Economy of Generosity

The apostle Paul’s parting words to the Ephesian elders: “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’ (acts 20.35). Could Jesus (or Paul) say anything more counter cultural to our culture today, particularly that last part? We might not like to admit it but practically speaking, don’t most of us live as if the opposite is true? That it is more blessed to receive than to give?

The materialism that invades our lives is not about how many material items one is able to distribute but how many he/she is able to accumulate. The aim of the American dream is not about another person’s prosperity but about one’s own. And its not about one’s own prosperity for the sake of enriching other people’s lives, its about prosperity for the sake of enriching one’s own life.

Yet clearly, based on Paul’s quotation of Jesus, God’s economy works so radically different than ours. It always about the other. It’s always about giving over receiving. And ironically its in this upside-down economy of generosity that one finds himself/herself truly blessed. Or according to the Swiss theologian Karl Barth’s favourite translation of blessed, the one who gives rather than receives is truly the lucky bum.

No Intermediaries

How amazing is it that Christians have direct access to Jesus? You know it didn’t have to be that way. When Jesus was on the earth he had his twelve disciples. Within that group of twelve disciples he had his inner circle of three. Then within that inner circle of three, at least according to John’s gospel, he had that one disciple, “the one whom Jesus loved” (John 20.2). Given these close and intimate relationships it would have made sense for Jesus, at least while he was on earth, to have routed access to him through the one, three or all twelve of his disciples. And then it could have continued that way when he ascended, whether through Saints in heaven, angels, etc. In other words there easily could have been a hierarchy where the disciples, or Abraham, or angels ended up acting like his assistants, and the intermediaries between other Christians and himself. That would not have seemed that crazy. Really, it wouldn’t have been so different then the setup in the Old Testament between Israel, the priests and God.

But he didn’t do that. He didn’t set up the disciples or anyone else as intermediaries. He didn’t appoint more priests. Instead, he said things like, “Let the little children come to me,” (Mt 19.14) and “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11.28). Instead of making any hierarchy or system of intermediaries he made himself directly available to anyone that would come to him.

Again, how amazing that even right now I can come to Jesus and speak to him without anyone standing in between? And how crazy that I/we don't take advantage of that relationship more often; that we aren't on our knees before him more than we are?

Human Signposts

I remind people from the pulpit on a weekly or semi-weekly basis that if they are Christians then they are God’s witnesses. They have been saved to now witness to the reality of the Gospel. As Luke writes and Jesus says in Acts 1.8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

In saying that though and quoting Scripture that says the same, I do realize that the idea of being a witness can seem overwhelming. I can picture people’s minds racing with questions as mine has often done, “Do I have to stand in a pulpit? Do I have to speak in public? Do I have to prepare sermons? What if I don’t know what to say? What if I say the wrong thing? Where do I even begin?”

If this is you at all then let me try to put your mind at ease by attempting to describe the act of witnessing in a very simple way. Maybe you will realize in this that being a witness to Christ is less intimidating and complicated than it sounds.

We all know how to point at stuff. My son learned to point before he could walk. Well witnessing is just pointing. Pointing away from yourself and to the thing you are bearing witness about. Jesus calling Christians to be witnesses is Him simply calling them point; to be signposts; to be arrows that point to back to Him. And the first way we point is by living like Him. We live lives that imitate Jesus. We live in such a way that people see can something different in us. We live lives that people are curious about, lives that as Peter says, make them ask “for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3.15).

The second way we point is the response we give when they ask for a reason because they have seen this different reality in our lives. At this point we must use words, but this too does not have to be so intimidating. It’s still just pointing. You know the beautiful thing about witnessing to Jesus is that the gospel writers have already done the hard work of telling His story. The words that we speak then are just to try and point people back to the gospels, to the Words and the Word of God. Of course, we have to be able people to tell the story of Jesus and explain the gospel enough to point to it. But it’s the Words of Scripture that are inspired, that stir that affections, and that ultimately lead to salvation.

