Introduction - Warning against all Greed and Covetousness. A constant warning in the Scriptures is given by Jesus and repeated by His apostles. Each must “beware and be on your guard against every form of greed (covetousness)” (Lk. 12:15). Since man “cannot serve both God and mammon (money/wealth)” (Mt. 6:24), it is very important that we monitor it in all its guises and disguises. Each must be “free from the love of money; and content with what you have” (Heb. 13:5). This must be done lest being “minded to be rich, fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts that drown men in destruction.” “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1Tim. 6:9-10). What does this have to do with the recent record-breaking US Powerball lottery?
Gambling, Greed and Covetousness. The news this week (Jan. 14, 2016) showed long lines for PowerBall lottery tickets as people sought a chance to win a record $1.58 billion payout. Back on Dec. 16, when the jackpot was $180 million, only 19 million tickets had been sold since the previous drawing. Twice each week the lottery was held and as the unclaimed jackpot climbed, the number of tickets sold between drawings accelerated rapidly, especially after Dec. 26th. According to the PowerBall website:
Motivations. Ask the gambler why he gambles. The simple and most innocent answer: “Because it’s fun.” But why is it fun? What creates the excitement? The more honest answer is “I hope to win.” This hope is made up of two distinct emotions.
The first is “competition” which can be innocent or sinful depending on where it leads. Board games like Scrabble and Monopoly are played because we enjoy competition and it gives us pleasure to win. People who watch professional sports also vicariously enjoy this desire to win. In the Olympics we hope our nation will win so we win. Many choose a football, baseball, or basketball team and enjoy their victories as though they were our own. At this level, it is a simple, enjoyable pastime that even Paul asked us to imitate. “Everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.” (1Cor. 9:25). This sums up the good side of competition. The evil side can occur when we lose our agape love and wanting to win so badly we seek to crush an opponent.
But when money is added to competition everything changes. The sprinkling of greed into the competitive urge increases the enticement and enjoyment for the worldly minded. These two components make up the reason why people gamble and why it is fun, exciting, enticing and even addicting.
But there was very little competition in the lottery the past few weeks, and the stats above can’t be denied. As the money increased so did participation. It is impossible to argue that the 3300% growth and extra 617 million tickets were not based exclusively on “greed,” a “desire to be rich” and a “love of money.” The competition didn’t change, but the money did.
A Whitewashed Tomb. Gambling has gone through a worldly whitewash, but only “like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness” (Mt. 23:27). What was vice in 1950 (gambling, prostitution, drugs and pornography) has been redefined. Yet no matter how much cleansing it receives from the worldly minded, no one can separate the greed, covetousness and avarice that make it enticing. Only as America has become more worldly has gambling found a respectable place.
Nowhere else do people “throw money away” like they do when gambling. Clearly there is something sinister and evil lurking behind this activity. With over 1.4 billion total tickets sold and only three were big winners, most just threw their money away and they know it. Only greed creates such a careless use of money. The greedy desire for more short circuits common sense. The lure of a billion dollars overrules thrift and wisdom.
This ought to tell the intelligent and spiritually minded Christian something. If the thought of the prize (covetousness) is removed, people will not gamble. It is not done to help the schools (just donate to the school). If we truly enjoy throwing our money away, any trash can would do.
Gambling sits in the midst of “every form of greed” that Christians are to “be on your guard against.” Gambling is the “temptation and snare” that creates “many foolish and hurtful lusts that drown men in destruction.” Gambling is “the love of money” which is “a root of all kinds of evil.” Many who gamble “have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
Addictive. Five percent of gamblers become addicts who destroy their lives. In 2012 that translated into 5.6 million people. Watch any commercial advertising gambling and that disclaimer will be given at the end. Anyone with an addiction to gambling is given a phone number to call and get help. This is the destruction that drowns and the sorrow that many have been pierced with.
