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And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste?”

᛭ INI ᛭

Tonight, in Matthew 26 a woman anoints Christ. Christ takes that opportunity to prophesy His coming death. The priests plan to kill Christ. In the midst of it all, there’s the greed of the disciples. Greed sown in all their hearts by one of them. With the disciples there’s greed and death, but with Christ there’s generosity and life for

CHRIST GENEROUSLY GIVES HIS LIFE AS A RANSOM FOR ALL GREED.

(I. The disciples’ greed was riled up by generosity.)

At Simon the Leper’s house, a woman barges in, goes up to Christ, and anoints Him with very expensive perfume—unusual, but unusual’s what you get chilling with Christ! The disciples don’t praise her act of worship, though. They scold her. “How wasteful! That perfume was worth a fortune, and she just wasted it all—all over IHS, all over the ground. We could’ve helped the poor if we’d sold it!”

“The disciples aren’t greedy,” you might think, “They just want to be generous to those in need!” But John’s Gospel (Jn 12) tells us more. While they all chimed in, it all started with Judas. He said, “Hey! Why wasn’t this sold for more than 300 denarii”—almost a year’s worth of wages—“and given to the poor?” Judas said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he stole from Christ’s moneybag. Christ put Judas in charge of it, and Judas helped himself to whatever was in it. Judas’ greed caused him to hate whenever something valuable was used to worship Christ. He spread his greed and hatred into the hearts of the other disciples…

We usually think of greed in terms of just wanting to accumulate more and more money or possessions. That really is the heart of greed. Greed’s an overflowing shopping cart or one expensive item. It’s aggressive investing and conservative investing. It’s maxed out credit cards, and maxed out savings accounts. It’s having garages, cabinets, gardens, basements, attics, outbuildings full of “good deals,” “must haves,” “heirlooms,” “collectables,” “hobbies,” things you just can’t “live without.” Greed drives us to hang on to all sorts of things that supposedly keep us safe, financially secure, happy, and content. But they aren’t Christ. Just money and stuff that moth and rust destroy, thieves steal, governments tax, and fires destroy.

It’s also stinginess, hoarding what’s “rightfully” yours, even though it’s actually God’s for your neighbor—like Judas. Greed puts on a beautiful mask to hide its true intent. “Why couldn’t this money be given to the poor?” Judas’ rallying cry. We do the same thing. It’s why we give what’s leftover to the church or those in need. Broken toys, out-dated food, a few coins and some lint in the offering plate.

Not to spurn the widow’s mite, mind you. Christ praises the greatness of her generosity: “she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.” (Mk 12) Paul likewise praises the Macedonians, whose “deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality,” for they gave even “beyond their ability.” (2-Cor 8) “I can’t give that much to church … I need that money to take care of my family [or] my obligations.” (LW-44:107), yet the 401k flourishes, savings grow, and a new car or truck gets parked in the driveway.

Greed is the root of all kinds of evil, St. Paul says. Greed hides as prudence, doing things for others or God on the cheap but the nicest for oneself. Greed is evidence we trust in money or things we’ve got more than the God who gave them in the first place! As if He can’t give you much more? We think the things we want will actually provide us true security. “Watch out,” Christ says, “for all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12)

(Transition.)

“What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” (Mark 8) Greed is dangerous for ourselves and our own souls, for others, too, those who don’t get help and those who get sucked into our greedy behavior—spouse, children, family, and friends. “Fallen children learning lessons fallen parents taught.” Greed’s also dangerous for our Lord! It gets Him betrayed and sentenced to death! The chief priests greedy not for money but power… But all this according to the eternal plan and purpose of the Triune God! For,

CHRIST GENEROUSLY GIVES HIS LIFE AS A RANSOM FOR ALL GREED.

(II. Christ’s generosity on their behalf and ours!)

Judas’ 30 pieces of silver pale in comparison to the most priceless and precious thing in the universe: the blood of Christ. Yet, even washed in His blood, hearing about it, receiving it at communion, our hearts churn away. This doesn’t excuse our sin but reveals sin’s depths. “Oh, if I just made this salary, I’d be content.” Or, “oh, if I could just live in a house like that, I’d have everything I’d ever wanted.” Or, “if I could just drive that kind of car…” “The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor the ear filled with hearing,” (Eccl 1) nor greed with getting.

The false god Greed is never satisfied… But the true God makes satisfaction! He not only makes satisfaction; He satisfies every need. Hearts that are restless, greedy for more, worrying about it, too, find their rest in Him alone. Whenever Greed says, “Oh, if you just had this or that or some other thing,” Christ says, “What do you need that for? ’Be content with such things as you have. I will never leave you, nor forsake you.’” (Heb 13) “I am with you always.” (Mt 28) “If God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Mt 6)

Besides that,

CHRIST GENEROUSLY GIVES HIS LIFE AS A RANSOM FOR ALL GREED.

The false god Greed only wants to get more. The true God only wants to give more. And so whether it’s 30 pieces of silver or whatever you forsake the Lord for, it’s worthless compared to the blood of Christ—God’s blood shed FOR YOU! “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1-Pet 1) There’s nothing more valuable this side of eternal life than Christ’s blood. And if God the Son shed it for you, and if God the Father gave up His Son into such a bloody death for you: “How shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom 8)

(III. Christ’s generosity wells up within us.)

CHRIST GENEROUSLY GIVES HIS LIFE AS A RANSOM FOR ALL GREED.

And the Lord makes us participate in His generosity. He calls us out of the darkness and depravity of greed into the marvelous light of His love and generosity. (1-Pet 2) First, He gives out of His gracious generosity all the forgiveness you need for all your sins. In fact, the Lord gives more than we need! Not to say “I’m full,” but to have your cup run over! Bringing you into His generosity through things like Baptism, Absolution, and Holy Communion, He then uses you to be His own instrument of His generosity. “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” (2-Cor 8)

So, we give! We give to those in need if possible! We give to the Church through our offerings. (A Biblical number commended for the New Testament’s freewill offering is 10%.) But, of course, a couple of pennies from a widow can be more godly than working man’s 10%, maybe even more than that! Generosity is a fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life no matter the amount, and yet we ought not let the flesh use this as a cloak for the vice of Greed.

The Bible tells us that God divides humans into two types: the haves, who give, and that have-nots, who receive. The ones who have are to obey the command to give to those in need. The ones who lack receive. There’s no third group of people. That’s not just the way it is in the world but the church, too! “One body, many members.” (Rom 12) “The great cannot be without least, nor the least without the great.” (1-Clement 37) “Let the rich provide for the poor, and let the poor give thanks to God, because He gave to him through him by which his need was filled up.” (1-Clement 38) Our own excess, then, is evil not only because it potentially destroys our own souls, but also because it deprives someone else.

(Conclusion.)

“For freedom Christ has set us free” (Gal 5), “yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.” (1-Pet 2) So we rejoice in Christ’s generosity, that

CHRIST GENEROUSLY GIVES HIS LIFE AS A RANSOM FOR ALL GREED.

A ransom for your greed. He makes us wealthy and generous in the forgiveness of sins, but also in “all that you need to support your body and life,” God gives it that you might have something to give out to others. The Spirit enlivens you to give out what God’s given unto you.

᛭ INI ᛭