Because marriage is a big part of this life, a common question is, “What happens to married couples in heaven?” We learn the answer when the Sadducees tried to trap Jesus with a hypothetical question about levirate marriage (Luke 20:27-40, Matthew 22:23-33, and Mark 12:18-27).

https://youtu.be/0-9P0JcJBsc

Marriage is a big part of this life, so a common question is, “What happens to married couples in heaven?” Jesus answered in Luke 20:27-40.

Table of contentsThe Context for Jesus Teaching What Happens to Married Couples in HeavenThe Sadducees Rejected the SupernaturalThe Sadducees' Question About Marriage in HeavenThe Next Life Is Different Than This LifeWe Will Be Equal But Not Identical to AngelsMaking Idols Out of BlessingsHeaven Is Primarily About ChristGod Doesn’t Rule Over Nonexistent PeopleRespond with ScriptureWisdom That Couldn't Be Argued WithBeing "Worthy" to "Attain" HeavenFootnotes

On September 11th, Islam received lots of attention because the 19 hijackers were Muslims, and people wondered why they would fly planes into buildings, killing themselves and thousands of others in the process. We learned that they believed that if they did so, they would immediately go to heaven and receive 72 virgins to satisfy them for all eternity.

Mormons believe in celestial marriage, also called eternal marriage or temple marriage. This doctrine teaches that marriages can last forever in heaven if the couple is wed in a Mormon temple. The website, Why Mormonism, records:

“When a bride and groom are married in the temple, they are sealed together – they are married not only for this life, but for the life after. Jesus Christ taught that ‘What God has joined together, let no man put asunder’ (Matthew 19:6).  The idea of eternal marriage informs the Mormon’s view of deaththat death is a temporary separation of loved ones; they can be together again in the eternities. [Mormon] Elder James A. Cullimore said, ‘Marriage in the temple for time and eternity should be the goal of every member of the Church.”

God promised the Prophet Joseph Smith in a revelation, ‘If a man marries a wife by…the new and everlasting covenant…by him who is anointed…it…shall be of full force when they are out of the world.’ Therefore, those sealed in a Mormon temple have the promise that their relationship will continue on forever. An eternal marriage not only blesses the husband and wife, but their children. The couple is sealed together, and any children they have are sealed to them.”

Katie and I celebrated our 18th anniversary earlier this month. We’ve had ten children together, or, to be more accurate, at least thirteen if we count the miscarriages we’re aware of. Most of these 18 years have been in ministry together, with all its blessings and trials. We have experienced more together than most of the relationships in my life combined. Nobody knows me as well as she does, and I can’t imagine being as close to anyone as I am to her. I have joked with Katie that we should have gotten married on the playground in elementary school when we were growing up together.

I share all this to make the simple point that marriage in heaven sounds good. I would love to continue my relationship with Katie into the next life. The problem is that Jesus taught otherwise.

The Context for Jesus Teaching What Happens to Married Couples in Heaven

The religious leaders have been trying to trap Jesus. The first time was in verses 1-8 when they questioned where He got his authority. In Luke 20:9-18 Jesus preached the parable of the vineyard owner, declaring that the vineyard owner, representing God, would execute the tenants, representing the religious leaders, who murdered His Son. This infuriated the religious leaders:

Luke 20:19 The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.

They wanted to arrest Jesus,

God's care for widows is shown in Deuteronomy 25:5-10. Levirate marriage in the Bible commanded men to provide a son and carry on the name and inheritance of a deceased brother by marrying the widowed wife.

https://youtu.be/z9BSqZmGdqQ

Levirate marriage in the Bible (Deuteronomy 25:5-10) commanded men to marry their deceased brother's widow to provide a son.

Table of contentsLevirate Marriage Cared for the WidowLevirate Marriage Carried on the Deceased Man’s NameLevirate Marriage Carried on the Deceased Man’s InheritanceThe Humiliating Ceremony If a Brother Refused to Fulfill His ResponsibilityWhen Onan Refused His Responsibilities with TamarBoaz and Ruth's Levirate MarriageLevirate Marriage Looks to Christ’s RedemptionFootnotes

Our nation provides many services to widows. Here are five, but there are more:

Hope for Widows helps financially and strives to build a community among widowed women worldwide.

Wings for Widows provides coaching and education to help widows achieve financial wellness.

Modern Widows Club provides in-person and virtual support groups, clubs, and travel opportunities.

The Widow Connection provides skill training for widows to build economic independence.

The Sisterhood of Widows is an online site offering compassion and encouragement for widows.

None of these services can replace losing a spouse, but they are intended to help financially, mentally, socially, and emotionally.

The ancient world was a cruel place to live. They didn’t have the social services we have today. Women, in general, had it bad. Widows had it worse. And widows with no sons to care for them had it worst of all. They were the picture of helplessness and vulnerability.

God expressed His heart for widows and commanded His people to care for them:

Psalm 68:5 Protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.

Psalm 146:9 The Lord…upholds the widow.

Isaiah 1:17 [God says to], “Learn to do good [and] plead the widow's cause.”

Levirate Marriage Cared for the Widow

God commanded levirate marriage in the Mosaic law to care for widows: when a man died, his brother married his wife. This is also where the word “levirate” comes from: it has nothing to do with the tribe of Levi. The word comes from the Latin levir, which means “a husband’s brother.”

When I first learned about levirate marriage, to be honest, it seemed pretty weird to me: a man is commanded to marry his dead brother’s wife. And if we’re all honest, we would probably admit this isn’t the only part of the Mosaic law that seems weird. We look at other parts and say, “Why would God command this?” But as I studied levirate marriage this past week, it made sense to me. If we lived in the ancient world, we would see that levirate marriage was compassionate toward both the widow and her deceased husband.

When we encounter something in the Old Testament that seems weird or troubling, often it’s because of two things. First, we don’t live in that culture. If we did, the things we read would make more sense. Second, we aren’t familiar enough with what we are reading. If we study Scripture enough, we often see that what God did was wise and beneficial.

And with that, let’s take a look at Deuteronomy 25:5-10, which are the verses commanding levirate marriage:

Deuteronomy 25:5 “If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband's brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her.

Notice God said it is the living brother’s “duty” to do this. God commanded Israelite men to care for Israelite women in this way. John MacArthur wrote, “Obviously, this required that the [living] brother be unmarried.”40

There are two requirements for levirate marriage.

The brothers must dwell together. This doesn’t mean they share the same house,

The Pharisees and Herodians tried to trap Jesus with this question: “Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” (Luke 20:22; see also Matthew 12:13-17). If Jesus said they should pay the tax, it looked like He supported Rome, but if he said they should not pay the tax, He would be considered a traitor to Rome and arrested. He responded, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what Is God's” (Luke 23:25). Just as the coins with Caesar’s image belong to Caesar, people with God’s image belong to God.

https://youtu.be/hBa0C7r0pUw

Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what Is God's; coins with Caesar’s image belong to him, and people with God’s image belong to Him.

