I’m lousy at memorization. It was the thing I hated most about school. Every minute I spent memorizing the chronology of English monarchs constituted a theft of my precious youth. (And I forgot them all 10 seconds after the exam.)
When we were kids in confirmation class, we had to memorize the 10 commandments. By the time I got to memorizing the 10th commandment, all it meant to me was a string of nouns that we weren’t supposed to covet, whatever ‘covet’ means. (“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor’s.” – Ex. 20:17) The only fun I got out of it was saying “ass” in church.
It’s too bad I paid so little attention to the 10th commandment, because it is really spiritually significant. I think it’s a lot more meaningful than keeping the Sabbath, for instance.
To appreciate why covetousness matters, it’s helpful to think of its opposite: contentment. The author of Hebrews says: “…be content with what you have; for he has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)
Be content with what you’ve got. Be free from the weight of envy and resentment that comes from coveting the good stuff others enjoy but which you don’t have (and probably never will). The reason for contentment is not because “all good things come to those who wait.” Humbug! Waiting has brought me zilch when you get right down to it.
Why be content? Because God has promised: “I will never leave you or forsake you.” What can your neighbor’s house, or wife (or husband), or slave, or ox, or ass provide you compared to friendship with God? Would you really prefer your neighbor’s 401k or her slender figure to a God who will never forsake you?
Coveting is the way we tell God that God is not enough for us; we’d prefer our neighbor’s condo in Ft. Lauderdale.
“You shall not covet.” Remember why.
Prayer: Holy God, when something shiny catches my eye, remind me again that I have you; and you are all I need. Amen.