Conclusion. When we are “free from the love of money; and content with what you have” we will never be tempted to gamble. Since one “cannot serve both God and mammon (money/wealth),” faithful servants of God will never be troubled with the terrible scourge of gambling. Never forget: “godliness with contentment is great gain: for we brought nothing into the world, for neither can we carry anything out; but having food and covering we shall be content.” (1Tim. 6:6-8).
- Dec. 16 $180m - 19m additional tickets sold
- Dec. 19 $202m - 23m
- Dec. 23 $227m - 27m
- Dec. 26 $255m - 26m
- Dec. 30 $300m - 41m
- Jan. 02 $334m - 54m
- Jan. 06 $529m - 176m
- Jan. 09 $948m - 440m
- Jan. 13 $1,580m - 636m --> Total tickets sold 1,445m
Motivations. Ask the gambler why he gambles. The simple and most innocent answer: “Because it’s fun.” But why is it fun? What creates the excitement? The more honest answer is “I hope to win.” This hope is made up of two distinct emotions.
The first is “competition” which can be innocent or sinful depending on where it leads. Board games like Scrabble and Monopoly are played because we enjoy competition and it gives us pleasure to win. People who watch professional sports also vicariously enjoy this desire to win. In the Olympics we hope our nation will win so we win. Many choose a football, baseball, or basketball team and enjoy their victories as though they were our own. At this level, it is a simple, enjoyable pastime that even Paul asked us to imitate. “Everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.” (1Cor. 9:25). This sums up the good side of competition. The evil side can occur when we lose our agape love and wanting to win so badly we seek to crush an opponent.
But when money is added to competition everything changes. The sprinkling of greed into the competitive urge increases the enticement and enjoyment for the worldly minded. These two components make up the reason why people gamble and why it is fun, exciting, enticing and even addicting.
But there was very little competition in the lottery the past few weeks, and the stats above can’t be denied. As the money increased so did participation. It is impossible to argue that the 3300% growth and extra 617 million tickets were not based exclusively on “greed,” a “desire to be rich” and a “love of money.” The competition didn’t change, but the money did.
A Whitewashed Tomb. Gambling has gone through a worldly whitewash, but only “like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness” (Mt. 23:27). What was vice in 1950 (gambling, prostitution, drugs and pornography) has been redefined. Yet no matter how much cleansing it receives from the worldly minded, no one can separate the greed, covetousness and avarice that make it enticing. Only as America has become more worldly has gambling found a respectable place.
Nowhere else do people “throw money away” like they do when gambling. Clearly there is something sinister and evil lurking behind this activity. With over 1.4 billion total tickets sold and only three were big winners, most just threw their money away and they know it. Only greed creates such a careless use of money. The greedy desire for more short circuits common sense. The lure of a billion dollars overrules thrift and wisdom.
This ought to tell the intelligent and spiritually minded Christian something. If the thought of the prize (covetousness) is removed, people will not gamble. It is not done to help the schools (just donate to the school). If we truly enjoy throwing our money away, any trash can would do.
Gambling sits in the midst of “every form of greed” that Christians are to “be on your guard against.” Gambling is the “temptation and snare” that creates “many foolish and hurtful lusts that drown men in destruction.” Gambling is “the love of money” which is “a root of all kinds of evil.” Many who gamble “have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
Addictive. Five percent of gamblers become addicts who destroy their lives. In 2012 that translated into 5.6 million people. Watch any commercial advertising gambling and that disclaimer will be given at the end. Anyone with an addiction to gambling is given a phone number to call and get help. This is the destruction that drowns and the sorrow that many have been pierced with.
Conclusion. When we are “free from the love of money; and content with what you have” we will never be tempted to gamble. Since one “cannot serve both God and mammon (money/wealth),” faithful servants of God will never be troubled with the terrible scourge of gambling. Never forget: “godliness with contentment is great gain: for we brought nothing into the world, for neither can we carry anything out; but having food and covering we shall be content.” (1Tim. 6:6-8).