Thoughts on Avarice
There are perhaps few truly pure issues in life, and if found, they will be in alignment with God’s pure thoughts. Most issues are grey, with the pure truth cast towards grey by exceptions, misunderstanding, falsehoods, or outright deception and lies. This is the result of the work of the Enemy in concert with our sinful cooperation. Navigating life requires the division of truth from the grey, and this requires an understanding of both. Dividing the fine points of the mixed truths begins with seeking the fine points of His Word and discerning the fine divisions of the grey. The outcome of this is wisdom.
Avarice is known by Catholic thought as one of the ‘Capital’, ‘Cardinal’, ‘Mortal’ or ‘Seven Deadly Sins’. First construed by Pope Gregory (~600 AD), the Italian Dominican friar Thomas Aquinas (1273 AD) who refined Gregory’s dissertation preferred the term ‘Vices’ because they are the precursors to sin – “A capital vice is that which has an exceedingly desirable end so that in his desire for it, a man goes on to the commission of many sins, all of which are said to originate in that vice as their chief source”.
Avarice is our challenge to God’s intent for our representation of Him, to His promise of our provision, and our mismanagement of the stewardship of His charity.
Avarice is part of a broken use of God’s Economy, and could be framed like this:
Scripture frames a right use of God’s Economy:
| And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “Then what shall we do?” And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.” And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.” Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.” Luke 3.10-14 | Avarice | Cooperate with God’s Economy, neither overreaching His allotment to you, nor withholding your allotment from those in need. |
| For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? /…/ Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matt 6.25, 31-33 | Provision | God’s provision to His own will always be sufficient. |
| Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” Heb 13.5 | Provision, Greed, Avarice | God will always provide – cooperate with His Economy. |
| I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Phil 4.12-13 | Provision, Greed Avarice | Be comfortable in God’s Economy, regardless of His allotment. |
| If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Tim 8.10 | Greed, Avarice | The danger of living contrary to God’s Economy, overreaching His allotment. |