Step 16 on Love of Money or Avarice
St. John Climacus explores the dangers of avarice, emphasizing the need for true love and generosity over the love of money.
St. John Climacus preaches about the dangers of avarice, describing it as a form of idol worship, a manifestation of unbelief, and a hindrance to spiritual growth. He emphasizes the importance of selflessness and generosity, contrasting it with the selfishness of those who love money. Climacus highlights the deceptive nature of the love of money, warning that it can lead to a lack of compassion and a neglect of true charity towards the poor. He encourages a life of simplicity and humility, where one's focus is on spiritual richness rather than material wealth.
Text
1. Many learned teachers treat next, after the tyrant just described, the thousand-headed demon of avarice. We, unlearned as we are, did not wish to change the order of the learned, and we have therefore followed the same convention and rule. So let us first say a little about the disease, and then speak briefly about the remedy.
2. Avarice, or love of money, is the worship of idols,2 a daughter of unbelief, an excuse for infirmities, a foreboder of old age, a harbinger of drought, a herald of hunger.
3. The lover of money sneers at the Gospel and is a wilful transgressor. He who has attained to love scatters his money. But he who says that he lives for love and for money has deceived himself.
4. He who mourns for himself has also renounced his body; and at the appropriate time he does not spare it.
5. Do not say that you are collecting money for the poor; with two mites the Kingdom was purchased.3
6. A hospitable man and a money-lover met one another, and the latter called the former unintelligible.
7. He who has conquered this passion has cut out care; but he who is bound by it never attains to pure prayer.
2 Cf. Ephesians v, 5.
3 St. Luke xxi, 2.
8. The beginning of love of money is the pretext of almsgiving, and the end of it is hatred of the poor. So long as he is collecting he is charitable, but when the money is in hand he tightens his hold.
9. I have seen how men of scanty means enriched themselves by living with the poor in spirit, and forgot their first poverty.1
10. A monk who loves money is a stranger to idleness2 and hourly remembers the word of the Apostle: Let an idle man not eat,3 and: These hands of mine have ministered to me and to those who were with me.4
This is the sixteenth struggle. He who has won this victory has either obtained love or cut out care.
1 Cf. St. Matthew v, 3.
2 'Accidie'. Cf. Step 13: note 187, p. 52.
3 2 Thessalonians iii, 10.
4 Acts xx, 34.
Sermon Outline
- I points: - '{''A'': ''Definition of avarice as a worship of idols and a daughter of unbelief.'', ''B'': ''Consequences of avarice including hunger and drought.'', ''C'': ''Comparison between the lover of money and the true lover of God.''}' - Understanding Avarice
- II points: - '{''A'': ''True love leads to generosity and the scattering of wealth.'', ''B'': ''Self-deception in claiming to love both money and others.'', ''C'': ''The relationship between mourning for oneself and renouncing material desires.''}' - The Nature of True Love
- III points: - '{''A'': ''Pretext of almsgiving as a beginning of love for money.'', ''B'': ''Transition from charity to greed once money is acquired.'', ''C'': ''The true essence of giving and the dangers of attachment.''}' - The Illusion of Almsgiving
- IV points: - '{''A'': ''Conquering avarice leads to peace and pure prayer.'', ''B'': ''The role of work and diligence in overcoming idleness.'', ''C'': ''Living with the poor enriches the spirit and diminishes greed.''}' - Victory Over Avarice
Key Quotes
“Avarice, or love of money, is the worship of idols, a daughter of unbelief.” — St. John Climacus
“He who has conquered this passion has cut out care; but he who is bound by it never attains to pure prayer.” — St. John Climacus
“The beginning of love of money is the pretext of almsgiving, and the end of it is hatred of the poor.” — St. John Climacus
Application Points
- Examine your own relationship with money and identify any signs of avarice.
- Practice generosity by giving to those in need without expecting anything in return.
- Engage in self-reflection to ensure that your love for God surpasses your attachment to material wealth.