There's a "Phillies Karen" in All of Us

You've seen the story. At a recent Phillies game, a woman, now dubbed the “Phillies Karen,” was caught on video blessing out a father in front of his young son, all in an attempt to snatch a baseball for herself. The footage spread like wildfire online.

People shook their heads, rolled their eyes, and mocked her for her shameless greed. Just like with the couple at the Coldplay concert, the nation and the world gave a morally superior chuckle at this poor woman caught in bad behavior.

But let’s be honest. While it’s easy to wag our fingers at the Phillies Karen, the truth is she’s us. She’s me.

My Moment Grabbing a Baseball

Years ago, I was at an Atlanta Braves game. Before the game started, one of the players in the outfield tossed a ball up toward the stands. It happened to come right where I was walking, so I reached out and caught it without even trying. It was a really cool moment. It made me feel like a million bucks! But right in front of me was a young boy, waiting eagerly for that same ball. In fact, I saw the player was throwing the ball to the kid, not me.

So I did the “right” thing. I immediately turned around, handed him the ball, and his face lit up. Everyone around probably thought, Wow, what a nice guy.

But nobody saw this part: deep in my heart, I wanted that ball. Badly. I had to fight my own greed to give it up. What looked like a moral, selfless act was really a battle in my chest, and the only reason I handed the ball over was because I didn’t want to be “that guy” in front of a crowd.

So, really, was I any better than the Phillies Karen? She just showed her selfishness more publicly. Mine stayed hidden behind a smile.

What the Bible Says About Our Greed

Scripture is plain about the condition of the human heart.

Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

Romans 3:10–12 “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

Ecclesiastes 4:4 “Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.”

We like to think of ourselves as generous, kind, and moral. But the Bible insists otherwise. Underneath our polished surfaces, selfishness runs deep. Whether it’s grabbing a foul ball, jockeying for a promotion at work, or even serving at church with hidden motives, our hearts tilt inward.

Jesus himself exposed this. In Mark 7:21–23, He says:

“For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Notice that word coveting. That’s just another name for what the Phillies Karen wanted, a ball she didn’t need but couldn’t live without in that moment. And notice how Jesus doesn’t just say “some hearts.” He says these evil desires are in the heart of every person.

Paul put it plainly in Romans 7:18, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.” That’s why when I handed the ball to that boy at the Braves game, it was not because I was being so virtuous. My heart was struggling mightily against my own sinful nature.

We Need a Savior

If we stopped here, the story would be bleak. We’d all be selfish, greedy, people, with no hope of being truly selfless. But, thank God, the Bible doesn’t stop there.

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Titus 3:3–5 “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures… But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy.”

There's hope for people like the Phillies Karen. It's the same hope we all have. Christ saves greedy people. In Christ, we’re not left to fight greed with sheer willpower. We receive the Spirit, who reshapes our desires. Over time, we become people who really do want to give the ball to the kid, not just because it makes us looks good to the crowd, but because generosity flows from a heart changed by grace.

The Phillies Karen gave the internet a spectacle. I gave a boy a ball but wrestled with my motives. Both reveal the same truth. Every human being is curved inward, greedy by nature, selfish at the core.

But that’s exactly why Jesus came. He came for greedy Braves fans. He came for Phillies Karens. He came for you. And the cross is the great exchange where He took our selfishness and gave us His righteousness.

So the next time you feel the pull of greed, whether for a baseball, a possession, a status symbol, or even attention, remember this: Jesus died to set you free. And by His Spirit, you really can become the kind of person who delights more in giving than receiving (Acts 20:35).