Luke 12:15

Covetousness. Greek pleonexia (see on Mark 7:22). Covetousness may be defined as undue affection for the material things of life, especially those belonging to someone else. The man addressing Christ did not need more riches; what he needed was to have covetousness erased from his heart, after which riches would be of little concern to him.

If there were no more covetousness in the heart, there would be no dispute to settle. As always, Jesus went to the root of the difficulty and proposed a solution that would preclude the necessity of similar problems arising in the future. He put forward no temporary panaceas, such as those represented by the social gospel today. What men need most is not higher wages or larger profits. They need a change of heart and mind that will lead them to seek “first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness,” in full confidence that the necessities of life will “be added” (see on Matthew 6:33).

Abundance of the things. See on Matthew 6:24-34. Materialism is at the root of many of the world’s major problems today. It provides the basis for most political and economic philosophies, and is thus responsible for most of the class and national conflicts that plague mankind. Dissatisfaction with what we have creates the desire to secure more by forcing others to give up all or part of what they have rather than by toiling honestly ourselves. Covetousness is the cause of many of the world’s insoluble problems.

The request of the man who appealed to Jesus to assume the role of judge over his brother’s conduct was prompted by the same spirit that leads some industrialists to grasp for larger profits irrespective of the means by which they are secured, that leads some laborers to demand an ever-increasing wage irrespective of the value of their own contribution to the production of wealth and the ability of their employer to pay. It is the spirit that leads one group of interests to secure legislation favorable to it, with no concern as to how such legislation will affect other groups in a country; that leads a nation to impose its will upon other peoples, irrespective of the desires or best interests of the people concerned. It is the spirit that often leads to broken homes, to juvenile delinquency, and to numerous crimes.

God calls upon all who would love and serve Him to view the material things of life in their true perspective, and to subordinate these to things of eternal value (see on Matthew 6:24-34; John 6:27). Contrary to the opinion held by most people, more “things” do not necessarily mean more happiness. Happiness depends, not on “things,” but on the state of one’s mind and heart (see on Ecclesiastes 2:1-11).