2 Corinthians 8:10-24
Storage Wars is a reality TV series in which professional buyers with strong personalities bid on abandoned storage lockers and try to flip the contents for a profit. Sometimes they wind up with hidden treasures, and sometimes it’s junk. The popularity of this show is apparent because there are similar programs on several cable channels. But did you ever wonder why so many people need storage units?
In
today’s passage Paul is encouraging the Corinthians to complete an offering
that they had previously started. The purpose of it was to help the believers
in Jerusalem. Here is how The Message puts it:
"Once the commitment is clear, you do what you can, not what you can’t. The heart regulates the hands. This isn’t so others can take it easy while you sweat it out. No, you’re shoulder to shoulder with them all the way, your surplus matching their deficit, their surplus matching your deficit. In the end you come out even.”
2 Corinthians 8:11-12
The
principle that Paul is proposing is that the Corinthians are in a position
right now where they can help believers in Jerusalem. But there may come a time
in the future when the roles will be reversed. To make his point, he even
quotes a verse from Exodus when God provided manna and quail in the wilderness,
just enough for each person.
Clearly
we live in a materialistic and consumption driven society – one where storage
units are needed because we don’t have enough space in our home for all of our
junk. But God has called us to be a giving people. Just like Paul called upon
the Corinthians, God calls us to give to those in need.
If
you look at the Bible as a whole, giving is a character trait of who God is.
Whether He is blessing Abraham with flocks or leading the people of Israel to
the Promised Land or blessing David with victories or instructing His people to
take care of widows and orphans; God is a giving God.
The most obvious
gift of all is His Son. He gave him willingly, out of love and grace while we
were yet sinners. We don’t deserve this gift. It’s like a parent who gives a
gift to a child that doesn’t appreciate it or understand it. But He gave Jesus
out of who He is. And we are called to be like Him!
No comments:
Post a Comment