The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-12-04
SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON
ny WILLIAM E. GILROY, D. D.
TEXTS: Exodus 2Ol7 Luke 12:13-34

All sins are not sins of WORD. or
Of deed, nor are all sins against
our feuowmen, or against some
fellowrnan. The T en- Command
ments, as we have studied them
thus far. are chiefly against words
or deeds that may be harmful to
others against lying, bearing false
witness, stealing, killing or injur-
ing others by acting unfaithfully
Or dishonorably in relationships OF
home, or of society.
But there are spiritual sins that
are primarily sins against mes
self. They may give rise to mean,
unjust, OR dishonest acts. but tNe'r
first effect is to mar the soul OF
man himself, by warping his vision
or perverting his mind.
The Tenth Commandment,
against the sin Of covetousness.
strikes at the very roots OF all
such sins. Covetousness is not just
one sort of sin. it is the very
mother of all sins of false ambl-
ton and of base an selfish deere.
To want what we have no right
tc want, and especially to wish to
tale from our fellowr1en what IS
r;ghtfully theirs is covetousness,
and it has no place in a whole
some. well-orde7ed life. The neigh
Dor whom we envy, and whose
goods We covet, may not know OF
our sinful desires, but the covet-
BUSINESS is sinfu and harmful to
ourselves Just the same.
There are, of course, aims and
desires that are natural and prop
er. We intinctively say OF a good
man, II wish l were like him.
Perhaps we might almost say of
some bad and careless man, vast
ing the money that grandfather,
father, or some relative has left
him, as plenty OF reckless young
men and young women in America
are doing today, Il wish I had
his money. I'd make some better
use of it."
But when our normal life be-
comes corrupted by envious and
Jealous thoughts. discontented long
ings, to have what belongs to
somebody else, or inordinate de-
sires for more than we need, the
sin of covetousness not only de-
stroys our peace of mind but it
weakens the will and impairs ef-
ficiency in the pursuit of higher
aims and goals. The man whose
vision is sound, and whose heart
is right has no time or energy
to waste in envying others.
The New Testament illustrations
enforce this by C It'll n extreme
cases. The man who wanted Jesus
to speak to his brother about a
fairer division of their inheritance
may have had Justice on his side
as. mere matter of money ad-
justment. But Jesus evidently per-
ceived in him a concern about
money that was crowding oct ev-
cry other thought or interest.
Similarly, there was nothing
wrong about the rich farmer want
ing to pull down his barns I'd
build greater ones, so tn t he
could have room for his crops.
Any good, progressive farmer
would do just that This mans
mistake was in trusting too much
to his riches, entirely leaving out
of account the economic factor of
the possibility of his own death,
and the spiritual factor of the
proper use of his wealth for God
and for his fellowmen. He was
covetous, His thought and his in
terest conferred around his posses
sions, and not around his life and
the business Of making it worthy.
That was his sin, and it was a
great sin, too. For $50 is every
ore who is not rich toward God"
We may indeed be warned to 'be-
ware Of c0vetolJSness