Table of contentsShould Christians Use American Currency?The Pharisees and Herodians Tried to Trap JesusBitterness Unites PeopleThe Pharisees' and Herodians' HypocrisyWhy the Jews Hated the Poll TaxChristians Give to Caesar What Is Caesar's Because We Have Earthly CitizenshipPaul (and Peter) Taught that We Should Submit to GovernmentWe Can Have Clear Consciences When We Give to Caesar What Is Caesar'sPaul Affirmed We Should Give to Caesar What Is Caesar'sChristians Give to God What Is God's Because We Have Heavenly CitizenshipGiving to Caesar What Is Caesar's Is not Disloyal to GodWhat It Means to Give to God What Is God'sFootnotes

Our one-dollar bills contain many images. Some are easy to understand, such as the picture of George Washington or the capital B for the Federal Reserve Bank. Other images are more challenging to understand. For example, the Department of the Treasury's seal shows balancing scales. You can probably guess they don’t represent a balanced budget. Instead, they are supposed to represent justice. But I think some might argue that’s not an accurate representation either. Under the scales are thirteen stars, representing the original thirteen colonies. A key, signifying official authority, is under the thirteen stars.

On the back of the bill, there is an eagle with the following:

A shield in front of it with thirteen bars

Thirteen stars above the shield

One talon with a branch with thirteen leaves on it

The other talon holds thirteen arrows

There are three Latin phrases:

Above the pyramid reads “annuit cœptis,” which means “God has favored our undertaking.”

Under the pyramid is “novus ordo seclorum,” which means “a new order of the ages.”

The eagle's banner reads “e pluribus unum,” which appears on most U.S. coins and means “out of many, one.”

There is also the pyramid, and the more I studied it, the more obvious it became that there are many opinions about it. Here are a few:

The missing top of the pyramid is a sign that the country wasn’t finished yet

The Western face of the pyramid is in a shadow while the front is lit, indicating the nation hadn’t explored the west yet

An eye above the pyramid looks like its top because it is in a triangle. Instead, the all-seeing eye encased in a triangle is an ancient symbol of divinity.

Some believe the pyramid and the eye are cultic images reflecting the influence of Free Masonry on our early government because Benjamin Franklin, who helped design the seal with Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, claimed to be a Mason.

To some, the eye above the pyramid is evidence of plans for a new world order. The Freemasons plan to take over themselves or work with European bankers and the Illuminati.

Should Christians Use American Currency?

As Christians who don’t want anything to do with Freemasonry because of its unbiblical teachings, should we refuse to use dollar bills? If we use currency that has unbiblical, or even worse, occultic imagery, are we being disloyal to God and perhaps even sinning?

I have good news: we don’t have to worry about using our currency. The currency in Jesus’s day was downright blasphemous, but not only did Jesus NOT discourage people from using it, He even told them what to do with it, and it wasn’t throwing it away. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s back up and quickly review the parable of the vineyard owner in verses 9-18 because the following verses flow from it.

In this parable, God the Father is the vineyard owner, and the vineyard represents Israel. The owner sends servants, representing Old Testament prophets, to the tenants, representing the religious leaders. The tenants beat the servants and threw them out of the vineyard. Finally, the owner sends his “beloved son.” Look at verse fourteen to see what the tenants do to him:

Luke 20:14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15a And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

The tenants didn’t even talk about murdering the servants, but they murdered the son. They represent the religious leaders who murdered Jesus, so it’s a fitting prophecy.

Luke 20:15b What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”

The vineyard owner, or God the Father, is going to destroy the tenants or religious leaders for murdering His Son. Look how the people respond in verse 16:

Luke 20:16b When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!”

They are not arguing with Jesus. Instead, they are horrified. That’s why in some Bibles, “Surely not” is translated as:

“God forbid!” in the NIV

“May it never happen!” in the NASB

“May it never be!” in the Amplified

Now, here’s something important for this morning’s verses: the “they” in verse 16 who heard what Jesus said are not the religious leaders. Instead, they are people in the temple. Look at verse 1 to see the context for Jesus preaching this:

Luke 20:1 One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up

So, consider this: Passover is only a few days away, which means millions of Jews are in Jerusalem and around the temple…which also means lots of Jews just heard Jesus prophesy that God was going to destroy the religious leaders. And any Jews who didn’t hear Jesus preach this will hear it from everyone who’s talking about it.

The Pharisees and Herodians Tried to Trap Jesus

As you can imagine, the religious leaders are not happy with Jesus, and this brings us to the first verse of this morning’s passage:

Luke 20:19 The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.

The religious leaders could have heeded Jesus’s warning, humbled themselves, and repented when they learned God was going to destroy them. Instead, they want to have Jesus arrested. But they can’t because they’re afraid of the people. So, they devised another plan: discredit Him so people don’t listen to what He said. If Jesus looks terrible, the religious leaders won’t look bad. Look how they go about this:

Luke 20:20 So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor.

Before we dig into this verse, I want to draw your attention to a theme throughout the gospel: how badly the religious leaders wanted to accuse Jesus of something. The fact that they worked that hard and couldn’t find anything tells you how blamelessly Jesus lived. And, as you know, if you are familiar with His trials, they finally reached the point that the only way to find Him guilty of anything was to bring false witness against Him. To give you an idea, look three chapters to the right at Luke 23:2. Jesus is on trial before Pilate:

Luke 23:2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”

This is the opposite of what Jesus taught in these verses, but it shows you what they had to do to accuse Him of anything.

Bitterness Unites People

Initially, this looks like one more example of the religious leaders trying to trap Jesus. We have watched them do this many times before, including earlier in this chapter: in verses 1 through 8, they questioned His authority. But this situation is different from the others. Verse 19 says the scribes and chief priests wanted to arrest Jesus, but verse 20 says they “sent spies.” It was the spies who questioned Jesus.

The parallel accounts, particularly Matthew 22:16 and Mark 12:13, show that the Pharisees and the Herodians worked together to send the spies. This might not sound like a big deal, but it is because these groups hated each other. If we lived in Jesus’s day, we would be shocked to learn that they joined forces.

The Herodians supported the Roman-backed Herodian dynasty. In contrast, the Pharisees hated Roman rule and the Herodians’ influence. Warren Wiersbe wrote, "These two groups were usually fighting each other, but now they had a common enemy, and this brought them together."28

The gospel unites people, but so does bitterness. Think of the saying, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” People might hate each other, but if they hate someone else, they are often happy to unite over their hatred. I have watched this in the church. People don’t get along. They leave the church. Then, they unite over their mutual bitterness toward the church:

Hebrews 12:15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled

Why does it say that bitterness causes trouble and defiles many? When people are bitter, they love to find others who share their offense and join in their attacks. This defiles many because they share their bitterness with others who become bitter or defiled.

Social media has made this worse.

What do we think typically ruins relationships? Gossip? Anger? Lies? Unfortunately, we don’t often think of covetousness. But we should! God blames covetousness for our conflicts: "You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel" (James 4:2). We take it out on others when we don’t get what we want. “Desire and do not have” is synonymous with “covet and cannot obtain,” and “murder” is synonymous with “quarrels and…fights.” God repeats Himself to drive the point home: covetousness causes conflicts. Read this material from Being Content God’s Way, or watch the accompanying sermon, to learn how covetousness causes conflicts.

https://youtu.be/GDyrgF_iQDM

Covetousness causes conflict: "You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel" (James 4:2).

