2 CORINTHIANS 8, 1-9
And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will. So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
The Christians in Jerusalem were having a hard time. Because of drought, and hardship, many of them couldn’t take care of their families. So, Paul wrote to all the churches he had started to get them to join in an effort to take up a collection to help their brothers and sisters in need.
The Church at Corinth was one of the first churches to jump on the band wagon. They were thrilled at the thought of doing such a labor of love. And why wouldn’t they be the first to get involved? Of all the congregations Paul started Corinth was perhaps the most spiritually blessed congregation of them all. Paul says, “you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us.”
And so, they began the drive to collect a generous gift for the Christians at Jerusalem. But suddenly their efforts stopped. Issues arose that threatened to rip the church apart. Factions created walls between the members! Arrogance and pride created animosity. And suddenly any thought of generosity towards the needs of others were ignored. Of all the churches that Paul started, the church at Corinth had more issues and more problems than all the other churches combined. So, all efforts to make a generous gift to the starving Christians in Jerusalem, came to a screeching halt.
So, now, how do you get these Christians back on track? HOW CAN YOU TURN A PERSON INTO A GENEROUS GIVER?
I
Paul uses the example of the Macedonian churches who had also jumped on the bandwagon to give a generous gift to these people in need. And you ask, “What makes this congregation so generous?”
Well, it wasn’t their wealth! You’d think that people who are rich would say, “I am well off, I have quite a bit so I can afford to be generous to others.” But that was not the situation in these Macedonian churches. Paul says, “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty, welled up in rich generosity.” These congregations were not flush with money. In fact, they were in poverty too! And yet, despite their poverty, they were “richly generous.”
Well, maybe it’s those appeals that make you feel guilty and ashamed that make you generous. You’ve seen the commercials on TV, seeing people in desperate need, and being told, if you give up buying only one cup of coffee a day, you can help these poor people in their dire straits. Surely that makes you feel guilty, and therefore makes you generous.
But again, that was not the case with the churches of Macedonia. Paul says, “Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.” Paul didn’t shame these congregations into giving to the poor. In fact, it looks like Paul wasn’t even going to ask these congregations to participate at all, because he knew what dire straits they were in. These people came to Paul. On their own, without any coercion and without any arm twisting, they came to Paul and begged for the opportunity to take part in this operation, to help those in need!
These people realized that the only area in which they were poor was in what they had in their wallets. But they were rich in every other way. They had Jesus. Even if they didn’t have the money they needed to go to a hospital for medical treatment, like Jairus, they had Jesus who could heal them. Even if the crops this year did not produce a good harvest, they had a God who promised to take care of them. Even though they had little in their wallets, they had plenty to share with those who are starving. So, they begged Paul to let them join, and were generous! They gave more than anyone thought they could!
Why were these people so generous? That verse literally says, “with much encouraging, begging us for this gift of grace and the fellowship of service for the saints.” They didn’t see this request as an obligation. They saw it as a gift from God. As an opportunity to join with fellow saints. God was giving them an opportunity to assist Him in helping others! This wasn’t an obligation! It was an opportunity to help God!
And they knew the gospel. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” Jesus was God! Jesus lived like God! Jesus had all power. Jesus received praise and worship from every creature.
But then Jesus gave that up. He emptied Himself of all His wealth and lived like a pauper. Oh, Jesus never gave up being God. Even in His most humble state He was still God. Jesus gave up living like God. Jesus lived like a human being, with all the aches and pains that go along with it. Instead of receiving worship and praise from every creature, He was subject to ridicule, and rejection from the religious leaders. He subjected Himself to wicked men who perverted justice, and He died on a cross. And in the end, Jesus, who owed everything in the universe, needed to borrow someone’s grave so they could bury His body.
And why did Jesus do that? So, you and I may become rich. Jesus took our place, and lived a perfect life for us. He took our place and suffered God’s wrath over the sins we committed. And now, we will never see God’s wrath or feel God’s rejection! Rather we have a home in Heaven! We are perfect children of God. Jesus became poor, that we can be eternally rich.
Those poor people in the Macedonian Churches understood that! And believed that! And banked their hope on that! They knew that everything they have and everything they are, is God’s gift to them. And so, they “gave themselves first to the Lord, and then to us in keeping with God’s will.” They gave themselves and then everything they had to the Lord, because it was His anyway! And then they let the Lord lead them down whatever path He chose. Including this path of generously helping other people.
II
The Christians at Corinth lost sight of that! They allowed their arrogance to think not about what’s good for God, but what’s good for me! They allowed their pride to see others not as a brother or sister, but as little pawns who are to serve my needs. Their greed filled their hearts with love for things, instead of love for God, and they refused to let go of any of their possessions unless it would be good for them. Because of that, their eyes were no longer focused on God, or the path God wanted them to travel. They only thought of themselves and their needs. And any movement to help others came to a quick end.
Paul simply asks them to remember! Remember the gospel Paul preached to them when he first arrived, how Jesus “though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” Remember the burden of their sins, and the guilt of their consciences that they carried for years, that was suddenly removed from them because of the work of Jesus. Remember the grace of Jesus that forgave every one of their sins. Remember how truly wealthy their Savior made them.
Paul says, “So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on our part.” This congregation had their issues! They had their problems. Maybe more than they should have had. But they were God’s people. And Titus would remind them of that. Titus would share the Word of God with them that would crush the arrogance and pride, and greed that plagued them. Titus would preach the Word of God that would once more refresh their memory of the gospel, and fill their hearts with the grace and mercy and love of Jesus. Titus would preach the Word of God to melt their stoney hearts and fill them with the love for God, and the love for others that filled their hearts before. And Titus would use that Word of God, so that, “Just as you excel in everything- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us – so that you also excel in this grace of giving.” That gospel will touch their hearts and will finish the project of collecting a generous gift for those Christian in need!
So, HOW CAN YOU TURN A PERSON INTO A GENEROUS GIVER? We can’t! Only God can! When He turns our eyes to the gospel, when He turns our eyes to the salvation that is ours because of the sacrifice of Jesus, when He reminds us of just how wealthy He has made us, then we can do what those churches in Macedonia did. We can “give ourselves to the Lord.” Everything we have! Everything we are! Is God’s gift to us. He owns it not we! And we simply ask the Lord, take me where You want me to go, give me tasks You want me to do, and give me a generous heart that will give whatever I have, to do Your will.
Perhaps we can also then act like those Macedonian Christians and be able to see each opportunity the Lord gives us as a “gift from the Lord.” How much time will you give God in worship this week? How much time will you give the Lord in doing good works for others? How much patience will you have with those who bug you this week? How much forgiveness will you give those who hurt you? How much money will you give to do the Lord’s work?
That all depends on how many opportunities the Lord gives you, how many of these “gifts” God gives you to help God. And our only prayer, “GOD, MAKE ME A GNEROUS GIVER!”
