For men shall be \u2026 covetous \u2026 <\/i><\/p>\n
\u2014II Tim. 3:2<\/i><\/p>\n
907<\/b> Billion Dollar Not Enough<\/b><\/p>\n
One of the riches men in the world, oil tycoon Paul Getty, was being interviewed in London. \u201cIf you retired now,\u201d asked a reporter, \u201cwould you say your holdings would be worth a billion dollars?\u201d Getty paced up and down the room, mentally adding. \u201cI suppose so,\u201d he said, \u201cbut remember, a billion doesn\u2019t go as far as it used to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014Clipper Travel<\/i><\/p>\n
908<\/b> Needs Another Hundred Thousand<\/b><\/p>\n
The first assignment I give to my classes in Basic English is a composition on \u201cWhat I Would Do If I Had a Million Dollars.\u201d My students are a delightful potpourri of Americans of all ages and colors, including immigrants from five continents, and young foreign students. <\/p>\n
The latest class was pin-drop quiet for 30 minutes, while the students struggled to express their dreams in English. Then a ponderously built senora stalked up to my desk and flung down two pages of crossed-out and written-over figures. <\/p>\n
\u201cNot enough, teacher!\u201d she proclaimed in disgust. \u201cI gotta have another hundred thousand!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014Reader\u2019s Digest<\/i><\/p>\n
909<\/b> Could Be Spot Of Hell<\/b><\/p>\n
Scott Fitzgerald, famous novelist of our day, had just died and on his desk was found a plot for a new novel. He was going to write a book in which a wealthy man died and left a strange will. The will bequeathed all of his millions to be divided equally, share and share alike, to all his relatives. There was one condition. They were to come and live together in his spacious mansion. Below the outlined plot was a note. \u201cThis could be a little spot of hell.\u201d<\/p>\n
910<\/b> Drama With 26,000 Actors<\/b><\/p>\n
On the night of November 16, 1930, Mrs. Henrietta Garrett, a lonely 81-year-old widow, died in her home in Philadelphia and, unwillingly, started the most fantastic case of inheritance litigation in history. <\/p>\n
She had failed to leave a will, or no will was found, to her $17,000,000 estate; a mystery left unsolved. She had expertly handled her financial affairs since the death of her husband in 1895 and, therefore, she must have realized that, without a will, her fortune would become involved in many legal battles. Although Mrs. Garret had, at the time of her death, only one known relative, a second cousin, and less than a dozen friends, attempts to prove relationship to her and to claim a part or all her estate have since been made by more than 26,000 persons from 47 states and 29 foreign countries, represented by more than 3,000 lawyers. <\/p>\n
In their frantic efforts, these alleged relatives have committed perjury, faked family records, changed their own names, altered data in church Bibles and concocted absurd tales of illegitimacy. As a result, twelve were fined, ten received jail sentences, two committed suicide and three were murdered. The estate has, in the meantime, increased to $30,000,000 and is not expected to be settled for some time. <\/p>\n
\u2014Freling Foster<\/p>\n
911<\/b> Cats Eat Rats, & Vice Versa<\/b><\/p>\n
An 1875 newspaper advertisement, quoted in Geographical Review<\/i>:<\/p>\n
Glorious opportunity to get rich. We are starting a cat ranch in Lacon with 10,000 cats. Each cat will average 12 kittens a year. The catskins will sell for 30 cents each. One hundred men can skin 5000 cats a day. We figure a daily profit of over $10,000. Now what shall we feed the cats? We will start a rat ranch next door with one million rats. The rats will breed 12 times faster than the cats. So we will have 4 rats to feed each day to each cat. Now what shall we feed the rats? We will feed the rats the carcasses of the cats after they have been skinned. Now Get This! We feed the rats to the cats and the cats to the rats and get the skins for nothing. <\/p>\n
\u2014Baltimore Sun<\/i><\/p>\n
912<\/b> Monkey\u2019s Clenched Fists<\/b><\/p>\n
In North Africa the natives have a very easy way to capture monkeys. A gourd, with a hole just sufficiently large so that a monkey can thrust his hand into it, is filled with nuts and fastened firmly to a branch of a tree at sunset. During the night a monkey will discover the scent of food, and its source, and will put his hand into the gourd and grasp a handful of nuts. But the hole is too small for the monkey to withdraw his clenched fist, and he has not sense enough to let go of his bounty so that he may escape. Thus he pulls and pulls without success, and when morning comes he is quickly and easily taken. <\/p>\n
