“When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath." – Joshua 7:21
In 2001, art junkie Stéphane Breitwieser was arrested; over five years, he had stolen some 239 works of art with an estimated value of a whopping $2 billion—from as many as 200 museums all over Europe. Michael Finkle, author of The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession, after interviewing Breitwieser in 2019, wrote:
“When it comes to stealing from museums, Breitwieser is virtually peerless. He is one of the most prolific and successful art thieves who have ever lived. Done right, his technique —daytime, no violence, performed like a magic trick, sometimes with guards in the room — never involves a dash to a getaway car. When he sees a piece he likes, said Breitwieser, ‘I get smitten. Looking at something beautiful, I can’t help but weep.’ He never sells anything he steals but simply brings the work home to adore. ‘The pleasure of having,’ he said, ‘is stronger than the fear of stealing.’”
Greed and covetousness are sins. Today, in prayer, confess any sin of covetousness and seek Jesus with all of your heart.
“Covetousness is perhaps the most serious sin in the West today, and no covetous person will inherit the kingdom of God.” – Ron Sider
God’s Word: “Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." – Luke 12:15