- There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, -
The language used in verse 13 might shock you. Solomon equates being hurt by one’s own wealth as a grievous evil?
With all the pain and suffering, not to mention that of normal human existence, how could the injury of wealth ever compare?
Why would anyone gather wealth? There are noble and foolish reasons one would do so.
Perhaps one has the desire to raise a family or just wants to make their existence not a burden on others. Others might just want all the toys under their own roof.
Greed is interesting. Many times, we confuse it with pride. The sin of pride is what Lewis calls that which puts us in contests with other men.
Wanting the coolest car on the block? Not greed; that’s pride.
Greed is something far different. It craves more for more’s sake itself. It doesn’t care what the gold buys, just as long as the ledger grows.
What fictional character proves this point best? Yes, you’ve guessed correctly. Ebenezer Scrooge.
Scrooge doesn’t work his fingers to the bone and pay his workers nothing to prove himself better than other men. No, he simply wants more than other men.
What does it cost him? It costs the love of his life, his relationships with family, and the esteem of fellow men.
Scrooge sacrifices his pride to greed. He believes all men strange who do not likewise partake in his lifestyle, considering them fools and ingrates.
Worse, Scrooge doesn’t even use his riches for luxury. He lives in a cold, dark house with no decorations and clothes that are worn.
The man does not even cherish company, which he could buy keeping the lovely people of the city near him with his money, and the only friend willing to save him does so from pity beyond the grave.
What is the grievous evil done? It is a life wasted. It is money with a temporary value useless in the age in which it was earned.
Suffering may have been abated, even if it was just the mental strain removed from his clerks paying their bills to say nothing of Bob Cratchit’s son.
The question we must ask ourselves is does Scrooge exist? It’s nice to learn the lessons from fiction, but unless they are grounded in reality in some way there is no applicability.
Perhaps you’ve met someone who is Scroogelike. It’s a sad dreary life to live for certain.
Perhaps more familiar to you is when you act like a part of Scrooge.
That is truly the purpose of fiction. It is to take the behaviors of common people and place them in one person. All can see themselves and all can know the limits of such behavior.
How do you today hold onto riches that lead to grievous evil?
How do you not love those near you? Your family?
How do you let that love ruin your soul?
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