IDEA: Covetousness often motivates false witness against a neighbor. TEXT: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's" (Exodus 20:16-17).

PURPOSE: While people may never be convicted of being covetous, they can be convicted for the acts which covetousness produces.

Why do people get into an accident and then lie about the damage done to them and to their car? They are bearing false witness on the insurance claims.

People lie about a co-worker to deny that person a promotion the liar wants.

People lie about their education and experience in order to get a higher paying job for which they are not qualified.

A popular high school student has something malicious spread about him/her in order to tarnish the student's reputation. The accusation isn't true, but the student has no way to defend himself/herself. Why do you think something like that happens?

I. What do all of these situations have in common?

They all involve bearing false witness against a neighbor.

They are all prompted by covetousness.