Table of contentsWe “Fight and Quarrel” Because We "Covet and Cannot Obtain"A Covetous Older BrotherCovetous Vineyard WorkersA Covetous KingFirst, We Shouldn’t Let God’s Grace Cause Us to CovetSecond, We Shouldn’t Let God’s Grace Cause Us to Be DiscontentThird, We Shouldn’t Let God’s Grace Cause Us to Be Bitter Toward GodFourth, We Shouldn’t Let God’s Grace Cause Us to Be Bitter Toward OthersTwo Final Points About CovetousnessFirst, Covetousness Is FruitlessSecond, Covetousness Is a Spiritual Versus Physical Problem

We had neighbors with four daughters. When we had our first child, Rhea, the two youngest daughters liked coming to see her. Katie became very close to them and watched them each morning, walked them to school, and then they returned to our house in the afternoon.

Over time, it became apparent that one of their older sisters, whom we will call Jennifer, disliked Katie. She was rude to Katie, and when she came to our house to get her younger sisters, she would pound on the door. Katie put a note next to the door asking people to knock quietly and not ring the doorbell because the baby could be sleeping. Although the note was not addressed to anyone, it was intended for Jennifer. The day Katie put up the note, Jennifer came over to get her two younger sisters, pounded on the door even louder than usual, and repeatedly rang the doorbell.

Instead of criticizing Jennifer for her behavior, Katie kindly asked her why she seemed to hate Katie so much. Jennifer broke down and shared that she coveted her little sisters’ relationships with Katie.

We “Fight and Quarrel” Because We "Covet and Cannot Obtain"

What do we think typically ruins relationships? Gossip? Anger? Lies? Unfortunately, we don’t often think of covetousness, but we should. Covetousness ruined Jennifer’s relationship with Katie, and God blames covetousness for our conflicts:

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel (James 4:1-2).

We take it out on others when we don’t get what we want. In Jennifer’s case, she wasn’t getting the affection and attention she wanted from Katie, and she took it out on her. “Desire and do not have” is synonymous with “covet and cannot obtain,” and “murder” is synonymous with “quarrels and…fights.” God repeats Himself to drive the point home: covetousness causes conflicts. The same point is made elsewhere: “The greedy (or covetous) stir up conflict (Proverbs 28:25 NIV), and “the love of money (or covetousness) is a root of all kinds of evils” (1 Tiomthy 6:10).

We will examine three biblical accounts that demonstrate this so we can learn from them. We will look at the accounts back-to-back and then discuss their application.

A Covetous Older Brother

The prodigal son repented, returned home, and their “father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate” (Luke 15:22-23). When the older brother learned what happened:

He was angry and refused to go in [to the celebration for his brother]. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ (Luke 15:28-30).

When God was upset with Israel for building the golden calf, He told Moses they were “Your people” (Exodus 32:7). When parents are upset with their children, they tell their spouse, “Your child did this.” The same thing happened here: “This son of yours” versus “my brother.” The older brother is furious about the fattened calf and the celebration. Wait until he learns about the robe, ring, and shoes!

Covetous Vineyard Workers

The second example of covetousness causing conflict is in the parable of the vineyard workers:

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you’” (Matthew 20:1-4).

The word “agreeing” is important. The workers hired “early in the morning,” about 6 AM, knew what they would be paid and agreed to that amount. The workers hired three hours later, about 9 AM, did not know what they would be paid. They were told it would be “whatever is right.” The master continued hiring workers at the sixth hour, about 1 PM, the ninth hour, about 3 PM, and the eleventh hour, about 5 PM (Matthew 20:5-7). When the master paid the workers, they each received a denarius. This didn’t sit well with the men who worked the longest, so they told the master:

“These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” But he replied to one of them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?” (Matthew 20:12-15).

The master was fair because he paid them what they agreed on. Because it was fair to pay one denarius for one day’s work, it was unfair to pay one denarius for less than one day’s work. The word “generosity” is synonymous with grace. Because grace is unearned or undeserved favor, the master was unfair but gracious. He couldn’t be fair and gracious because they are mutually exclusive. Being fair means being ungracious, and being gracious means being unfair.

The master asked, “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?” Because everything belongs to God1 and He can do what He “[chooses] with what belongs to [Him],” He is “allowed” to be more gracious to some than others. But if we’re honest, we probably understand why the older brother and the vineyard workers were upset. We don’t like the prodigal son being given so much after living wickedly, and we don’t like the vineyard workers being paid as much as those who worked more. Because grace is unfair, there are four things we must be on guard against when God is gracious to others.

A Covetous King

The third example of covetousness causing conflict occurred between Saul and David. But consider how well their relationship began:

David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer. And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.” And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him (1 Samuel 16:21-23).

Saul didn’t just love David; he “loved him greatly,” made him his armor bearer (one of the most respected positions in the Old Testament), and favored him so much he wanted to keep him with him. We can only imagine how much Saul’s affection for David grew when the spirit tormented Saul, and David’s music left him “refreshed.” But this excellent relationship wouldn’t last long:

When David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (1 Samuel 18:6-7).

God chooses some to slay thousands and some to slay ten thousands. There will always be people with more gifts, wealth, and success. Using the symbolism in the parable of the talents, “to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one” (Matthew 25:15). We must avoid coveting those who have “killed more than us.” Saul shows that failing to do so can ruin our lives:

Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” And Saul eyed David from that day on (1 Samuel 18:8-9).

The Hebrew word for “eyed” is ʿāvan, meaning “to watch with jealousy.” Two factors caused Saul’s downfall. First, he failed to take responsibility for his actions, choosing instead to make excuses and blame others.2 The second cause of his downfall was his covetousness. He was obsessed with David’s fame and popularity.3 Now, let’s learn from each of these accounts!

First, We Shouldn’t Let God’s Grace Cause Us to Covet

The master asked, “Do you begrudge my generosity (or grace)?” Other translations,

Exodus 20:17 says, “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.” What does covet mean?” The Old Testament Hebrew word for “covet” is ḥāmaḏ, meaning “to lust after or long for with great desire.” The New Testament Greek word for “covetousness” is pleonexia, which comes from the two Greek words pleiōn, meaning “more,” and echō, meaning “to have.” Covetousness is a strong desire to have more. Read this material from Being Content God's Way, or watch the accompanying sermon, to learn what coveting means and how dangerous it is.

https://youtu.be/mcXanxrQJVM

Exodus 20:17 says, “You shall not covet your neighbor's house, wife, male servant, female servant, ox, or donkey.” What does covet mean?”

