Merriam-Webster defines avarice as “excessive or insatiable desire for wealth or gain” (Avarice, n.d.). While that definition is fairly straight forward, a few synonyms including greed, covetousness, and cupidity provide a vivid picture of why this word has rightfully earned its place among the seven capital vices. It is noteworthy to mention a few near antonyms of avarice, for instance, are charity, generosity, and selflessness. This presentation will first look at how avarice is defined in the Bible. Next, a study of avarice in the contemporary culture and church practice will demonstrate if it is accepted, encouraged or even possibly overlooked, and finally, it will provide examples of how to apply the virtue of charity to breakdown
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Jesus, in his Sermon on the Mount, uses “Mammon” to illustrate two opposing kinds of vision in vs. 22 & 23 (Kroeker, 2009). Interesting to note that in verse 22 the word used is healthy, which in this context refers to generous, so unhealthy in verse 23 would have the opposite meaning, stingy. So, as we saw in the Luke passage above, holding on to one’s wealth does not guarantee you happiness; in fact, you “will be full of darkness” (vs. 23). Verse 24 is familiar to many, “No one can serve two masters.” Again, Mammon is again the culprit. The two masters referred to are Yahweh and Mammon. Mammon is a vague Semitic word that implies “money, wealth, property, and possessions” (Kroeker, 2009, p. 168). In this example, Jesus characterizes it as a rival lord, and “suggests that the devotion it demands is no less total than that demanded by Yahweh, which is why it has everything to do with vision, with what is brought into view and what is kept out of view” (Kroeker, 2009, p. …show more content…
However, there are a number of scholars who consider the healing of the man with “abnormal swelling of his body” (vs. 2, NIV) as an important text that is critical to the story and should not be overlooked as incidental, as it is most of the time. This disease is descriptive of edema in modern times, but in ancient Greek times it was called dropsy. In this instance, some believe it is used as a metaphor for greed (Hartsock, 2013). In fact, it was a well-known metaphor commonly used in Greco-Roman literature, so it would be plausible if used in Luke’s Gospel. Also, it fits well into Luke’s overarching theme of “anti-wealth ethics” as it critiques the “excesses, luxuries, and indulgences so often found and criticized in Greco-Roman dinner scenes” (Hartsock, 2013, p.
Jesus, in his Sermon on the Mount, uses “Mammon” to illustrate two opposing kinds of vision in vs. 22 & 23 (Kroeker, 2009). Interesting to note that in verse 22 the word used is healthy, which in this context refers to generous, so unhealthy in verse 23 would have the opposite meaning, stingy. So, as we saw in the Luke passage above, holding on to one’s wealth does not guarantee you happiness; in fact, you “will be full of darkness” (vs. 23). Verse 24 is familiar to many, “No one can serve two masters.” Again, Mammon is again the culprit. The two masters referred to are Yahweh and Mammon. Mammon is a vague Semitic word that implies “money, wealth, property, and possessions” (Kroeker, 2009, p. 168). In this example, Jesus characterizes it as a rival lord, and “suggests that the devotion it demands is no less total than that demanded by Yahweh, which is why it has everything to do with vision, with what is brought into view and what is kept out of view” (Kroeker, 2009, p. …show more content…
However, there are a number of scholars who consider the healing of the man with “abnormal swelling of his body” (vs. 2, NIV) as an important text that is critical to the story and should not be overlooked as incidental, as it is most of the time. This disease is descriptive of edema in modern times, but in ancient Greek times it was called dropsy. In this instance, some believe it is used as a metaphor for greed (Hartsock, 2013). In fact, it was a well-known metaphor commonly used in Greco-Roman literature, so it would be plausible if used in Luke’s Gospel. Also, it fits well into Luke’s overarching theme of “anti-wealth ethics” as it critiques the “excesses, luxuries, and indulgences so often found and criticized in Greco-Roman dinner scenes” (Hartsock, 2013, p.