Christ the Greatest Hero in Battle

Jesus against His Betrayer.

O! how man’s natural instincts lead to his ruin as soon as they are misdirected, or lose their mutual balance! Even the drive for possession original: "Eigenthum", referring here to the instinct for property or ownership has already made many a person miserable; when it degenerates, then avarice and greed are its poisonous branches.

The greedy man no longer views earthly goods as a means, but as an end in themselves; all his thoughts, inclinations, and intentions are fixed upon them. Whatever he does is calculated beforehand for his advantage; whatever he undertakes is for his profit. It is no longer he himself who determines his path, but self-interest Eigennutz: a focused pursuit of personal gain, often implying a loss of moral agency that sweeps him away to every action without further reflection.

What a dreadful slavery for a human being! Yet, through this very thing, he also debases himself into the most wretched slave of other men. They need only [appeal to] his