\u2014The Pilgrim<\/i><\/p>\n
913<\/b> Man\u2019s Only Real Right<\/b><\/p>\n
In Tolstoy\u2019s Man and Dame,<\/i> Fortune the hero is told he can have the right to all of the land around which he can plow a furrow in a single day. The man started off with great vigor, and was going to encompass only that which he could easily care for. But as the day progressed he desired more and more rights. He plowed and plowed, until at the end of the day he could in no possible way return to his original point of departure, but struggling to do so, he fell, the victim of a heart attack. The only right he secured was the right to 18 square feet of land in which he was buried. <\/p>\n
914<\/b> To Compare North, South America<\/b><\/p>\n
Roger Babson, the statistician, was lunching with the President of Argentina. \u201cMr. Babson,\u201d the President said, \u201cI have been wondering why it is that South America with all its natural advantages, its mines of iron, copper, coal, silver and gold; its rivers and great waterfalls which rival Niagara, is so far behind North America.\u201d<\/p>\n
Babson replied, \u201cWell, Mr. President, what do you think is the reason?\u201d<\/p>\n
He was silent for a while before he answered. \u201cI have come to this conclusion. South America was settled by the Spanish, who came to South America in search of gold; but North America was settled by the Pilgrim Fathers, who went there in search of God.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014Christian Digest<\/i><\/p>\n
915<\/b> Two Greedy Men\u2019s Wish<\/b><\/p>\n
One of the old saints, according to the legend, in his journey overtook two travelers. One was a greedy, avaricious, covetous man; the other was of a jealous and envious nature. When they came to the parting of ways, the saint said he would give them a parting gift. Whichever made a wish first would have his wish fulfilled, and the other man would get a double portion of what the first had asked for. <\/p>\n
The greedy man knew what he wanted; but he was afraid to make his wish, because he wanted a double portion and could not bear the thought of his companion getting twice as much as he had. But the envious man was also unwilling to wish first, because he could not stand the idea of his companion getting twice as much as he would get. So each waited for the other to wish first. <\/p>\n
At length the greedy man took his fellow by the throat and said he would choke him to death unless he made his wish. At that the envious man said, \u201cVery well; I will make my wish. I wish to be made blind in one eye.\u201d Immediately he lost the sight of his eye\u2014and his companion went blind in both eyes. <\/p>\n
\u2014C. E. Macartney<\/p>\n
916<\/b> Big Deal! <\/b><\/p>\n
Letter to The Christian Science Monitor<\/i>:<\/p>\n
\u201cDear Sir: When I subscribed a year ago you stated that if I was not satisfied at the end of the year I could have my money back. Well, I would like to have it back. <\/p>\n
\u201cOn second thought, to save you trouble, you may apply it on my next year\u2019s subscription.\u201d<\/p>\n
917<\/b> Lincoln\u2019s Children And Common Problem<\/b><\/p>\n
A Springfield neighbor was drawn to his door one day by the crying of children. When he got there, he saw Lincoln passing by with his two sons, both crying lustily. \u201cWhat is the matter with the boys?\u201d asked the man. \u201cJust what is the matter with the whole world!\u201d answered Lincoln. \u201cI have three walnuts and each boy wants two.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014Christian Herald<\/i><\/p>\n
918<\/b> \u201cLet Her Be Generous\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n
A small boy was given two apples and told to divide them with his sister, and in doing so to be generous in giving her the larger one. He said finally, \u201cLook Ma, you give her the apples and ask her to be generous.\u201d<\/p>\n
919<\/b> Inflation And Charity<\/b><\/p>\n
A man had posted himself in front of an office building with a tray of shoelaces. One executive made it a daily habit to give the unfortunate a dime, but he never took the laces. One day the peddler, on receiving the dime, tapped his departing benefactor on the back: \u201cI don\u2019t like to complain, sir, but the laces are now 15 cents.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014American Legion<\/i><\/p>\n
920<\/b> Insulting The \u201cInsult\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n
