The Loincloth That Built an Empire: A Parable About Creeping Greed
An ancient Indian parable tells of a devoted disciple who lived simply in a mud hut, spending his days in prayer and meditation. When rats destroyed his loincloth, he got a cat. The cat needed milk, so he got a cow. The cow needed fodder, so he began farming. Farming required workers, workers needed management, management required a partner—so he married.
Years later, when his guru returned from pilgrimage, he found not a humble mud hut but a vast palace with extensive grounds. “What is the meaning of this?” the guru asked. The disciple replied, “You’re not going to believe this—this was the only way I could take care of my loincloth.”
This parable perfectly illustrates how greed can slowly transform our lives without us even realizing it.
America’s Abundance Problem: The Statistics That Shock
We live in a culture drowning in possessions. Consider these sobering facts:
- Americans spend $1.2 trillion annually on things we don’t actually need
- That breaks down to $3,500 per person yearly—or $14,000 for a family of four
- We throw away 81 pounds of clothing per person each year
- The average American home has grown from under 1,000 square feet in 1950 to nearly 2,500 square feet today
- We’re building bigger homes despite having fewer children
- America has over 50,000 self-storage facilities operating at 96% capacity
- An estimated 80-90% of the world’s self-storage is located in the United States
If Christians from centuries past could see how we live today, they might ask us the same question the guru asked: “What is the meaning of all this?”
What Jesus Taught About Greed and Materialism
The Interrupted Sermon
In Luke 12, Jesus was teaching thousands about the kingdom of heaven when someone interrupted him: “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me!”
Jesus’s response was immediate and pointed: “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed. Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
Then Jesus told the parable of the rich fool—a man whose abundant harvest led him to build bigger barns, planning to “eat, drink, and be merry.” But God called him a fool, saying, “This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”
The Root of Greed: A Heart Issue
Greed isn’t simply about having things—it’s about the heart’s relationship to those things. Thomas Aquinas defined greed as “the immoderate love of possessing.” It’s the desire for more and more, regardless of actual need.
The rich man in Jesus’s parable was foolish for three reasons:
- He never acknowledged God’s role in his abundance
- He ignored the needs of others around him
- He forgot that his own life wasn’t under his control
How Greed Enters Our Lives: The Seven-Step Process
A seventh-century monk identified how greed takes root in our hearts:
- Temptation – It starts with desire
- Rationalization – We justify our thoughts
- Giving in – We acquire what we want
- Enjoyment – We treat it as “the good life”
- Attachment – We become passionate about our possessions
- Boasting – We tell others we’re “living the dream”
- Stronghold – Greed becomes entrenched in our character
Like other deadly sins, greed acts gradually, starting with imagination and fantasy about “the good life” before becoming a destructive force.
Three Ways to Guard Against Greed
1. Pay Attention to Your Heart
Monitor what money and possessions are doing to your inner life. Don’t justify or rationalize—simply observe. Ask yourself:
- What emotions arise when I think about money?
- How do I respond when I can’t afford something I want?
- Do I find my security in my wealth or in God?
2. Pursue a Kingdom Vision
Instead of dreaming about building your own kingdom, ask: “How can I help bring God’s kingdom nearer to earth?”
Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” This shifts our focus from accumulation to contribution.
Consider: How much time and energy do you spend dreaming about your own comfort versus dreaming about how God could use you to serve others?
3. See Money as Central to Discipleship
Jesus said, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much… You cannot serve both God and money.”
Everything we have comes from God and is meant to form us into Christ’s image. Better questions than “How much should I give?” include:
- If I continue my current approach to money for 10-20 years, what kind of person will I become?
- If someone examined my income and expenses, what would they assume I value most?
Three Ways to Overcome Existing Greed
1. Give to the Needy
The early church “sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need,” resulting in no needy persons among them.
Jesus taught: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” To those who had already accumulated earthly treasures, he said: “Sell your possessions and give to the poor.”
Giving to those who cannot repay us isn’t loss—it’s gain in light of eternity.
2. Practice Gratitude
Gratitude and greed cannot coexist. Gratitude shifts our focus from what we lack to what God has already provided.
Try “savoring” God’s goodness: Feel the warmth of the sun, smell the trees in spring, enjoy a cool breeze on a hot day. These simple practices cultivate thanksgiving and combat the endless desire for more.
People on their deathbeds would trade everything they’ve accumulated for 24 more hours with someone they love. Gratitude restores this eternal perspective.
3. Embrace Contentment
Hebrews 13:5 instructs: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have.”
Greed says, “I need more.” Contentment says, “I have enough.”
Practical ways to practice contentment:
- Give some possessions away
- Share items with others
- Enjoy things you don’t own (borrow instead of buying)
- Resist one-click shopping
- Buy based on need rather than status
The Freedom of Contentment
Jesus calls us to trust that God will provide what we need, not because He wants to restrict us, but because He wants us to experience the freedom of contentment.
When we’re constantly grasping for more, we miss the abundance already surrounding us. True wealth isn’t found in accumulation but in gratitude, generosity, and trust in God’s provision.
A Prayer for Freedom from Greed
If this message has revealed areas of greed in your heart, consider this prayer:
“Lord, reveal to me where there is greed in my heart. If I have a disordered attachment to things, please show me. Forgive me for any greed in my life. Help me see how to invest in eternity with what you’ve given me. Amen.”
Living Free in a Material World
Greed promises satisfaction but delivers emptiness. Contentment, gratitude, and generosity offer the true abundant life Jesus promised.
The choice is ours: Will we build bigger barns for ourselves, or will we use what God has given us to serve His kingdom and bless others?
In a culture obsessed with accumulation, choosing contentment is a radical act of faith—and the pathway to genuine freedom.
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