At the end of the day witnessing is just pointing. I don’t say that to belittle the job of a witness or to be careless about the role, but just to simplify it. Anyone who loves something will inevitably be able to point to that something in word and deed, and honestly it will probably come quite naturally. Perhaps the key then to being a good witness is just loving Jesus and seeking to love Him more than we do.

Momentary Affliction

One of our key tactics as humans for enduring times of suffering is thinking about that suffering in terms of its duration. Before the dentist jabs his patient’s gums with a needle, he says, “This will only hurt for a moment.” The sleep deprived parents of newborn twins tell one another, “This is just a season.” The coach encourages his straining, sweating athletes by yelling, “Keep going, your almost done! Your almost there!” There is something powerful about knowing that something is not forever and that there is an end in sight. It just gives you an ability to endure things that are hard to endure. You can find a motivation to get to the finish line because you know that then there will be a level of relief once you cross it.

In 2 Corinthians, when the apostle Paul speaks of suffering for Jesus’ sake, he calls it this: “Light momentary affliction” (2 Cor 4.17). He goes on to say some extraordinary things directly after this phrase, unpacking what he means by it, though I would like to pay attention just to that phrase itself for a moment and specifically to the word ‘momentary.’

It is clear from his letter to the Corinthians that Paul is undergoing a lot of pain for the Gospel. He writes things like, “For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself” (2 Cor 1.8), and “We who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor 4.11). And yet incredibly, he endures. He writes, only a few verses later, “So we do not lose heart” (2 Cor 4.16). But how? How does he not lose heart? How does Paul endure so joyfully?

At least one answer is that he interprets his suffering in terms of its duration. He understands that it is momentary. Now to that you might rightfully say, “How is it momentary Paul? It seems to be nonstop.” To which I think the apostle Paul would say, “It is momentary compared to eternity.”

Imagine if there was waiting for you an unending and infinite time of relief. And not just relief but an infinite time of infinite joy. An eternity of worshipping the One worthy of worship. An eternity of knowing the One you were created to know. An eternity of dwelling in the presence of the almighty God. What is a lifetime compared to an eternity? It’s a moment. More than that, what is a lifetime of suffering compared to an eternity of joy? It’s a moment.

Even if the rest of Paul’s human life was to be unrelenting pain and suffering for the sake of the Gospel, he understood that compared to the relief that was coming for him, that pain and suffering was momentary. Compared to eternity, it would be over in a flash.

The reality for Christians today is the same as it was for Paul, that there really is waiting for us after the race is over an eternity of infinite joy in the presence of our Creator. Which means that no matter what we suffer in this life for the sake of Christ; no matter how long it goes on for, what was true of Paul’s suffering is true of ours as well: that in comparison to eternity, it is momentary.

It is light momentary affliction that is preparing for you an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.

This will only hurt for a moment. Its just a season. Keep going, your almost done! Your almost there! So do not lose heart.

The Good Portion

I find Scripture to be quite clear on what is supposed to be the primary pursuit of the Christian life. Verses like John 17.3 don’t leave much up to the imagination: “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Or how about the story of Mary and Martha? Mary sits at Jesus’ feet while Martha runs around serving, and who does Jesus commend? “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10.41-42).

It is hard to read even a page from the Bible without being confronted with the simple but shocking reality that God wants us to know Him and to know Him deeply. It is what were created for, and it is what Jesus died to secure; it is the epitome of joy and the true source all peace and rest, to know God and to be known by Him. And yet, how quickly we forget.

You would think weekly sermon preparation would equal extra communion with God for me, but that is not always the case. Instead, I find myself far too often in that preparation focused on knowing more about God from the Scriptures, instead of on knowing more deeply the God that the Scriptures are about. It sounds crazy, even as I type it, but its the snare I continually fall into. I exchange the pursuit of knowing God for knowing about Him. Thankfully though, again, the Bible is not lacking in verses to remind me of what is primary, and to re-calibrate my aim.

J. I. Packer once wrote, “Knowing God is a relationship calculated to thrill a man’s heart.” There is nothing that will ever compare to knowing Him. God forgive us for ever letting anything compete with that pursuit.

May we daily and continually choose the good portion.

If we preach, may it be out of the overflow of knowing God through His Word.

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3.8).