Six examples of what a covetous person looks like. (Thomas Watson)
What a covetous person looks like.
I am preaching through the book of 1 Timothy and delving into each phase in chapter three.
In v.2, Paul lists the positive qualities an aspiring Elder MUST possess.
He must be blameless.
He must be the husband of one wife.
He must be vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, and apt to teach;
When you get to v. 3, Paul continues his list of qualifications but now contrasts the qualifications an elder must have with the qualifications an elder must not have.
He must not be given to wine.
He must not be a striker.
He must not be greedy.
He must not be a brawler.
He must not be covetous.
What does it mean to be covetous? Let me give you a definition, and then we will take a look at Thomas Watson’s six examples. (Book: The Ten Commandments.)
What does it mean to covet?
The Greek word signifies an ‘unsatisfiable desire of getting the world.'
Augustine defines covetousness as; ' to desire more than enough; to aim at a great estate; to be like the daughter of the horse leech, crying, 'Give, give."
With that said, let’s consider Watson’s examples of what a covetous person looks like.
When his thoughts are wholly taken up with the world.
“A good man’s thoughts are in heaven; he is thinking of Christ’s love and eternal recompense. A covetous man’s thoughts are in the world; his mind is wholly taken up with it; he can think of nothing but his shop or farm.”
A man may be said to be given to covetousness when he takes more pains for getting earth than for getting heaven.
a. He will turn every stone, break his sleep, take many a weary step for the world, but will take no pins for Christ or heaven.”
A man may be said to be given to covetousness when all his discourse is about the world.
“It is a sign of godliness to be speaking of heaven, to have the tongue turned to the language of Canaan…So it is a sign of a man given to covetousness to speak always of secular things… A covetous man’s breath, like a dying man’s, smells strong of the earth. He is like the fish in the gospel, which had a piece of money in its mouth.”
A man is given to covetousness when he so sets his heart upon worldly things, that for, the love of them, he will part with heavenly;
“When it comes to the critical point that men must either relinquish their estate or Christ, they will rather part with Christ and a good conscience than with their estate, it is a clear case that they are possessed with the demon of covetousness.”
A man is given to covetousness when he overloads himself with worldly business.
a. “He has many irons in the fire; he is in this sense a pluralist; he takes so much business upon him, that he cannot find time to serve God; he has scarce time to eat his meat, but no time to pray. When a man overcharges himself with the world, and as Martha, cumbers himself about many things, that he cannot have time for his soul, he is under the power of covetousness.”
He is given to covetousness whose heart is so set upon the world, that, to get it, he cares not what unlawful means he uses.
a. “He will have the world by fair means or foul; he will wrong and defraud and raise his estate upon the ruins of another.”
This list is soul-stirring and should cause each of us to examine our hearts in light of God’s word on the matter. May our hearts be captivated with Christ and not Coventousuness.