John Calvin Commentary Luke 12:15

"And he said unto them, Take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness: for a man`s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." — Luke 12:15 (ASV)

Take heed and beware of covetousness. Christ first guards his followers against covetousness, and next, in order to cure their minds entirely of this disease, he declares that our life consists not in abundance.

These words point out the inward fountain and source from which flows the mad eagerness for gain.

This eagerness arises because the general belief is that a man is happy in proportion to how much he possesses, and that the happiness of life is produced by riches.

From this belief arise those immoderate desires, which, like a fiery furnace, send forth their flames and yet do not cease to burn within.

If we were convinced that riches and any kind of abundance are evils of the present life, which the Lord bestows upon us with his own hand and the use of which is accompanied by his blessing, this single consideration would have a powerful influence in restraining all wicked desires. This is what believers have come to learn from their own experience.²⁶⁸

For why do they moderate their wishes and depend on God alone? It is because they do not look upon their life as necessarily connected with abundance or dependent upon it, but instead rely on the providence of God, who alone upholds us by his power and supplies us with whatever is necessary.

²⁶⁸ “Ce que les fideles experimentent ton les iours en eux-mesmes estre vray;” — “which believers every day experience in themselves to be true.”;” — “which believers every day experience in themselves to be true.”