Table of contentsJesus’s Warning About CovetousnessThe Danger of CovetousnessCovetousness Is A New Testament Command in the Old TestamentCovetousness Is a Sin Even Paul CommittedCovetousness Is a Heart IssueWhen Covetousness Takes RootThe Unhealthy Relationship Is the ProblemCovetousness Is Desiring Too Strongly

Sometimes, when people are at sea without fresh water, they become so thirsty that they drink the saltwater. The one thing they desire more than anything else—water—surrounds them. They must look at it until the craving becomes uncontrollable. They are dehydrated when they give in and drink it, making them thirstier. They drink more, and the cycle continues. They are getting what they want while it is killing them.

This illustrates what covetousness does. We desire something, and the craving seems uncontrollable. We give in and pursue what we covet, but satisfying covetousness only increases it. Coveters don’t need their covetousness satisfied any more than drug addicts need drugs or alcoholics need alcohol.

Picture a family trying to have a nice dinner together. Their dog starts begging at the table. To get the dog to go away, they give it some food. But all they have done is increase the likelihood that the dog will return. This is covetousness. Giving into it only increases the likelihood it will keep coming back.

Jesus’s Warning About Covetousness

When Jesus was teaching, He encountered a covetous man. We can learn much from how Jesus responded to him. Hint: He didn’t give him what he wanted! But first, the account’s background.

Luke 12:1 says, “In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, [Jesus] began to say to his disciples first, ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.’” Jesus was teaching “many thousands.”  The crowd was so large people “were trampling one another” to hear Him. He taught about hypocrisy (verses 2-3), fearing God versus man (verses 4-7), and the danger of denying Him (verses 8-12). Jesus never taught anything unimportant, but these were particularly heavy topics. Right then, an interruption allowed him to teach on an equally important topic: covetousness! Luke 12:13 says, “Someone in the crowd said to [Jesus], ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’” Deuteronomy 21:17 says, “Acknowledge the firstborn…by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.” The firstborn received a double portion of the inheritance to care for the family in the father’s absence. The man was either the firstborn and wanted his inheritance, or he believed his older brother received too much.

Jesus was a recognized rabbi, and it was common for them to settle disputes, but not in the middle of their teaching! Not only did he interrupt with something trivial compared to what Jesus was saying, he even told Jesus what to do! But the interruption didn’t surprise Jesus. He used it to speak to the man and then the crowd. We can learn from both addresses.

Jesus said, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” (Luke 12:14). When I die and meet Jesus, I hope He calls me friend, brother, disciple, or—my personal preference—good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:21, 23). But I don’t want Him to call me “Man.” This term is used for a stranger, like “Mister.” There is no affection or acknowledgment of a relationship. Considering how gracious Jesus was, even to tax collectors and sinners, it is noteworthy that He responded this way.

In answer to Jesus’s question, God the Father made Jesus a Judge: “The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22). Because Jesus was a judge and an injustice had been committed, why didn’t He help?

Jesus is the judge over all the earth, but not over petty disputes. This was unrelated to His primary purpose, which was heavenly and spiritual rather than earthly and physical. Jesus is a good example of how we don’t need to get involved in every cause. Just because a wrong has been committed doesn’t mean it is our business.

John 2:24-25 says, “[Jesus] knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.” Because Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves, He knew giving the man the inheritance would have hurt him because it would have increased his covetousness. Jesus didn’t want to give him saltwater.

The man thought his problem was physical (not getting an inheritance), but his real problem was spiritual (covetousness). Jesus didn’t help him the way he wanted to be helped, but He did help him the way he needed to be helped. Jesus is a master surgeon, and He cut to the heart with great precision and exposed the man’s sin.

The Danger of Covetousness

Jesus would not render a decision on the man’s dispute, but He didn’t hesitate to render a decision on the man’s spiritual condition. He addressed the crowd: “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). “Take care,” and “be on your guard,” are synonymous. Jesus repeated Himself to warn us about the danger of covetousness.

Consider these people who will go to hell:

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

As we read the list, at first, we think, “Yeah, fornication, idolatry, adultery, and homosexuality are terrible sins. These people shouldn’t inherit the Kingdom of God!” But then covetousness is mentioned, and we think, “Are you kidding me? What’s the big deal about wanting stuff?”

Ephesians 5:3 says, “Sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.” What would we expect Paul to couple with sexual immorality as the severe other sin that shouldn’t be part of believers’ lives? Maybe idolatry or murder? Instead, Paul mentioned covetousness.

So, why is covetousness so severe? Here are three reasons:

If you asked people about the most common sins, some probably would not even mention covetousness. This subtlety (that some people don’t even think it’s sinful!) makes it dangerous.

Most sins are common to some people, but not everyone. For example, one person struggles with drunkenness but not lying, and the next struggles with lying but not bitterness. But covetousness is like pride; everyone struggles with it to some extent, which makes it dangerous.

People who commit adultery might make excuses, but they know they are adulterers. People who steal might feel justified, but they know they are stealing. Covetousness, on the other hand, is not apparent to the coveter. It is a sin that sneaks into our lives without us recognizing it. We can be infected but not know we are sick. We think we want something without realizing we are coveting it.

Covetousness was behind several of the most painful accounts in Scripture:

Jacob coveted Esau’s birthright (Genesis 25:31)

Rachel coveted Leah’s ability to have children (Genesis 30:1-2)

Joseph’s brothers coveted the affection he received from their father (Genesis 37:4)

Saul coveted David’s fame and popularity (1 Samuel 18:8-9)

Satan coveted God’s position in heaven (Isaiah 14:13-14)

The vineyard workers coveted those who worked less but were paid the same (Matthew 20:12)

The religious leaders coveted  Jesus’s popularity (Matthew 27:18)

The prodigal son’s older brother coveted what his younger brother received (Luke 15:29-30)

For these reasons, Jesus warns, “Take care, and be on [our] guard against all covetousness.” Jim Elliff wrote:

In our wealthy and materialistic society, Christians often tend to trivialize covetousness, but Paul lists it as one of a number of sins that are bringing the wrath of God “upon the sons of disobedience” (Colossians 3:5-6). Concerning the love (or coveting) of money, Paul told Timothy that it was a “root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). John was speaking of covetousness when he wrote, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). “Do not be deceived,” Paul wrote to the church at Corinth. No covetous person “will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

Jim Elliff and Daryl Wingerd, Restoring Those Who Fall, Christian Communicators, 2006, p. 12.

Covetousness Is A New Testament Command in the Old Testament

We are probably most familiar with covetousness because of the Tenth Commandment: “You shall not covet” (Exodus 20:17). Consider that the rest of the Ten Commandments, like the Old Covenant in general, focus on the outward and forbid physical sins:

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image” (Exodus 20:4).

Even if a wife has good intentions, such as trying to be helpful, if her husband feels disrespected, it's a problem. Read or listen to this material from Your Marriage God’s Way or watch the message from the Your Marriage God's Way Conference to learn the four most common ways wives disrespect their husbands.

https://youtu.be/wAsCrQgBVAI

Wives Respect Your Husband is the fourth message at Your Marriage God's Way Conferences.

