2 Corinthians 9:1-15
The Collection for Christians
at Jerusalem
Now it is not necessary for me to write
to you about the ministry to the saints, for I know your eagerness, which is
the subject of my boasting about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that
Achaia has been ready since last year; and your zeal has stirred up most of
them. But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you may
not prove to have been empty in this case, so that you may be ready, as I said
you would be; otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are
not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—in this undertaking. So
I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you, and arrange
in advance for this bountiful gift that you have promised, so that it may be
ready as a voluntary gift and not as an extortion.
The point is this: the one who sows
sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also
reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not
reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is
able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having
enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. As it is
written,
‘He scatters abroad, he gives to
the poor;
his righteousness
endures for ever.’
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. You will be enriched in every way for your great
generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the
rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also
overflows with many thanksgivings to God. Through the testing of this ministry
you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and
by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others, while they
long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he
has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
REFLECTION:
When
we lived in North Dakota, I learned how to spread grass seed (not a skill often
useful growing up in Arizona!) The very first time I did it was when we put
more dirt in the front yard of the parsonage, in order to landscape it a bit.
Months
later, you could still see the effects of my mistake. I begun spreading seed up
against the side of the house, and continued out toward the street from there.
Up close to the house, not much grass took root. Reading today’s passage
reminds me why…
You
see, when I first started scattering seed, I was in a mindset of scarcity. I
didn’t know how long the seed would last, so I “sowed sparingly.” As I got
further away from the house, I slowly became more confident that we would have
enough seed. The further from the house I got, the more “bountifully” I sowed.
As
Paul says, “the point is this;” if our eyes are always on the reserve, we will
always sow sparingly, never sure there will be enough. Instead, we must make a
conscious decision to focus on the goal.
Today, I am thinking about
how God sows…and how we are encouraged to sow in response. (I’ll give you a
hint: I bet the grass in the Garden of Eden was lush and full!)
PRAYER:
God of all good gifts, inspire
in us the joy that recognizes your blessings and is eager to give so that
others might be blessed as well. Amen.
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