2
Corinthians 8:1-9,
We
want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been
given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of
affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have
overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they
gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their
means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor
of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as
we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by
the will of God to us. 6 Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he
had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. 7 But
as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in
all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this
act of grace also. 8 I say this not as a command, but to prove
by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. 9 For
you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich,
yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might
become rich.
The apostle wanted the
church in Corinth to know about the special attitude the churches of
Macedonia had towards giving. Corinth was a wealthy cosmopolitan city
while Macedonia was an impoverished rural area. In fact, the contrast
exists even today. Poverty was a problem to the people of Macedonia.
I suspect that Paul, as he traveled through Macedonia, mentioned the
offering he was taking for the saints in Jerusalem without much
expectation from the Macedonians. They became an example of
generosity to Corinth. They knew the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This passage of Scripture
has been very special to me since the early days of our ministry in
this area. By God's grace we had been given a church building in the
town of Maryland, in Otsego County, and soon after we were given the
grace to buy the farm that became the pastor's home for the Maryland
Baptist Church and the church camp. In order to make the church
building useful a tremendous amount of renovation had to be done. We
were dependent on God for our living and extra expenses.
One day I went to the
mailbox and found a package that I immediately recognized as being
the size of, and having the feel of, a Good News for Modern Man New
Testament. Immediately I looked to see where it had come from. The
handwritten return address was: Macedonia Principal, 2 Corinthians
8:9. The 4th class stamp on it was canceled in Babylon, Long Island.
It was wrapped in brown paper. I was intrigued by this item so I went
inside the house, got a knife and slit the wrapping so I could see
the edge of the book. On the edge of the pages was written "GIVE"
in big bold letters. I am fairly cynical so I assumed that someone
had found the book with our address inside it and wanted me to give
them something.
I
carefully opened the cover to expose the flyleaf and found written
there, "Give
to others, and God will give to you. Indeed, you will receive a full
measure, a generous helping, poured into your hands - all that you
can hold. The measure you use for others is the one that God will use
for you." Luke 6:38 GNT. This reinforced my belief that someone
wanted me to give them something. I ran my thumb along the edge of
the book and fanned the pages. In doing that I discovered 10
bookmarks each one marking a verse, or passage, about giving. Each
bookmark was a brand-new $100 bill!
I
was overwhelmed by the generosity of the gift. At the same time my
joy was mixed with shame that I had expected so little from God. I
went to the bank and deposited the money and immediately went to the
lumber yard for building supplies. God is so good and he has met our
needs so many times! I give glory to his name!
We
need to remember that God does not need our gifts. The Bible tells us
exactly that! God says in his word that every beast of the forest is
his and that the cattle on a thousand hills are his. We need to
remember that before he came to the earth…
Our
Lord was rich. When
Jesus came to the earth he was already the Creator God and was
recognized as the firstborn of all creation. As such, he was the heir
of all things! Let's look at what the Scripture says about Jesus…
As
Creator.
Listen to Paul's letter to the Colossians. Colossians
1:15-20, He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all
creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and
on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or
rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for
him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold
together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is
the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he
might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was
pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all
things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of
his cross.
By
him all things were created. That's an amazing statement and speaks
clearly about his ownership. The laws of the United States are based
on Judeo-Christian principles. Two collections of laws are of
interest as we look at this passage of Scripture. The copyright laws
and the patent laws. In these laws we find that the originators, or
creators, have the right to protect their creations.
Not
only were all things created by him they were also created for him.
The God we serve, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, created the universe
and owns it outright! Jesus was rich beyond our wildest imagination
as the creator of the universe. His rights are more completely
established…
As
God. There
are many passages of Scripture that show that Jesus is God. For our
purposes we will use John
1:14-18, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have
seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of
grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out,
“This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before
me, because he was before me.’”) 16 And from his fullness we
have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given
through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No
one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he
has made him known.
“The
only Son from the Father” might not establish the truth about Jesus
being God but verse 18 is very clear: "No one is ever seen God;
the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known."