Table of contentsThe Two Common Causes of Marriage ConflictsThe Four Most Common Ways Wives Are DisrespectfulFirst, Wives Disrespect Their Husbands By Being DiscontentSecond, Wives Disrespect Their Husbands By Using Disparaging Speech and Body LanguageThird, Wives Disrespect Their Husbands By Frequently Second-GuessingFourth, Wives Disrespect Their Husbands By Badmouthing to the KidsA Husband Lives Up or Down to His Wife's TreatmentMichal Loved and Disrespected DavidA Wife Can Change Her Husband’s Feelings Toward Her

During a counseling session, as I was helping a couple who struggled with lots of conflict, the wife had an epiphany. Most couples enjoy working together, but these two always fight each other. The husband explained that nothing he did was good enough for his wife. She always countered him with a better way to do things and picked apart all his decisions. She was genuinely confused about her husband’s frustration because she thought she was being helpful. It wasn’t until this session that she realized her husband found her “helpful” suggestions disrespectful.

Even if a wife has good intentions, if her husband feels disrespected by her, it is a problem. A good perspective for a wife to remember is that as painful as it is for her to feel unloved, it is equally painful for her husband to feel disrespected.

The Two Common Causes of Marriage Conflicts

Modern research supports the biblical instruction on this topic. Marriage expert Dr. Emerson Eggerichs shares essential statistics about husbands and wives in his famous book Love and Respect. In one survey, 400 men were asked, “If you were forced to choose, would you prefer to feel alone and unloved or disrespected and inadequate?” Seventy-four percent responded that they would rather feel alone and unloved than disrespected and inadequate.

When Dr. Eggerichs conducted the same survey with women, a similar percentage of women responded that they would rather feel disrespected and inadequate than alone and unloved. Dr. Eggerichs sums up his findings:

[A wife] needs love just as she needs air to breathe, [and a husband] needs respect just as he needs air to breathe.”

Emerson Eggerichs, Love and Respect: The Love She Most Desires, the Respect He Desperately Needs (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2004), 36.

Another survey asked 7,000 people:

“When you are in a conflict with your spouse, do you feel unloved or disrespected?” Eighty-three percent of husbands responded with “disrespected.” Seventy-two percent of wives responded with “unloved.”

Eggerichs, Love and Respect, 160

This reveals that during marriage conflicts, husbands often react because they feel disrespected, and wives often react because they feel unloved.

The Four Most Common Ways Wives Are Disrespectful

Conversely, no matter how much a wife might profess her love, certain attitudes communicate disrespect to her husband. Here are four

First, Wives Disrespect Their Husbands By Being Discontent

When a wife routinely expresses frustration with her life, home, family, or possessions, she inevitably disrespects her husband. A discontented wife makes her husband feel like a failure because he is the one—at least in her eyes—who is not providing well enough to keep her content.

Katie and I have always been a single-income family. When we married, I was a schoolteacher, and then I became a pastor. We have nine children, and while God has always provided, our lives are far from glamorous. Yet, if you were to listen to Katie,

Genesis 2:24 says, "A man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife." Read or listen to this material from Your Marriage God’s Way to learn what it means to leave and cleave in marriage.

Table of contents"Leave and Cleave" Means Keeping the Marriage in the MarriageSeeking Godly Counsel Is the Exception When Talking Badly About Your SpouseLet Not Man Separate What God Has Joined TogetherThe Greatest Way to "Leave and Cleave" in Marriage

A newly married young woman argued with her husband. Because she had a good relationship with her father, amid her hurt and anger, she went to see him. She knew her father would affirm how wonderful she was and how wrong her husband had been.

When she arrived, the father opened the door, looked at his daughter, knew she was upset, invited her in immediately, and asked her what was wrong. After a few pleasantries, the daughter divulged details about her argument with her husband. The father gently rebuked her and suggested she return home. He explained, “Your husband is now the most important man in your life. You two will have problems, and you can’t return to me when that happens. It would be best if you learned to work things out together. I love you, and I’m all for the best in your marriage, so I’m giving you this counsel.”

Scripture agrees with the father’s response. Genesis 2:24 says, “A man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” The term leave and cleave comes from this verse. We know it portrays God’s divine plan for marriage because it was instituted at creation and brought forward into the New Testament by Jesus and Paul (Matthew 19:5; Mark 10:7; Ephesians 5:31).

"Leave and Cleave" Means Keeping the Marriage in the Marriage

When Paul commanded “a man [to] leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife” (Ephesians 5:31), he was, in effect, encouraging couples to keep the marriage between the husband and wife. Married individuals should cling to their spouses instead of anyone else, including their parents. When couples experience conflict, as all couples will, they should work things out together instead of running to others. The father in the story above understood an essential truth about marriage: under most circumstances, problems should remain between the husband and wife.

In-laws can end up contributing to marriage problems, especially with newlyweds who aren’t used to being separated from their parents. But this scenario isn’t limited to parents. When couples experience conflict, frequently, they are tempted to go to friends or coworkers to criticize their spouse and talk about how badly they have been treated. They want to do this because they expect those close to them to take their side in the dispute. Some wives turn to their girlfriends. Some husbands talk to their guy friends. While parents are the only ones mentioned in Ephesians 5:31, we can extend this principle to say that if we shouldn’t complain to our parents about our spouse, we shouldn’t complain to anyone else.

The dangers here should be obvious. Pouring out our anger merely stokes it. This will make us feel justified in responding poorly to our spouse, feed our belief that we deserve better treatment than we are receiving, and discourage us from seeking forgiveness for our fault in the conflict. We’ll be filled with pride instead of humility, worsening an already-strained relationship.

An even worse scenario is when the offended party shares the grievances with someone of the opposite sex. The result will be:

A married woman thinks I wish my husband listened to me the way he listens to me. I bet he would never treat me the way my husband treats me.

A married man thinking, I bet she would show me more respect than my wife shows me. She would appreciate me and all my hard work.

Complaining about your spouse to someone of the opposite sex is detrimental to your marriage and can quickly become th...

God told Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe, "If you seek great things for yourself, seek them not" (Jeremiah 45:5). As we consider why God didn't want Baruch to seek great things, we can learn why God might not want us to seek great things. Read this material from Being Content God’s Way, or watch the accompanying sermon, to learn why God didn't want Baruch (and us!) to seek great things, and what He wanted him (and us!) to seek instead.

https://youtu.be/WmIzUoHD0T4

God told Baruch, "If you seek great things for yourself, seek them not" (Jeremiah 45:5). Learn why God might not want us to seek great things.

Table of contentsDiscontent Being Jeremiah’s ScribeWhy Didn’t God Want Baruch to Seek Great Things?God Might not Want Us to Seek Things Because We Seek Them for OurselvesGod Might not Want Us to Seek Things Because They Won’t LastGod Might not Want Us to Seek Things Because They Aren’t Part of His Plan“Great Things” Often Aren’t That GreatSeeking Great Things in God’s EyesMoses Sought Great Things in God’s EyesJonathan Sought Greatness in God’s EyesJohn the Baptist Sought Greatness in God’s EyesContent with Despised Roles that Please God

Before doctors administer a shot, they say, “Try to relax as much as possible. This will be worse if you resist.” The doctor tells you to accept what will happen because resisting worsens it. Elizabeth Elliot said something similar: “There is joy in acceptance.” We can’t change certain circumstances, and resisting worsens them; therefore, it is best to trust that God wants to use them for our good and His glory. This is what it means to choose contentment, and it can bring great peace. Conversely, refusing to be content, which is to say choosing discontentment, can bring severe turmoil and suck the joy out of life.

