A DOCTOR, lawyer, and preacher had a mutual friend who died.

They were all

in the hospital room when the friend passed away. As the friend lay, taking his
final breaths, he said that he had thirty thousand dollars that he wanted buried
with him in his casket. He wanted to take his money with him to the grave. He
gave ten thousand dollars to the doctor, ten thousand to the lawyer, and ten
thousand to the preacher. He requested that at the funeral, each one of them
come and place the money in the casket before it was closed.
The doctor, the lawyer, and the preacher all showed up at the funeral. They all
three leaned over the casket and put something in. The casket was closed, the
interment was accomplished, and they met each other afterward for a cup of
coffee to discuss their friend who had died. As they talked, the guilt-ridden
doctor couldn’t help but confess. He said, “Well, our friend was my patient for
years. I know he wanted me to put the ten thousand dollars in his casket, but I
was sure that he would have wanted me to keep a little bit for myself given all
the care I’ve provided him over the years. So, I put eight thousand in there, and I
kept two thousand for unpaid bills while John was sick.”
The preacher confessed. “Well, I must confess too. John always talked about
our church needing a new organ. So, I only put seven thousand dollars in, and I
kept three thousand toward our new organ that I know John would want us to
have.”
Then the shrewd lawyer spoke up. “Well let me tell you what I did. I kept my
ten thousand dollars. Preacher, I went up to the casket and picked up your seven
thousand, and doctor, I picked up your eight thousand, and then I wrote our
friend out a check for thirty thousand dollars and put that in the casket!”

1 Tim. 6:10; Heb. 13:5

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JAMES 5 STORY ILLUSTRATION
There are many stories from the Bible that illustrate the dangers of greed and materialism.
One such story is that of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, found in 1 Kings 21.

In this story, Ahab coveted a vineyard belonging to a man named Naboth, which was located
next to the king's palace. Ahab offered to buy the vineyard from Naboth, but Naboth refused,
as the vineyard had been passed down to him from his ancestors and was therefore considered
a family inheritance. Ahab became angry and depressed, unable to get what he wanted.
Jezebel, Ahab's wife, saw his distress and took matters into her own hands. She plotted to have
Naboth falsely accused of blasphemy and treason, and then had him stoned to death. With
Naboth out of the way, Ahab was able to seize the vineyard for himself.

But God was not pleased with Ahab and Jezebel's actions. He sent the prophet Elijah to
confront Ahab and pronounce judgment on him and his family. Ahab repented, but it was too
late. He suffered the consequences of his greed and injustice, and his family line was
eventually destroyed.

This story serves as a warning against the dangers of greed and materialism. Ahab was so
consumed by his desire for the vineyard that he was willing to use his power and influence to
take it by force, even if it meant harming others. He lost sight of the importance of justice and
mercy, and he paid the price for his actions. May we learn from Ahab's mistakes and seek to
live lives that prioritize righteousness and generosity over greed and self-interest.

Here's another story from the Bible that illustrates the dangers of greed and materialism:

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells the story of a rich man in Luke 12.

16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought
forth plentifully:

17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to
bestow my fruits?

18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I
bestow all my fruits and my goods.

19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine
ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then
whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

This story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of hoarding wealth and possessions.
The rich man in the story was so focused on accumulating more and more that he neglected
his spiritual well-being and failed to recognize the fleeting nature of his material possessions.
He failed to see the importance of being "rich toward God" - that is, investing in eternal things
rather than temporary ones.

The story of the rich man in Luke 12 reminds us that our lives are not defined by what we own
or how much money we make, but by our relationship with God and our love for others. May
we seek to be rich in faith, hope, and love, and to use our resources for the good of others and
the glory of God.