In fact, John began his gospel with, "In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God." That
last phrase is very interesting. "The Word was God." If it
were translated word for word from the Greek it would say, "God
was the Word". I'm not scholarly enough to know why all English
translations seem to avoid that construction. There might be a reason
but I don't know what it is. If I were to say, "Aree is my son."
Or, "My son is Aree." In both cases the meaning would be
the same. It's very clear that John, in writing his gospel, wanted to
affirm the truth that Jesus is the Creator God of the universe. Jesus
is the same yesterday, today and forever. Jesus has always existed…
As
the heir of all things.
Look at what the writer of Hebrews had to say to us! Hebrews
1:1-4, Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our
fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken
to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through
whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the
glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the
universe by the word of his power. After making purification for
sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having
become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is
more excellent than theirs.
When Jesus told the story
that we call "The Parable of the Tenants" he told of a
landowner who created a vineyard and rented it out to tenants. Then
he moved far away. When he sent his servants to collect the rent the
tenants refused to pay. They not only rejected the rent collectors
they also beat some of them and killed some of them! The landowner,
last of all, sent his son saying, "Surely they will respect my
Son." The tenants, recognizing that the son was the heir, threw
him out of the vineyard and killed him. Clearly, Jesus is the Son in
the story.
Jesus was, and is, rich.
He is the creator. He is God. And he is the heir of all things. But,
for our sakes…
He
became poor. It's
hard to imagine the contrast between the glory of heaven and the
gloom of the earth. Jesus, the creator God, the older brother who has
the right of primogeniture, chose poverty for our sakes. He was poor…
In
his birth.
In order to be born in Bethlehem, as the prophecy said he would, he
had to be moved, before his birth, from Nazareth. In order to achieve
that God had the Roman Empire issue a decree. Let's read about it.
Luke
2:1-7, In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all
the world should be registered. 2 This was the first
registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all
went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also
went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the
city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house
and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his
betrothed who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the
time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her
firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a
manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
For the wealthy there was
plenty of room. I am sure the Inn in Bethlehem had rooms for the
wealthy. But for a common carpenter and his pregnant wife there was
no room. I can imagine the innkeeper explaining that there was no
place for anyone because of the order of the Romans. Those who were
well-off had arrived early and secured the available space. Then, I
imagine, he told them that they could use part of the stable. At
least there would be hay there for them to make a simple bed. And the
creator of the universe, the King of kings and Lord of lords was born
in a stable not in a palace!
He was born in poverty
and he was poor…
In
his early life.
Listen to Luke's account. Luke
2:22-24, And when the time came for their purification according to
the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to
the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every
male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”)
24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law
of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”
Proof
of the poverty of the carpenter's family is seen in the sacrifice
offered when they presented him to the Lord. The Law of the Lord is
more specific than Luke's quote. What Leviticus says is, “And
when the days of her purifying are completed, whether for a son or
for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the
tent of meeting a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a pigeon
or a turtledove for a sin offering, and he shall offer it before the
Lord
and make atonement for her. Then she shall be clean from the flow of
her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, either male or
female. And if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two
turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other
for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for her, and
she shall be clean.”
A lamb a year old and a
pigeon, or a turtledove, were to be the sacrifices. But if she cannot
afford a lamb then two turtledoves or two pigeons would be offered.
The Royal Family were uprooted from their home and made to travel
some 80 miles. Joseph on foot and Mary on a donkey would have covered
10 or 15 miles a day. The wealthy would have had horses or camels to
ride on and cut the time in half. Not only was Jesus born in poverty
but he was poor…
During
his ministry.
So far as we know, except for his triumphal entry into Jerusalem,
Jesus walked everywhere he went. Luke tells us about one instance in,
Luke
9:57-58, As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I
will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him,
“Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of
Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
Many
times people say to Jesus, in the words of Mary Brown, "It
may not be on the mountain's height or over the stormy sea; it may
not be at the battle's front my Lord will have need of me. But if by
a still small voice he calls to paths that I do not know, I'll answer
dear Lord with my hand in Thine, "I'll go where you want me to
go." I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord, over a mountain
or plain or sea. I'll say what you want me to say, dear Lord. I'll be
what you want me to be. And
they mean well as did the man who confronted Jesus along the road. I
am sure he was ready to join Jesus' band without question. But the
implication is he had not counted the cost. If he went with Jesus he
would find himself sleeping on the ground beside the road that night.