To some extent, all of us would say our lives are not exactly what we want. Maybe we wish we made more money, lived elsewhere, had a different job, or enjoyed a bigger house. If we are single, maybe we wish we were married. If we are married, maybe we wish our marriage was better. We all have something (or some things) we wish were different.

There is a man in scripture, Baruch, who wished his life was different. He was Jeremiah’s faithful scribe, and we can learn much from him.

Discontent Being Jeremiah’s Scribe

Baruch is one of the unsung heroes of the Old Testament. Jeremiah was the most despised man of his day, and throughout much of his ministry, Baruch was his only friend. Jeremiah faced rejection and persecution from his countrymen. Being the closest person to Jeremiah meant that when Jeremiah suffered, Baruch often did too. At one point, Baruch wanted something different for himself. The Lord learned of his discontentment and had the following words for him:

The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he wrote these words in a book at the dictation of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: You said, ‘Woe is me! For the Lord has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.’ Thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord: Behold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up—that is, the whole land. And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go” (Jeremiah 45:1-5).

Baruch was discouraged. The words “woe,” “pain,” “groaning,” and “find no rest” reveal that he suffered physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I hate to be critical of Baruch because I’m sure I would have been worse than him if I were in his situation, but he should have been content with his circumstances.

The phrase “the Lord has added sorrow” reveals that he attributed his suffering to God. How did God respond? Did He feel sorry for Baruch or apologize to him? No. Instead, He criticized Baruch for “[seeking] great things for [himself]” and told him to “seek them not.” This is the opposite of the Prosperity Gospel, Health and Wealth Doctrine, or Name-It-and-Claim-It Movement, which teaches people to “seek great things for [themselves].” In Joel Osteen’s New York Times best-selling book, Your Best Life Now, he writes:

God wants us to constantly be increasing, to be rising to new heights…God wants to increase you financially, by giving you promotions…God wants this to be the best time of your life. But if you are going to receive this favor, you must enlarge your vision. You can’t go around thinking negative, defeated, limiting thoughts. If you will keep the right attitude, God will take all your disappointments, broken dreams, the hurts and pains, and He will add up all the trouble and sorrow that’s been inflicted on you, and He will pay you back with twice as much peace, joy, happiness, and success…God wants to give you your own house. God has a big dream for your life.

Joel Osteen, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential (FaithWords, 2004), 5, 31–32, 35.

If Baruch had Joel Osteen’s theology, he would be convinced that God wanted him to pursue something better for himself. But that could not have been further from the truth. God wanted Baruch to accept his current circumstances. Your Best Life Now was on the New York Times best-seller list for over two years and has sold over eight million copies. The popularity reveals how many people are deceived about God’s desires for them.

Why Didn’t God Want Baruch to Seek Great Things?

The Old Testament contains examples from which we can learn (1 Corinthians 10:6 and 11 and Romans 15:4). When we consider why God didn’t want Baruch to seek certain things, we can learn why God might not want us to seek certain things.

God Might not Want Us to Seek Things Because We Seek Them for Ourselves

God said Baruch “[sought] great things for [himself].” Because most people could not read or write in the ancient world, being a scribe was a respected and lucrative profession. More than likely, Baruch had high hopes for position, honor, and riches. He knew if he didn’t serve Jeremiah, he could have enjoyed a comfortable and perhaps even wealthy life.

Maybe we have felt this way at times. If so, we should remind ourselves that this life isn’t about accumulating “great things” for ourselves. James 4:3 says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” This was the case with Baruch, and God rebuked him for it. If we want something, and our motivation is to “spend it on [our] pleasures,” maybe God would rebuke us, too.

Motivation is one of the most important considerations when seeking something for ourselves. Why do we want it? Is it to be rich, famous, and powerful, or to serve Christ? In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” If our highest motivation is to “seek first the kingdom of God” rather than “seek great things for [ourselves],” we can be confident we have the right motivation.

God Might not Want Us to Seek Things Because They Won’t Last

God told Baruch He was going to “break down [what He] built, pluck up [what He] planted, [and] bring adversity on all flesh.” God didn’t want Baruch to seek great things because they wouldn’t last! God was going to destroy everything, but he told Baruch, “I will give your life to you as a prize.” Baruch would not get all the “great things” he wanted, but he would get to keep his life.

The same is true for us, not just physically but spiritually. Second Peter 3:10 (NKJV) says, “The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” The universe as we know it will not last, but we get to keep our lives: “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

God Might not Want Us to Seek Things Because They Aren’t Part of His Plan

Being Jeremiah’s scribe meant giving up great things Baruch wanted, but they might not have been selfish or immoral desires. Maybe he wanted marriage, children, and a normal life. These are part of God’s plan for most people, but they were not part of God’s plan for Baruch. Similarly, we might have desires that are not selfish or immoral and are part of God’s plan for others but aren’t part of God’s plan for us.

Because we have limited time and energy, saying “yes” to one thing means saying “no” to something else. Let me share an example from my life. I coached middle and high school wrestling during my first few years teaching elementary school. When I moved to Lemoore, California, I could only coach the middle school because the high school had a successful coach who had been inducted into the State Wrestling Hall of Fame. He had built an incredibly success program, and the facilities were some of the best I had ever seen. You can imagine my excitement when the coach moved on to the collegiate level and invited me to take over the high school program for him. The difficulty was that two other things happened around the same time: I started getting more involved in my church, and Katie and I started discussing marriage.

The commitment to follow such a successful coach was huge. He built the program by investing his life in it. If I took over for him, I would be expected to do the same. I had to choose between coaching high school wrestling or marrying Katie and pursuing ministry. There is nothing wrong with coaching wrestling—I had done it for years earlier—but I could tell it was no longer part of God’s will for my life. Although coaching a top-tier wrestling program seemed like a “great thing” to me,

In Philippians 4:11, Paul wrote, “I have learned in all things to be content.” Sometimes, we look at people and think, “It must be nice to be them. They are so content. I wish I were like that. Sadly, God made me a miserable, discontent person.” However, contentment is not something fortunate people are born with, while others are not. Instead, content must be learned.

https://youtu.be/0IIL_tpWI4U

Philippians 4:11 reads, “I have learned in all things to be content.” Contentment is not something people are born with. It must be learned.

