Luke 12:13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. 14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
This passage of scripture cautions us against the sin of covetousness and it's indulgence in the many forms, varieties, and hues in which it manifests itself. The root of all sin stems from covetousness, and therefore it must be addressed head on by every sincere Christian who is striving for the mastery. Eve had coveted what God had wisely withheld from them, and Cain slew Abel because of the same sin. And polygamy, and murder, and gossip, and serial window-shopping all stem from the same root. Furthermore, the inferiority complex so many people suffer from, which drives them to adopt the latest fashions, or to dress and adorn themselves in order to be socially acceptable, according to the standards and fads of this world, are all coming from the very same fundamental sin, that of covetousness.
In the passage above, covetousness manifested itself in one of the more common forms known to man, that of how the inheritance will be divided up after the parents are deceased. In this instance the man in question actually interrupted Christ's sermon with the request for Him to use His influence in persuading his brother to share the inheritance with himself. But the rebuke which came from Christ's lips shows that even though the man most likely was in the right, as far as his portion goes, yet he was positively in the wrong, for not wanting to let it go, since his brother apparently had taken all for himself. It takes two people to make a quarrel, and if there was no covetousness lurking in this man's heart, there would have been no serious argument over the material goods or real estate his parents had left to the children.
In cases such as this, when one sibling may greedily covet and grab everything for themselves, the Bible tells us how we should then deal with such situations. It is not by dragging the guilty one to court, to spill all of the family secrets before the world, and to disparage and condemn the brother or sister in a demeaning way. Neither should we take lawyers to ourselves to see how much of the inheritance we can squeeze out of unwilling hands. Instead, the true Christian will let the covetous one have all that they desire, if they refuse to share the proceeds. This manner of handling disputes such as these is contrary to the grabbing attitude manifested by many in such instances, and this counsel and instruction comes from Christ Himself to us, with the hope that we will consider and implement it. Let's read:
Matthew 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
1st Corinthians 6:1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? 6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. 7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
The life of the Christian is filled with paradoxes, for we live by dying, we win by losing and we get by giving away. The experience of the covetous man and the inheritance teaches us very vital lessons in life, and if they are adopted by the grace of God, will go a very long away in preventing the bitter hatred and alienation which often springs from situations such as these. in our day many families are torn apart by occurrences such as these, and siblings who were once best of friends often become each others' mortal enemies, simply because one or the other refuses to let go of the inheritance left them by their parents. Doctor Martin Luther King's family, is currently embroiled in a bitter battle over his Bible, the same Bible which says that we should love one another, and commands us not to covet.
Whenever disputes over estates and material things arise between family members or friends, let us then be the first to seek for a peaceful resolution, even though it may mean forfeiting our portion, for what is of most importance to God in situations such as these, is that we leave the negotiating table in a calm and friendly frame of mind, having the others' best temporal and eternal interest at heart. And if we do, God will take care of all our needs according to the grace given us. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which promises a blessing to those who seek peace and pursue it, and it is the will of God that we now give the verses in question, the due consideration they deserve. Let's read:
Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
May God add his blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!