MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Exodus 20:17
THE TENTH COMMANDMENT: INORDINATE DESIRE
“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s.” “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Here are two closely related commands. The negative and positive aspect of a perfectly righteous man’s life. “Thou shalt not” may go far enough for children; but “Thou shalt” is a step higher. The perfect one must not only refrain from injuring a neighbour, but embrace him with the arms of love. The man who can say he has kept the commandment, “Thou shalt not covet,” has gained a high moral elevation, but he has not yet climbed the sublime moral heights of him who loves the neighbour even as if the neighbour were himself. Love is compatible with desire, but it is not consistent with inordinate desire. Love thinketh no evil; and the covetous man is an envious man, is an evil-thinking man, is a man given to dismal brooding. Love doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own; but the covetous is most unseemly in his behaviour—the covetous not only seeks his own with great zeal, but seeks by fair means or by foul to get possession of that which is not his own. My very love for a friend may increase my admiration of his perfections, and thus lead me to desire them, but it will prevent me looking upon him with an envious gaze; it will keep me from being discontented. 1 shall rejoice in his perfections and possessions as if they were mine. Indeed my love makes them mine. They afford me as much pleasure as they do to him whom the world considers the true owner.
I. The violation of this command arraigns the wisdom of Providence. Some men may blame not Divine Providence, but their own improvedence, for the fact that they are not surrounded by all material blessings. We too often make Providence responsible for the evils under which we groan. But having done our best, and having been beaten in the race, we arraign the wisdom of Providence when we covet the winner’s prize. The disposal of human events is of the Lord. We must believe that the hand of God gives riches, and beauties, and pleasures to some, and withholds from others. And we must not arraign the wisdom which guides the hand by coveting our neighbour’s possessions.
II. The violation of this command disturbs the balance of society. It disturbs the harmony of all societies, both communistic and non-communistic. The early Church tried all things in common, but covetousness threw its withering blast over the fair ideal. Covetousness is the worm which destroys every booth which communism erects for a shadow. Covetousness leads the rich to oppress the poor; and causes the poor to combine for the destruction of the rich.
III. The violation of this command produces criminal deeds. The desire is inordinate, irrepressible. It consumes and destroys all right moral feelings in the man. No stone must be left unturned for the gratification of the forbidden lust. Every barrier must be thrown down that intervenes between the man and the coveted boon. Guile shall accomplish the purpose. But if guile fail, then force must be applied.
IV. The violation of this command embitters existence. A man may have sufficient worldly prudence left so as not to permit his covetousness to lead him into criminality. He may have sufficient self-control to stop just where the police meet him, or human law traces its lines. But his life is stripped of all pleasure. The cup he constantly drinks is very bitter, and his covetousness has prepared the ingredients. Envy is the rottenness of the bones. And where there is no envy there will be no covetousness.
V. This command can only be kept in the spirit of the Gospel. Love will enable us to fulfil the law, and this special law requires a special love. The Gospel teaches the true brotherhood of humanity. Covetousness is a thing of the darkness and cannot live in the clear light of brotherly love. Brotherhood is destroyed when covetousness takes possession of the soul. We need not only more brotherliness, but more motherliness. For a brother may covet a brother’s goods, but a mother could never covet a child’s goods. Oh, for this highest love 1 Oh, for the true spirit of Christ! Oh, for this power to look not with covetous eyes, but with complacent gaze upon the things of others!—W. Burrows, B.A.
That this law is of vast importance is seen—
1. From its position in the code. It is the last.
2. From the fact that it is one of the secret sins of the heart.
3. From the fact that it is the root and mainspring of every other evil. God’s Word gives illustrations which can be multiplied in every experience of the breach of the other commandment through it (cf. James 1:14-15); idolatry and kindred crimes (Colossians 3:5): Sabbath breaking (Numbers 15:32); dishonour to parents (Luke 15); murder, David and Uriah; adultery, David and Bathsheba (Romans 1:29); theft (Micah 2:2); lying (2 Timothy 3:2; 2 Peter 2:3). Learn—
I. That covetousness is possible in many forms.
1. We may covet our neighbour’s property, money, house, dress, &c.
2. We may covet our neighbour’s abilities.
3. We may covet our neighbour’s reputation.
4. We may covet our neighbour’s friendships.
II. That covetousness is punished in many ways.
1. It is abhorred by God (Psalms 10:3).
2. It is condemned by God (Habakkuk 2:9).
3. It involves exclusion from Church membership.
4. It disqualifies for heaven (1 Corinthians 6:10).
III. That covetousness may be avoided in all its forms.
1. By purification of the heart (Mark 7:22).
2. By effectual fervent prayer (Psalms 119:36).
3. By godly contentment (1 Timothy 6:6; Philippians 4:11-14; Philippians 4:19).
4. By earnest coveting of the best gift.
IV. That God’s blessing rests upon them that hate it in many ways (Proverbs 28:16).—J. W. Burn.
ILLUSTRATIONS
BY
THE REV. WILLIAM ADAMSON
Covetousness! Exodus 20:17. In the backwoods of Canada the forests have to be cleared for farms. The trees are cut down, but the roots remain. Efforts have been made to burn them, but this method is only partially successful. Some one has, however, invented a “root extractor,” which has huge iron hooks and a crank connected with very powerful machinery. In this way the tough gnarled roots are torn up. The human heart is like the uncleared prairie. It has many twisted roots, and amongst the worst is that of “covetousness.” Men, women, and children have these roots in their hearts. Hippocrates, in his letter to Cratena, an herbalist, gives this good counsel: “If it is possible, among other herbs, cut up that weed covetousness by the roots that there be none left; for know this of a certainty, that by so doing your patients will soon be cured in mind and body.” Diodorus Siculus relates that the forest of the Pierian mountains being set on fire, and the heat penetrating to the soil, a pure stream of silver gushed forth from the bosom of the earth. The best dissolver of the spirit of covetousness is the fire of gospel love. When it burns up the growth of worldliness, silver lodes of self-denial and devotedness flow out from the human heart; for, says the Bible, out of the heart are the issues of life.
“Is there, then, naught above
That we may covet to possess?
Yes, there’s the Saviour’s boundless love,
With which He waits my soul to bless.”