It is Criminal to Covet What Belongs to God

Matthew 25:14-30

^14-18 “”It’s also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities.  Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master’s investment.  The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master’s investment.

^19-21 “After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’

^22-23 “The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master’s investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’

^24-25 “The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’

^26-27 “The master was furious. That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to be cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I could have gotten a little interest.

^28-30 “Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’” MSG

In the last post. we mentioned briefly the dangers of covetousness. To review, we cannot operate out of jealousy and envy of what others have and are able to accomplish, especially when they have paid a great price to walk in their calling. This puts the covetous person in danger of operating out of his or her sphere of protection and is open to get unnecessary warfare and suffer devastating blows that could also hurt those they are connected to. Now, here I will expand more on that and give examples of ways one can fall into the dangers of coveting what belongs to someone else. 

As we entered into the family and army of God by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we also entered in to fulfill the mandate given in Genesis 1:28 which says, “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the earth, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” NKJV

In other words, when God blessed us—this means that He empowered us to accomplish His mandate by giving us the necessary measure of every tool we would need be it spiritual, physical, financial, mental, and so on, and according to our task to be fruitful, multiply, replenish and subdue, as well as take dominion in the areas we are given influence and authority. 

Deuteronomy 8:18 says it this way: “”And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers as it is this day.” NKJV

But one other principle most people ignore that works with this mandate, is the principle of helping to carry one another’s burdens. This is stated in at least two places in the New Testament. One is Romans 15:1-6 which explains, 

“¹We then who are strong are to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. ²Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. ³For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on Me.’ ⁴For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. ⁵Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, ⁶that you with one mind and one mouth may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” NKJV

The other passage of Scripture is Galatians 6:1-2 “¹Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. ²Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” NKJV

You may be asking yourself what is the law of Christ. It is found in Luke 10:27. “So he answered and said, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind.’ And ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” NKJV

I have given you, reader, all this Scriptural background to now demonstrate when a person falls into covetousness. As we return to the initial passage in Matthew 25, verses 24-30 say, “^24-25 “The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’

“^26-27 “The master was furious. That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to be cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I could have gotten a little interest.

^28-30 “Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’” MSG

To explain the careless ways of a man mentioned in verse 24, we need to understand that we are not owners of anything on this earth but only stewards of the things God has given to us in order to fulfill the mandate stated in Genesis 1:28. God owns the earth, as well as everything in it, including the people He placed in it (Psalm 24:1). For this reason, even when He has given us the power and ability to grow and multiply the resources, finances, relationships, businesses, ministries, positions, and possessions He has placed under our care, He has the right to tell us when it is time to hand over those things to the next steward He has decided to appoint the managing and care of them.

However, when we fail to obey this command, we have entered into criminal territory in the sight of God. And the longer it takes us to obey, the more we are recognized in heaven as thieves. We have also become covetous people that want what belongs to another. A third label we now have is of being hoarders: someone that accumulates, hides, or carefully guards something for preservation and future use.¹

This is also saying that we do not take risks in letting go because we deem those things as ours. Part of the mandate given in Genesis 1:28 involves helping our brothers and sisters be enabled to accomplish their part of this mandate. This means that what we have been given is also to help those that may have burdens in their lives that are too much for them to bear on their own and prevent them from fulfilling their assignments in order to obey this mandate.

In addition, as also stated in verses 19-20 of the passage, the time comes when God settles accounts with us and sees how much we have taken risks in letting go of what He mandates to pass on to the one granted stewardship of what belongs to Him. The more we obey this command, the more we are entrusted with until God can give us the true riches of His Kingdom and makes us to partner with Him because He has seen we are faithful in trusting Him and do what He commands us to do in this area.

The opposite happens when we fail to obey. The less we do this, the more He takes from us because He sees that we are not trustworthy to have what belongs to someone else and He gives it to His faithful ones who proved themselves faithful risk takers. Not only that, but Proverbs 6:30-31 says that a thief may not be despised if he steals to satisfy his starvation, but when he is found, he must restore sevenfold, and that may have to be out of the substance of his house. 

Zechariah 5:1-4 also reveals the curse that goes to the house of a thief and a perjurer to consume it until it is gone. Therefore, if you find yourself shaken in any area, ask the Lord if it may be because you were asked to pass on stewardship of finances, or resources, a relationship, or a position or something else that also belongs to God to someone else or were asked to help someone bear his or her burdens and you failed to obey the command. 

The New King James Version says of this passage in verses 24-26, “²⁴Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵And I was afraid and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

²⁶”But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I had not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.’” 

So know that it is important to take heed and not only work steadfastly in being fruitful, subduing, multiplying, replenishing, and taking dominion in the areas we have been called to have influence and authority over, but also, we are mandated to help others be able to do their part by helping them carry their burdens when it is too much for them to bear and as they do their part in fulfilling the same mandate. We are also to remember that on this earth we are not owners but stewards and need to serve the Lord also in this way because He has the right to cause us to reap where we have not sown, and gather where we have not scattered (John 4:37-38; Ecclesiastes 2:21).

Now, please pray with me: Heavenly Father, we come boldly to your throne of grace and mercy, but with humble hearts to ask you to forgive our sin of rebellion against you and against your Kingdom. Help us to turn from our wicked ways, and hear our prayer to heal us from the wrong mindsets that have kept us from obeying your commands. Remove all wrong doctrines and ways of the world that advocate seeking after self and to pursue selfish and ungodly ambitions. Give us understanding of the ways of your Kingdom and of your heart so we may not sin against you. With contrite hearts we come and ask you to help us walk out your mandate and perfect will for us so our land may be healed. We ask you this in the precious name of your beloved Son, Jesus. Amen.

To God alone be all the glory. ▪

Endnote: 1. Definition of hoarder

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