.
2) Read Luke 12:13-21.
a. In what ways does the wealthy landowner ignore heaven?
b. What will happen to his wealth after he is dead?
c. How is Jesus’ warning (introduction) related to heaven?
3) Reflect on v21:
a. What does it mean?
b. What would it look like to do this?
c. How does this fit within our understanding of the grace of the gospel?
4) Read what Jesus goes on to say immediately after this parable (Luke 12:22-40).
a. What does it say about living for heaven vs living for now?
5) How often do you think about heaven or take time to actively look forward to it?
a. Take some time now to imagine and anticipate perfection, fulfillment, and shalom for
eternity.
b. With respect to the power of greed, how would you/Christians today be impacted
/changed if they meditated more often on heaven? (Be as specific as possible.)
6) Enter into the lyrics of this week’s song (sing if you can).
7) Close with the Closing Prayer below.
Wednesday
Greed tries to satisfy the restless soul with things that were never meant to satisfy it, and, temporarily at
least, silences the desire for God that is the clue and pathway to true happiness. So greed not only steal
from others, it also steals from ourselves, and in the process it impoverishes both. Graham Tomlin
1) Read Luke 12:16-19. Seeing the abundance of his crops, if he was a faithful follower of Christ,
the Rich man would have immediately thought about giving away, out of his abundance, to his
02.22-02.26 2016
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
Greed REGULAR Devotions
community, the poor, and the Temple. Generosity is one of the antidotes to greed. Today and
tomorrow we’ll consider the antidote of generosity.
Read Luke 12:32; 22-30. Even in the midst talking about the deadly sin of Greed:
a. How does Jesus feel about his people
b. And what does he want for them?
Do you know that, even as you suffer with the sin of greed, that God deeply cares for you and
longs for you to be free from the anxiety and worry that comes with greed? Let this sink in: God
sees your anxiety and it affects him!
Meditate on Philippians 2:1-8 as you close:
a. Turn it into a prayer seeking God for this work in you, but first,
b. Philippians 2:1-2 reminds us that we are “in Christ.” Close your eyes and try to embrace,
accept, and enter into the reality of your union with Christ. He is in you. We are not
“trying to be good” but allowing him to grow inside of us.
Tomorrow we are going to consider actual acts of generosity, but the ultimate need is that we
let the generous Jesus who is inside of us – that we let him out, we let him work in and through
us, and that we allow him to grow!
Having reflected on our union with Christ today, how do additional dimensions of this week’s
song open up to you?
Close with the Closing Prayer below.
THURSDAY
“Greed quenched our love of good, thus all our labors were in vain.” Dante
Greed is a sin directly against one’s neighbor, since one man cannot over-abound in external riches,
without another man lacking them . . . it is a sin against God, just as all mortal sins, inasmuch as a man
condemns things eternal for the sake of temporal things. Thomas Aquinas
1) Yesterday’s devotion is vitally important. While it is a good thing to practice acts of generosity
regularly (whether we feel generous or not), the ultimate thing we need is the power of Jesus’
indwelling. The world around us, including our loved ones, they also need to see and experience
Jesus in and through us.
2) Read Luke 12:21 & 29-34
a. Who are we to not be like?
b. How (and Why) can we not be like them?
c. If we know we will have been given the Kingdom of God what will we do?
3) Read and Reflect the passages below
a. 1 Timothy 6:17-19,
Choose one of the following two
b. Matthew 25:31-46 The Sheep and the Goats (skip this is you focused on it last week).
c. James 2:14-26
4) Consider all the resources God has given you?
a. What would it take for you to give more financially?
b. For the remainder of your life, as/if your income grows, how can you prevent
perpetually raising the level of your life-style, so that you have more to give?
c. What would it look like for you to use what you have to serve, love, and bless other
people (not just your close friends)?
02.22-02.26 2016
Greed REGULAR Devotions
5) Ask God how you can free up his love inside of you through living generously. How does he
want you to serve?
6) Hold this question open before God as you sing this week’s Song and close with our closing
prayer.
FRIDAY
There is no reasonable purpose to much of our spending today, but our societies goad the greed that is
already in us. Greed is, not so much the love of possessions, as the love merely of possessing. To buy
what we do not need, more even than we need for our pleasure or entertainment, is a love of possessing
for its own sake. Henry Fairlie.
1. Today we close by considering two false things that greed trusts in and relies upon. Hopefully
having considered the generous and loving heart of God towards us this week, you can enter
into today’s devotion with a heart and mind eager to be free of the anxiety of greed.
2. Read Luke 12:18-20; 33-34.
a. v19 – What does the man trust in to bring him relaxation, security, and joy?
b. Can wealth make us happy? Has it consistently made others happy?
c. What does v33-34 tell us about our trust?
3. Read Luke 12:18-20; 24-30
a. Consider just how self-focused the rich man is. How do his words show us who he is
really trusting in?
b. v24-30 What does greed’s self-reliance do to us?
c. v24-30 What’s the truth about who provides for us?
4. Greed is full of lies.
a. The lie that “more” will make us happy keeps us on the treadmill of spending and
sacrificing.
b. The lie that “it’s down to me to make it happen” crushes us.
Consider how both of these lies each leads to/causes anxiety.
8) Close with meditating on the first of the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-9. Ask God to work his love,
freedom, and grace in and through you
CLOSING PRAYER
O God, Eternal King and Father of all mercies,
Whose light divides the day from the night,
And turns the shadow of death into the morning:
Show me this day what greed looks like in my life:
That I might be freed from its ugliness and loneliness,
That I might grow in appreciation for the Cross of Christ.
Guide my feet in the way of generosity so that:
Forgetting about myself I may serve others,
Owning your grace, I might be more gracious,
Entering into the resurrected life you secured for me, I might more fully alive.
Above all, show me Jesus in me and through me,
Help me to live more alive through his life.
Song of Confession & Commitment - Jesus I My Cross Have Taken http://tinyurl.com/km4huzr
02.22-02.26 2016
1. Jesus, I my cross have taken,
All to leave and follow Thee.
Destitute, despised, forsaken,
Thou from hence my all shall be.
Perish every fond ambition,
All I’ve sought or hoped or known.
Yet how rich is my condition!
God and heaven are still my own.
2. Let the world despise and leave me,
They have left my Savior, too.
Human hearts and looks deceive me;
Thou art not, like them, untrue.
O while Thou dost smile upon me,
God of wisdom, love, and might,
Foes may hate and friends disown me,
Show Thy face and all is bright.
3. Man may trouble and distress me,
’Twill but drive me to Thy breast.
Life with trials hard may press me;
Heaven will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, ’tis not in grief to harm me
While Thy love is left to me;
Oh, ’twere not in joy to charm me,
Were that joy unmixed with Thee.
Greed REGULAR Devotions
4. Go, then, earthly fame and treasure,
Come disaster, scorn and pain
In Thy service, pain is pleasure,
With Thy favor, loss is gain
I have called Thee Abba Father,
I have stayed my heart on Thee
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather;
All must work for good to me.
5. Soul, then know thy full salvation
Rise o’er sin and fear and care
Joy to find in every station,
Something still to do or bear.
Think what Spirit dwells within thee,
Think what Father’s smiles are thine,
Think that Jesus died to win thee,
Child of heaven, canst thou repine.
6. Haste thee on from grace to glory,
Armed by faith, and winged by prayer.
Heaven’s eternal days before thee,
God’s own hand shall guide us there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission,
Soon shall pass thy pilgrim days,
Hope shall change to glad fruition,
Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.