“Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and usury gathers it for him who is generous to the poor.” Proverbs 28:8

“A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor, but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.” Proverbs 28:16

The issue with sin is that it’s so subtle that it will, when we’re not duly guided by the principles of Scripture, sift us like wheat. The admonition in Romans 12 to not be conformed to this world is interesting in that it says we are to avoid that dreadful conformity by the renewal of our minds. In other words, left to our own devices we’re slaves to sin and to the pattern of thought that animates the world.

In the modern church we think of the encroachment of sinful sexual lifestyles as our greatest danger. These sins are, indeed, quite serious but they’re hardly as common as are the sins of greed and envy. R.C. Sproul once said that in all his years in ministry he never once had someone come to his office and confess that they had a problem with greed. Other sins are more obvious, of course. A man with a temper problem, or an issue of lust…they’re far easier to spot. The great danger of envy and greed is that they hide in plain sight. We have carbon monoxide alarms for our houses because the gas is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. Well, the Bible is our envy and greed detector and if we aren’t renewing our minds in it consistently, there’s a very good chance that we’re impacted.

The American political system is a good example of how dangerous envy is. The Biblical model of work is the application of one’s God-given talents to a task, aiming at excellence, for the glory of God and the service of our neighbors. Hopefully, we have a profit from our labors. But the abiding goal is the glory of God and our own maturation through the discipline of work. “Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds,” (Proverbs 27:23) exhorts us to be steadfast and professional in our vocation. The field of a sluggard – that is, the product of his work – is all overgrown with thorns, covered with nettles, the stone wall is broken down. In other words, the work of the lazy person is slapdash (Proverbs 24:30-34) and he’ll suffer poverty because of it. “The slack hand causes poverty, bu the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.” (Proverbs 10:4-5).

Also, the Bible consistently exhorts us to work toward excellence. “Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men” (Proverbs 22:28-29). In fact, the Scripture goes so far as to say that the person who works poorly, lazily, without focus and desire to high quality, is a brother to him who destroys. But, despite all this, and this is fascinating, the Bible also declares that we’re not to toil in order to acquire wealth! After all, we’re counseled, worldly riches sprout wings, flying like an eagle in the heavens, leaving us depleted in body and soul (Proverbs 23:4-5). Why, the Bible asks, should we destroy our health and give away our lives in the pursuit of riches?

This is the shot across the bow of American consumerism, which is not, we should be clear, Biblical economics. Instead of working to pursue wealth, we’re counseled to work for the glory of God through the acquisition of wisdom, skill and the resulting service of our neighbor. God may indeed bless the work of our hands at that point but that’s His business, not ours. Greed is the idolatrous demand for material results rather than the humble submission to God’s providential care of us. Envy is seen in the adaptation of worldly methods that deviate from these Biblical principles.

Modern America calls itself a consumer economy. It’s actually a debt and inflation economy. The Lord hates “dishonest scales”, which is to say, in principle, trading goods and services in any fashion other than that of win/win. When the attitude of the seller or buyer is to get one over on the other party, or to get the most while giving the least, we’re sure that greed was the animating spirit of the transaction, not loving service for the glory of God. Debt and inflation grow from the desire to “have it our way” without commitment or regard for the well being of our neighbor. “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight.” (Proverbs 11:1)

Just weights are, for the most part, getting at the heart of trusting in the Lord. Dishonest business dealings – and today we see them in all sorts of complicated ways, large and small – are driven by covetousness, which is really idolatry. As the Lord deals with us in covenants, and acts honorably and truthfully, He demands that we do to. Deuteronomy 25:13-16:

“You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a large and a small. You shall not have in your house differing measures, a large and a small. You shall have a full and just weight; you shall have a full and just measure, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you. For everyone who does these things, everyone who acts unjustly is an abomination to the Lord your God.” This is repeated in Ezekiel 45:10.

Unjust scales is the debasing of currency or the monkeying around with the product in order to sell high. We see the former in the current monetary policy, which seeks – openly and unabashedly – two-and-a-half percent inflation every year. Yes, indeed, the American government openly states that it wants to devalue our money by 25% every 10 years in order to keep spending more money than it takes in. We see the latter when products are sold for the same price but quality decreases. Or when we buy a bag of chips that’s half full of chips and half full of air. That’s a dishonest scale – it’s designed to mislead.

We see American greed and abuse of the poor through credit card accounts that charge obscene interest – offering “minimum” payments designed so that the debt will never be paid. And we see it in the fact that the average mortgage loan of 30 years has the “homeowner” pay almost three times the price of the house. But the loan document will say that the interest rate is only 5% when it’s really, when it’s all said and done, more like 300%. That’s usury. And God hates it. In Amos 8:4-6 we learn of God’s hatred for greed and its attending abuses – especially of the poor. The Jews were eager for the sabbath to be over so they could get back to work – “making the bushel smaller and the shekel bigger” – which meant cheating at business in order to maximize profit. This unjust gain was used to enslave the poor which were suffering from the dishonest scales. We see clearly that there’s a connection from not being satisfied with God (referenced by hurrying up with the sabbath and taking no delight in it) to greedy practices.

Modern politicians are often like the cruel oppressor mentioned in chapter 28. While blaming the business owner for abusing the poor, the tax system takes over half the the income from the average worker. There are all the payroll taxes first, not to mention the hidden taxes the employer pays for the employee before they even get paid, and then there are sales taxes and property taxes too. Those are dishonest scales. Micah 6:11-12 says that the men who get rich through deceptive practices are full of violence. You see, the Lord isn’t deceived. If a culture tricks the poor into oppression it’s just as bad as if they oppress them by brute force.

In response to this, we are not to try and turn the tables – robbing the wealthier to give to the poor either. “You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly.” (Leviticus 19:15).

But the poor, being sinners too, can be just as rapacious as the rich when they vote for other people’s money. The desire for unjust gain can be seen through the chronic playing of lottery games and scratch tickets sold at every convenience store. Envy and greed are seen in every place and activity where the sole purpose is simply to make money. It’s seen on Wall Street and Main Street. It’s seen every time we hear that ours is a “consumer” economy rather than a “God-honoring” one. If my highest goal is myself and my comfort, my happiness, I’ve clearly made a theological error, right?

In Luke 12, verses 13:34, Jesus takes American capitalism to the woodshed – and He also takes the false god of socialism with it. The key is found in two verses, the 12th and 34th.

In the twelfth, He says, “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” What was He talking about? Well, just a verse ago He’d said, “…Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” The ultimate goal of everything the Rich Fool had done economically in his life was himself. That’s what Jesus had to say about that. It might be hidden behind nice sounding platitudes like, “I just want to sit back and enjoy my family in my twilight years…” or things like that. Whatever it is we say, Jesus’ words are a warning. And Jesus would warn our politicians who brag about how they’ve brought jobs or done this or that for the poor. All such boasting is evil. Notice Jesus’ words when He says that “the land of a rich man produced bountifully…” It’s God that brings the increase ultimately.

In the last verse in that section He says, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” That’s the root of it all. That’s the dividing line of greed and faith. What are you living for – God or ease, faith or profit? To this end, Jesus says in verse 31, “Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.”

When asked, what’s the goal of life, the Christian shouldn’t waver, shouldn’t have to ponder, shouldn’t dilly-dally – to glorify God and enjoy Him. To know God is to trust Him with our lives and futures. Greed is the emotion that arises from the heart that wants the 30 pieces of silver, not Christ. Envy is the feeling we have when we think God isn’t being fair with us. Trust and faith are the settings of the soul that’s resting in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose good pleasure it is to give us the kingdom.