Colossians 3:5f – Gimme! Gimme!

[Put to death] … and greed, which is idolatry.

Summary: Paul sees connections that might not be obvious to all of us. Connecting greed and idolatry is an example of his logic. 

One of the most amazing passages in the entire Bible is the foundation for “all the law and the prophets.” In it, Jesus says: 

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37-39)

In this passage, Jesus (a/k/a God), explains God’s priorities for his creation. When our hearts, souls, and minds are lovingly focused on God, everything else falls into place. 

Greed flips God’s command upside down. 

Feelings of greed stem from us when our heart, soul, and mind are focused on “ME.” 

We see this behavior in little kids all the time. Put two little kids next to a pile of toys, and they will dive in, happily exploring and playing until one little one decides that he or she wants what the other has. 

Gimme! 

Waaaaaaahhhh!!!

Moms and dads the world over have watched this drama play out time and time again. 

• Child A sees what Child B has in their hand. 
• Child A wants what Child B has.
• Child A takes what Child B has. 
• Child B cries, and the horrible expression of greed flickers across the face of Child A. 

Greed is a terrible taskmaster, and it takes hold of us very early in life. 

Paul adds an interesting twist to this concept and equates greed with idolatry. 

Is that true? Is greed really a form of idol worship? 

To answer this question, we need to talk about what idol worship is and why it exists. In his book “The Map and the Territory: Risk, Human Nature, and the Future of Forecasting,” economist Alan Greenspan discusses what he calls the “animal spirits” of human beings. The “spirits” he describes include the same things Paul talks about as part of our “earthly nature.” One of these spirits that Paul alludes to is what Greenspan describes as risk aversion. 

To avoid or minimize risk, humans will do almost anything. People pay financial advisors to manage their money, and some pay psychics to manage their social lives. We like knowing what is going to happen ahead of time. 

Idol worship is a way of gaining assurance about the future. It gives people a sense of security about the future. Pagan gods are worshipped to gain better crops, bigger families, better health, and more money. 

In short, idol worship is about greed. 

Paul is not wrong when he says greed is the same as idolatry.  

Application: When we keep God first in our lives, everything else falls into place. 

Food for Thought: How is being greedy for material things the same as worshipping an idol?