'And they that buy, as though they possessed not.'
A carnal man experiences his emotions in extremes. If he rejoices, he casts off all restraint. If he is merry, he is beside himself. He has no moderation. If he grieves, unless some external check restrains him, he is crushed beneath the weight of sorrow, like Nabal, whose heart died within him (1 Samuel 25:37–38). He has no grace to temper his sorrow or his joy. Therefore, he is either excessively sorrowful or excessively joyful.
But grace—recognizing that we live in a world that contains both grief and gladness—moderates the affections. A Christian, when he rejoices, does not do so immoderately, for he always sees something to mourn. And when he mourns, he does not grieve without hope, for even in sorrow he has reason to rejoice: Christ is his, heaven is his, and the providence of God is still ordering all things for his good.
Therefore, even in the worst of times, he has cause for joy. All his affections are balanced and refined.
So much, then, for this point.
"And those who buy, as though they possessed not."
It is lawful to buy. It is lawful to make contracts, and private ownership is lawful. Every person ought to have his own property.
There would be no theft if there were no such thing as personal ownership, and without it, works of mercy would be impossible.
Now, if ownership and dominion over material things are lawful— that we may rightfully possess things as our own—then buying is also lawful. It is one of the ordinary ways by which we lawfully acquire things. There is no danger in the act of buying itself.
But there is danger in how we buy. Men buy with the aim of establishing themselves permanently. "They call their lands after their own names" (Psalm 49:11), imagining that they will endure forever. Yet God makes fools of them. How few are there whose lineage continues in the same estate beyond the third generation?
How few houses exist where the child or grandchild can say, "This was my grandfather's or great-grandfather's"? How rare it is to find a household where the current inhabitants can say, "My ancestor dwelled here, and these lands were his"? Survey a whole region, and few indeed can say such things.
When men build, they do not merely build upon the earth—they build castles in the air. They indulge lofty thoughts: "Now I build for my child, and for my child's child." But God overturns their plans.
Either they are left without descendants, or, through countless unforeseen events, matters turn out otherwise. "The time is short, and the form of this world is passing away." That is to say, buildings pass away, ownership passes away—everything here fades and perishes. Therefore, let us buy as though we did not possess. Let us purchase and hold earthly things in such a manner that we neglect not the better, eternal possession in heaven. Possess these things in such a way that they do not possess and command you.
In Leviticus 25:8 and following, you see the institution of the year of Jubilee. All possessions were to return to their original owners, should they so desire. God trained His people by this practice to teach them not to think of any earthly acquisition as permanent.
Whatever had been bought would return to its prior owner in the fiftieth year. In this way, they learned that no possession was lasting.
Even if we hold something for a time, we may be deprived of it through fraud, injustice, or tyranny.