“For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean’.” – Holy Bible (St Mark 7:21-23)
IN MY SERIES ON open heart surgery, I have scrutinised the “inner heart” diseases of evil thoughts, sexual immorality as well as lewdness and the way that the Master Surgeon deals with these diseases.
These damaging conditions seriously affect the performance of “inner heart” and create major issues for one’s character. Today the Specialist Surgeon will confront the malady of stealing and greed, both of which are identified in St Mark 7:21-23.
Webster’s Dictionary furnished us with a definition of stealing (theft) as the act of “taking or appropriating without right, or leaving and with intent to keep or make use of wrongfully”. There are other words commonly associated with stealing, such as embezzlement, thievery, larceny, shoplifting, robbery, misappropriation and piracy.
The Oxford Pocket Dictionary describes greed as “having or showing an intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth or power”. Other words sometimes used to describe greedy individuals are covetous, selfish, ravenous, avaricious, grasping and voracious.
There can be no denial that stealing and greed are a daily worldwide headache. They take place at almost every level of society, including the sporting field, music industry, corporate arena, religious circles, political sphere, legal profession and institutions of learning. The truth is, stealing and an insatiable desire to get far more than what one already possesses, originates in the “inner heart” where an individual’s thoughts, purposes and desires reside. Jesus said that these cravings come “from within, out of men’s [women’s] hearts . . . and make a man [and woman] ‘unclean’”. Here are a few examples of how stealing and greed exhibit themselves through the lives of individuals on today’s world stage.
Law enforcement: In June this year, the US Department of Justice’s Criminal Division announced the indictment of former FBI special agent, Scott M. Bowman, for allegedly “stealing over $100 000 of drug proceeds”. Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell was quoted as saying: “ . . . former agent put his own greed above the trust placed in him by the FBI and the American public”. What embarrassment and professional disgrace stealing and greed can bring to an individual’s character, family and friends.
Technology: The Guardian newspaper, in May 2014, reported of the arrest of five Chinese for what is called cyber (Internet) economic espionage – stealing of trade secrets. Stealing has now become more technologically sophisticated as the information highway becomes wider and more accessible, especially to individuals whose selfish eyes may see opportunities to make quick money at the expense of others.
Politics: On the political scene, worldwide stealing and greed, frequently expressed as corruption, are too often becoming headline news. The Caribbean, the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and other places all have chequered records of corruption within their political ranks. In February 2010 Stephen Wright and James Chapman, from the Daily Mail, gave an example of greed where members of the Commons were asked to repay a total of £1.1 million to the taxpayers after an official audit was publicly revealed.
Rabbi Benjamin Belch provides excellent counsel for every political leader when he said: “Greed will always leave you dissatisfied because you’ll never be able to get everything you desire. Greed never allows you to think you have enough; it always destroys you by making you strive ever harder for more.”
Religion: A blind eye cannot be turned toward various religious organisations across the world where some leaders stroke their greedy egos by taking advantage of those who choose to follow them. These leaders who use the name of God for their own selfish materialistic and other benefits often fail to assist in adding value to the lives of their followers through servant leadership. The words of Jesus found in St Luke 12:15 should never be ignored by religious leaders: “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”
Sport: One of the most recent glaring examples of stealing and greed which exploded in the face of the sporting fraternity, was the arrest of some of the biggest names in the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) where millions of dollars were allegedly pocketed through less than honest means. Beyond the FIFA bosses, match-fixing in diverse sports, especially cricket, tennis, football and basketball, tempts very talented players to grab for more cash at the expense of their moral integrity.
Family: In Proverbs 15:27, the wise man said: “He who is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household . . . .” I have met individuals whose love for material things drove them down the dirt path of stealing and greed and created severe problems for their spouses, children and close relatives.
Minister Andy Stanley captured all the previous examples in these words: “Greed is not a financial issue. It’s a heart issue.” Stanley was affirming what the “inner heart” Specialist Jesus Christ said about 2 000 years ago, that the heart of mankind has a major diseased area that generates a strong leaning toward stealing and greed. It is the kind of unhealthy condition that requires “inner heart” surgery where the Heart Specialist embeds an “artery” of selflessness to rectify such a negative disorder. With your yielding to Master Surgeon’s control, the implant of selflessness will guarantee you tremendous power to assist in overcoming the unhealthy condition of stealing and greed.
St Paul to the Philippians, Chapter 2:4, confirms what happens after “inner heart” surgery. He said that the receiving of selfishness within the heart will help you to look out not only for your own interests, but also of others.
The practice of stealing and greed will affect and infect you. But it goes even further. Your negative behaviour can also adversely impact your innocent family and by extension your society as well. Get your “inner heart” fixed and demonstrate the difference.