A cab driver was overheard complaining to a woman passenger: \u201cThis 15-cent tip is an insult.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh?\u201d she said. \u201cHow much should it be?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnother 15 cents, at least,\u201d said the cabbie. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy dear fellow,\u201d she said, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t dream of insulting you twice!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014San Francisco Chronicle<\/i><\/p>\n
921<\/b> Wanting Both<\/b><\/p>\n
A teacher had just related to a class of boys the story of the rich man and Lazarus; then he asked, \u201cNow, which would you rather be, boys\u2014the rich man or Lazarus?\u201d<\/p>\n
One boy replied: \u201cI\u2019d want to be the rich man while I\u2019m living and Lazarus when I die.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014Way Of Holiness<\/i><\/p>\n
922<\/b> \u201cHe Wants You!\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n
A doctor, who had doctored a man\u2019s son to death and was threatened with legal proceedings, agreed to hand over his own son for adoption. Later on, he managed to cause the death of a client\u2019s servant, and was obliged to give up the only servant he had. One night there came a knock at his door from a neighbor, who said: \u201cMy wife is having a baby. Please come and attend to her at once!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAh, the blackguard!\u201d cried the doctor to his wife. \u201cI know what he wants this time\u2014he wants you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014Chinese Humor<\/i><\/p>\n
923<\/b> Three-Cent Word Temptation<\/b><\/p>\n
Erle Stanley Gardner tells about his early days as a writer of Western stories:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen a writer is writing at three cents a word, he is painfully conscious of the number of words. In fact, when I was typing my own stories, I had an adding machine device connected to the space bar of my typewriter, so that every time I hit the space bar it registered a figure on my word counter. <\/p>\n
\u201cWithout my realizing it, my heroes developed a habit of missing the first five shots, only to connect with the last bullet in the gun. At one time an editor took me to task for this. How did it happen that my characters, who were chain lightning with a gun, were so inaccurate with the first five shots? I told the editor frankly, \u2019At three cents a word, every time I say bang in the story I get three cents. If you think I\u2019m going to have the gun battle over while my hero has got 15 cents worth of unexploded ammunition in the cylinder of his gun, you\u2019re mistaken. \u201c<\/p>\n
\u2014The Atlantic Monthly<\/i><\/p>\n
924<\/b> A Pompeii Lady Falls<\/b><\/p>\n
Of the 20,000 inhabitants of Pompeii, some 2,000 lost their lives, among them a woman who loved finery above all else. As the deadly rain of fire came down, she decided to run to the harbour and escape by ship. That was wise, but this rich and beautiful woman stayed behind just long enough to collect as much jewelry as she could carry. Snatching up her rings, she hastily thrust them on her fingers. There was no time to hunt for a box or a bag in which to cram her ornaments, so she picked up as many as she could hold, and rushed into the street, clutching her pearls and diamonds, her rubies and saphires, her gold brooches and her earrings\u2014a wealth of finery that would be placed at thousands of dollars today. <\/p>\n
But she delayed too long. The poisonous fumes overcame her as she ran; and with all her trinkets she stumbled, fell, and died, clutching the things she prized so much. <\/p>\n
There, under the ashes of Pompeii she lay; and when the excavators found her, she was still lovely, and her hands were still laden with jewels. <\/p>\n
\u2014Prairie Overcomer<\/i><\/p>\n
925<\/b> Epigram On Covetous<\/b><\/p>\n
\u2022 Give him the leg and he will want the thigh also. <\/p>\n
\u2014Malay Proverb<\/p>\n
See also:<\/b> Contented ; Money, Love of ; Stealing ; I Cor. 6:10; Eph. 5:5; II Pet. 2:3, 14.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For men shall be \u2026 covetous \u2026 \u2014II Tim. 3:2 907 Billion Dollar Not Enough One of the riches men in the world, oil tycoon Paul Getty, was being interviewed in London. \u201cIf you retired now,\u201d asked a reporter, \u201cwould you say your holdings would be worth a billion dollars?\u201d Getty paced up and down … Continue reading “COVETOUS”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4973"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4973\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}