Table of contentsPhilippians 4:13 Is a Wildly Popular and Wildly Misinterpreted VerseThe Background to Paul Writing, "I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content"Paul's Credibility to Write "I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content"First, Contentment Is LearnedSecond, Contentment Is a Choice Versus a FeelingThird, Contentment Is not the Absence of TrialsFourth, Contentment Is not the Same as Happiness"I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content" Even When ProsperingDon’t Give Me… Riches ?Christ Strengthens Us to Do “All Things” He Wants Us to DoA Tale of Two InterviewsA Better Time to Quote Philippians 4:13The “Secret” to Being Able to Say, "Writing, "I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content"Roots that Go Down Deep into ChristHow Good is Christ?Footnotes

On January 12, 2013, the number 4-seeded Baltimore Ravens (10-6) played on the road against the number 1-seeded Denver Broncos (13-3) during the NFL Divisional Playoffs. The Broncos, who had defeated the Ravens earlier in the season, were heavily favored to win this meeting. However, the game went into double overtime before the Ravens upset the Broncos in what came to be known as “The Mile-High Miracle.” After the game, a very emotional Ray Lewis, the Ravens' Hall-of-Fame linebacker, attributed their victory to his faith, saying, “No weapon formed against us shall prosper. No weapon. No weapon. No weapon. God is amazing. And when you believe in Him...Man believes in the possible, but God believes in the impossible.”

Ray loosely quoted Isaiah 54:17: “No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.” This is one of the best-sounding verses in the Bible. Who doesn’t want to believe every weapon and accusation against them will fail?

The context of the verse is God's promise to destroy the nation of Israel’s enemies in the future. Ray Lewis, in a metaphorical sense, made his team into Israel and the Denver Broncos into Israel’s enemies. Perhaps “every weapon” referred to the Broncos’ offensive and defensive weapons, such as Pro Bowl selections quarterback Peyton Manning, offensive tackle Ryan Clady, cornerback Champ Bailey, and linebacker Von Miller. Maybe “every tongue” referred to the Broncos’ offensive and defensive coordinators’ coaching during the game.

Although Ray meant well, instead of God vindicating Israel against their enemies so that His promises to His covenant people are maintained, Ray told the nationally televised audience that God wanted to give the Ravens victory over the Broncos.

Philippians 4:13 Is a Wildly Popular and Wildly Misinterpreted Verse

Ray Lewis quoted Isaiah 54:17, but the most popular verse among athletes is Philippians 4:13, which reads, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Well-meaning athletes are interviewed after winning a big game. They are excited and want to give God credit, so they quote Philippians 4:13. When all-star running back Adrian Peterson tore his ACL, he said, "This is a blessing in disguise. I’ll come back stronger and better than I was before…I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

You can find Philippians 4:13 on posters and other inspirational art, keychains, rings, buttons, t-shirts, stickers, postcards, bracelets, and handbags. Like Isaiah 54:17, the verse is popular because it sounds wonderful. On the surface, you will be able to do anything you’ve ever wanted to do. The verse is a blank check for whatever you want: a slogan of personal empowerment, a declaration of self-achievement, ambition, and accomplishment, and a motivating motto for prosperity, advancement, and success.

I know I sound critical of people misusing this verse. You might say, “They are trying to give God glory. How can you give them a hard time?” Whenever people misinterpret Scripture—even well-meaningly—it is problematic. Those listening are left with nagging questions, such as “Did God care who won the game? Did the winning team have more faith or commit more time to prayer? Did the losing team have more heathens or atheists?”

Picture a young man watching his favorite athlete on television, and he thinks, “This is wonderful. I can also do all things through Christ who strengthens me! As long as I have enough faith, I will win at everything from now on!” Then he plays in the big game and wonders: “Why did I lose? Did I not have as much faith as that athlete on television? Was God pleased with him, but he is displeased with me? Was God unable to give me the strength I needed?”

The Background to Paul Writing, "I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content"

If Philippians 4:13 meant we would be given the strength to do everything we ever wanted, how would you picture Paul when he wrote it? He was victorious, conquering the world, and his life could not be better. The truth is he was a prisoner! From an earthly perspective, it didn’t look like he was winning. It looked like he was losing.

Paul was incarcerated in Rome for two years, probably in a small apartment that was more like a cell. Acts 28:16 says a soldier guarded him, and Acts 28:30 says he could receive visitors, but otherwise, he was isolated. He could not move around, so he lost the freedom to work and minister in the capacity that he did previously. He anticipated a trial before Nero, and as he wrote in Philippians 1:20-21, it could result in his death. F.B. Meyer wrote that Paul was “deprived of every comfort, and cast as a lonely man on the shores of the great strange metropolis with every movement of his hand clanking a [chain] and nothing before him but the lion’s mouth or the sword.”40

During these difficult circumstances, the Philippians heard of Paul’s imprisonment and helped meet his needs. He responded:

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need (Philippians 4:10-12).

Paul expressed his appreciation for the Philippians’ generous gift and concern for him, but he did something we wouldn’t expect. He told them he didn’t need it: “Not that I am speaking of being in need.” It is not that he was not needy—he most certainly was—but he learned to be content.

Let’s understand why Paul was rejoicing. Did he rejoice because he was miserable, and if they had not come to his rescue, he would not have made it? Not at all. His rejoicing was not caused by relief: “Thank you so much. Now I will finally be okay!” Instead, he rejoiced because of their love for him. He said, “I would have been fine without your gift because I have learned to be content in any situation, but I rejoice because you are concerned for me.” This is not how people typically respond to generosity! Imagine saying this the next time someone gives you a gift.

Paul responded this way, not because he wanted to seem ungrateful, but because he wanted the Philippians (and us!) to know his contentment did not depend on them. No matter what happened in Paul’s life (“in any and every circumstance”), whether suffering (“in need…brought low…hunger”) or prospering (“abound…plenty…abundance”), he was content.

Paul's Credibility to Write "I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content"

Paul had the credibility to say, "I have learned in all things to be content we can be content," because he suffered so much. In 2 Corinthians 11:23-27, he wrote:

With far greater labors, far more imprisonments, countless beatings, often near death. Five times I received…forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

In 1 Timothy 6:8, Paul wrote that we should be content with food, clothing, and shelter. But Paul went without these. He was content with less than what he told us we needed to be content! Consider this account from his life:

The crowd joined in attacking [Paul and Silas], and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them (Acts 16:22-24).

When you have been stripped, severely beaten, thrown in prison, and chained up, you know you are “in need and brought low,” as Philippians 4:12 describes. We would expect to read that they were sobbing and praying for help, but instead, they “were praying and singing hymns to God.

We experience biblical contentment primarily through our relationships with Christ. Secondarily, it comes from simple things like eating, drinking, and finding joy in our labor. But biblical contentment does not come from riches and possessions. Read this material from Being Content God’s Way, or watch the accompanying sermon, to learn how to develop biblical contentment.

https://youtu.be/qh8iveH2m1o

Table of contentsHoarding Is a Threat to ContentmentThe Importance of Remembering We Take Nothing With UsLearning from Malcolm Forbes and No FearGodliness with ContentmentHow Can We Experience Biblical Contentment?Biblical Contentment Does not Come from Wealth and PossessionsBiblical Contentment Does Come from Simple ThingsFootnotes

I covered Ecclesiastes 5:11-12 in Being Content from a Missionary Trip to Malawi, Africa. I'm picking up at verse 13.