The implication is he turned away and did not follow when he
understood the poverty of Jesus. Let's look again at 2 Corinthians
8:9, For
you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich,
yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might
become rich. Wow,
Jesus became poor so…
That
believers might become rich!
I
remember a pastor in Louisiana telling me about a man whose wife
attended his church. The man came to church with his wife one Sunday
determined to accept Christ as his Savior. Looking over the order of
service he saw a word he didn't know and asked her, "What is
'tithe'?” She answered that it was 10% of income. He asked, "Net
or gross?" She said, "Gross." He took out his pay stub
and moved the decimal point and counted out his first tithe and put
it in the offering plate. At the end of the service he came forward
to accept Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. The Scriptures
teach that…
God
blesses givers.
Listen to the prophet Malachi. Malachi
3:8-12, Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How
have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You
are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of
you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may
be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of
hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down
for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke
the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your
soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the
LORD of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for
you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.
Do
you hear the promise? Many years ago I worked with my dad in the
construction business. One day a sudden shower caused us to go inside
the office. There were four or five men in the group. One of them
spoke to my dad and said, "Mr. Bray, why is it that everything
you do turns to gold?” Before my dad to answer, an elderly black
preacher asked, "Can I tell him?" My dad, not sure what he
would say, said, "Go ahead." The old preacher said, "That
man is sitting under the window. The Bible says,
'Bring
ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine
house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will
not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that
there shall not be room enough to receive it.' He's just sitting
under the window.”
You might say, "That's
Old Testament law and we live under grace."
We
need to remember…
Jesus
continued the promise. Listen
to what Jesus said, Luke
6:38, give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down,
shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with
the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
The
first word in that quote is "give" followed by the promise
"it will be given to you". Not just what you gave, but good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be
put into your lap.
Once
Jesus rebuked the teachers of the law for tithing the herbs in their
garden while leaving out more important things, justice, and the love
of God. But he wasn't saying, "Don't tithe." Because he
added, "These you ought to have done, without neglecting the
others." Not only did Jesus continue the promise…
Paul
supported it. Let's
go back to 2nd Corinthians chapter 9.
2
Corinthians 9:6-15, The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will
also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap
bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his
heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful
giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so
that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may
abound in every good work. 9 As it is written, “He has
distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness
endures forever.” 10 He who supplies seed to the sower and
bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and
increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be
enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us
will produce thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this
service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also
overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 13 By their approval
of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission
flowing from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the
generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, 14 while
they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace
of God upon you. 15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!
Two
things need to be pointed out in this lengthy passage. First, stingy
givers get stingy results and generous givers get generous results.
Second, God enriches a person for a reason. And that reason is never
so they can live like royalty on earth. We are enriched in every way
so that we can be generous in every way. Such generosity causes many
thanksgivings to God. God is glorified when people are generous
givers. And the result is the gospel is respected by those who
receive. God's purpose is very clear. Look back in verse 8, "And
God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all
sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good
work." Our
sufficiency is not for our blessing but in order for us to abound in
every good work. "The
tithe is the Lord's"
the Bible says
and when we give it to him we are simply returning that which already
belongs to him.
The Macedonian Christians
understood that earthly wealth is a transient treasure. They knew
that it was only money and, given time, it would be replaced. The
needs of the Judean Christians was so great that the Macedonians
needed to give what they could, and even more, to meet those needs.
We need to remember that the first thing they did was give themselves
to the Lord. Then they could comfortably give of their resources for
the offering. Because they knew the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
They understood that when you give to the poor you lend to the Lord
and he always repays! Have you given yourself to the Lord? He gave
his life to set you free only a fool would refuse that gift!
All
scripture quotes are from:The
Holy Bible : English standard version.
2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
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