This week we are looking at a section of a letter that a
man named Paul wrote to early followers of Jesus who were a part of a church
that was located in a city and culture that was remarkably similar to American
culture today. Wednesday, we saw Paul reveal for us a timeless truth when it
comes to generosity in that as followers of Jesus, we are to be generous
because Jesus is generous. We talked about the reality that Jesus Christ was
and is rich. He is the hands of creation. He owns everything. Jesus Christ is
rich spiritually, relationally, and materially. And Jesus is generous.
We saw Paul explain that Jesus is so generous that though
He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor. Jesus left the riches of the
glory and majesty of Heaven to live the life of a beggar on earth. And the
reason that Jesus left the riches of Heaven for the life of a beggar on earth
was so that you through His poverty we might become rich. Jesus entered into
humanity to live as a beggar and allowed Himself to be treated as though He
lived our selfish and sinful lives by dying the worst death possible by
crucifixion so that God the Father could treat us as though we lived Jesus
perfect life and bless us with the riches that come from the forgiveness of sin
and the relationship with God that we were created for in Heaven.
And Jesus generosity had “no strings attached”; Jesus
willingly became poor in order to provide us the opportunity to experience the
riches of the life that we were created and called to live. And the churches of
Philippi and Thessalonica in northern Greece got this reality. Their generosity
flowed from an attitude of gratitude for what Jesus had done to rescue them
from their selfishness and rebellion. Their generosity flowed from a response
of love and a desire to reflect the love of Christ to the church at Jerusalem
and the world.
Paul saw this response to who Jesus was and what He had
done for these churches as confirmation of the firm commitment that they had to
Jesus and His kingdom mission. And in the same way today, Jesus’ generous
willingness to leave the riches of the glory of Heaven to live a beggar’s life
and die an excruciating death should drive us to live a life that is motivated
by love and that reveals and reflects His generosity. As followers of Jesus, we
are to be generous because Jesus is generous. Today, we see Paul conclude this
section of the letter by challenging the church at Corinth to respond to this
reality in the midst of the present situation at the church in Jerusalem,
beginning in verse 10:
I give my opinion in this matter, for this
is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it. But now finish doing it
also, so that just as there was the
readiness to desire it, so there may
be also the completion of it by your ability. For if the readiness is
present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way
of equality-- at this present time your
abundance being a supply for
their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality; as it is
written, "HE WHO gathered MUCH
DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH, AND HE WHO gathered
LITTLE HAD NO LACK."
Paul explains to the church at Corinth that the reason
for his point of view on generosity is not only theological in nature. In
addition, Paul tells the church that their generosity is beneficial for them as
well. The church at Corinth had a noble desire that they needed to actively
follow through on and finish. However, the church was struggling with following
through on the commitment that they had made over a year earlier. Paul wanted
the church to be careful that their motivation behind the giving was proper and
pleasing to God.
You see, there could be a temptation toward competition
that could arise between the churches. The church at Corinth could become
motivated to give sacrificially simply to show that they were as spiritual as
the churches of northern Greece. Thus, their generosity would not flow from
being exceptionally interested in reflecting Jesus generosity through loving
and serving others. Their motivation
would not flow out of the same ‘no strings attached” willing desire to invest
their treasure to meet the needs of the church at Jerusalem.
In verse 12, Paul addresses this possible temptation by
explaining that what God finds pleasing and acceptable in terms of their
generosity in giving will be based solely on a motive of reflecting Jesus
generosity through loving and serving others. And in the same way today, Jesus
is far more concerned with the heart attitude behind our actions. Our
generosity is to be driven by our love for Jesus and what He has done for us
and motivated by a desire to reveal and reflect Jesus generosity to others.
In verse 13, Paul responds to an addition exception that
might be raised by the church. Paul explains that the purpose of the Jerusalem
famine relief fund was not so the members of the church could get a new house,
camel, or a new and improved affluent lifestyle. Instead, Paul explains that
the purpose of the famine relief fund was to bring equality.
Now it is important to understand that Paul here is not
promoting socialism or income redistribution.
The word equality here literally refers to a state or situation being
held in proper balance. Paul then unpacks the application of equality in verse
14. At the time of the writing of this letter, the churches that were located
in Greece had a surplus of resources. And by reflecting Jesus generosity
through the famine relief fund, they would be able to meet the pressing needs
of the church at Jerusalem. In the future, Jerusalem may benefit from the
blessings of a surplus of resources, while at the same time Greece may suffer
from a famine. At that time, the church at Jerusalem would be in a position
where they could reflect Christ’s generosity in a way that would meet their
needs when it came to meeting pressing needs.
So by willingly reflecting Jesus generosity, their
generosity would result four positive results. First, reflecting Jesus
generosity would result in pressing and practical needs being met. Second,
reflecting Jesus generosity would result in the unity and community of these different
churches being revealed for the whole world to see. Third, reflecting Jesus
generosity would result in God’s kingdom mission being advanced.
And fourth, reflecting Jesus generosity would be result
in something that could be reciprocated in the future, if the need arose. And
to reinforce his position, Paul quotes a section of the Old Testament found in
Exodus 16:18. As the Jewish people were being led out of slavery in Egypt and
into the Promised Land, God provided manna in the desert for the Jewish people
to eat. Every morning, the Jewish people would go out and gather the manna from
the dessert. Some gathered a great deal of manna, while others were not able to
gather as much.
However, when the manna was distributed, each Jewish
person received enough manna to meet their needs. The Jewish people willing
gathered according to their ability and willingly shared with those who did not
have the same ability. Paul’s point here is that the members of the church at
Corinth, and us here today, are to respond to God’s activity in the world with
an attitude of loving gratitude that reflects God’s generosity to others.
So here is a question to
consider: what does your generosity, or lack of generosity, say about your
relationship with God? And what motivates you to be generous? Does your generosity
flow from an attitude of loving gratitude in response to Jesus is and what
Jesus has done? Do you believe that Jesus is generous? And do you believe that
you are to be generous because Jesus is generous?
Because, as followers of Jesus,
the timeless reality is that we are to be generous because Jesus is generous.
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