Hoarding Is a Threat to Contentment

Ecclesiastes 5:13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners.

If I had to write down a list of grievous evils, I’d probably say murder, adultery, hurting children, stealing from the less fortunate. But hoarding probably wouldn’t even make the list. But that’s the grievous evil Solomon had in mind.

Hoarding is so devastating that a reality show fittingly called Hoarders depicts people suffering from a “compulsive hoarding disorder.” The show is a record of people whose lives are ruined by their possessions.

Even if we aren’t hoarders, our possessions can still cause problems because of the time they consume and the choices they create. We have to figure out what to buy, where to get it, how to make the trip to get it, where to store it, where to put the old stuff that the new stuff replaces, and how to use it when we buy it. We bought it; we will make sure we use it to feel like we got our money’s worth.

These choices can consume us, so our possessions start possessing us. We become consumers consumed by our consumption.

They don’t have these problems in Malawi. Most people’s homes don’t have furniture. The floors are dirt. There’s no electricity; say nothing about televisions or the Internet. In Third World countries, the problem is not having enough. But in First World countries like ours, the problem is having too much. Mark Twain once defined civilization as “a limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities.” 46

Self-storage is one of our biggest industries. An article titled “The Hottest Industry Right Now Is Storing All Your Stuff” reads:

“A day hardly passes without the U.S. retail industry sustaining fresh wounds as malls and outlets shut their doors. Americans are still shopping, though online, in their pajamas and physics dictates that their new stuff, and old stuff, go somewhere. Welcome to the renaissance of self-storage.”

Another article, “Self-storage: How Warehouses for Personal Junk Became a $38 Billion Industry,” reads:

“Despite recessions and demographic shifts, few building types have boomed like self-storage lockers. The self-storage industry made $32.7 billion in 2016, nearly three times Hollywood’s box office gross. Self-storage has seen 7.7 percent annual growth since 2012, and now employs 144,000 nationwide. One in eleven Americans pays an average of $91.14 monthly to use self-storage. The United States has over fifty thousand facilities and roughly 2.31 billion square feet of rentable space. To give that perspective, the volume of self-storage units in the country could “fill the Hoover Dam twenty-six times with old clothing, skis, and keepsakes.”

Our lives are filled to overflowing with possessions. When I drive down the road and pass storage facilities, I wonder, “What’s in the units people don’t need and can’t easily access but still pay money to keep? How many owners are still paying off the credit cards that bought the stuff in the first place?”

The Importance of Remembering We Take Nothing With Us

Ecclesiastes 5:14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand.

Wealth can disappear! Even though he’s a hardworking father, he has nothing to give to his son because he lost everything. People lose wealth through bad business decisions or other misfortunes, such as accidents, fires, or medical bills.

Even if we don’t lose riches in this life, we lose them when we die, which is Solomon’s next point:

Ecclesiastes 5:15 As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind?

My dad, John LaPierre, passed away in 2021. He choked on some food. My associate pastor and I took turns administering CPR until the paramedics arrived, and then they worked on him for over an hour. So, it was hard to know when he passed. The paramedics might say it was when he stopped breathing, his heart stopped beating, or his brain stopped functioning. But the Bible tells us it was when his spirit left his body:

Matthew 27:50 Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and YIELDED UP HIS SPIRIT.Acts 7:59 They stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, RECEIVE MY SPIRIT.”James 2:26 The body WITHOUT THE SPIRIT IS DEAD.

The spirit is immaterial or nonphysical, and the body is material or physical. When the spirit leaves the body, it takes nothing material or physical with it.

The moment that communicated the finality of Dad’s passing wasn’t when the police officer told me he passed. Instead, it was when the paramedics handed me his possessions, including his watch and hearing aids. It was like they were saying he wouldn’t need them any longer where he was going, and they were right. We come into the world with nothing and leave the same way.

Job 1:21 Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and NAKED SHALL I RETURN.Psalm 49:10 Wise men die; likewise, the fool and the senseless person perish, and LEAVE THEIR WEALTH TO OTHERS…17 When he dies, HE SHALL CARRY NOTHING AWAY; his glory shall not descend after him.

In Luke 12:20, God asked the rich fool, “The things you have prepared, whose will they be?” The answer is not his! Whatever we accumulate is left to others: friends, family, neighbors, the church, or – worst of all – the government. We don’t know where our wealth will go, but we know it will not go with us.

Earlier Solomon wrote:

Ecclesiastes 2:18 I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I MUST LEAVE IT TO THE MAN WHO WILL COME AFTER ME.

Solomon knew he wasn’t taking anything with him.

When a wealthy man dies, people ask, “How much did he leave behind?” The answer is “All of it!” You never see U-Hauls behind hearses because we aren’t taking anything with us.

Proverbs 23:5 Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven.

Riches tend to fly away when we least expect it, and the one time they really fly away is when we die. John Piper said, “At the greatest crisis of your life [when you die], when you need contentment, and hope, and security more than any other time, your money and all your possessions take wings and fly away. They let you down. They are fair-weather friends at best. And you enter eternity with nothing but the measure of contentment that you had in God.

Learning from Malcolm Forbes and No Fear

Malcolm Forbes was an American entrepreneur best known as the publisher of Forbes magazine. He’s also remembered for several sayings, one of which is, “He who has the most toys wins.” As you would expect from someone who said this, he lived an extravagant, flamboyant lifestyle. He spent millions (or perhaps billions) on parties, traveling, and his collection of yachts, aircraft, art, motorcycles, castles, hot-air balloons, and Fabergé eggs, some of which cost over one million dollars each.

Growing up, there was a popular clothing line called No Fear. One shirt corrected Malcolm’s quote: “He who dies with the most toys still dies.” The people working for the secular clothing company were considerably more biblical than Mr. Forbes. The clothing company recognized that we couldn’t take any of our toys or possessions with us because if we could, the one who died with the most toys would be the winner.

Remembering we’re not taking any physical stuff with us is one of the best ways to be content!

Godliness with Contentment

This is one of the most famous verses in the Bible about contentment:

1 Timothy 6:6 godliness with contentment is great gain.

These are the ideal combination. It is wonderful to have them together. Imagine God saying, “If you want a full life, pursue these. When you have them together, you will be blessed.”

Godliness means being like God or having God’s character. What are the distinguishing traits of godly people? In other words, what makes people godly? Is it humility, service, prayerfulness, faithfulness, or joyfulness? These are wonderful qualities, but contentment also belongs on the list because it reveals a spiritually peaceful life. Contentment is evidence of a heart that finds Christ sufficient and rests in Him.

The truly godly person is not interested in becoming rich. He possesses inner resources which furnish riches far beyond that which earth can offer.

William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles, Baker Book House, 1957, page 198.

It almost looks like Paul is saying we can have godliness without contentment, as though godliness WITHOUT contentment is LITTLE gain, but godliness WITH contentment is GREAT gain.

But it’s impossible to have godliness without contentment because a godly person whose discontent looks ungodly. Picture people who are discontent. They are miserable, always be complaining, murmuring,