Discovery: I just got back from our Navajo Mission Trip on Sat. Night. It was an incredible experience. The only way to fully understand is to "come and see" as Mother Teresa would say. In yesterday's sermon passage, Paul starts off by pointing to the great example that is set by the Macedonian church. In vv.1-5, we see the model of what it means to be a godly church with a deep and mature faith. What is most impressive is not just what the Macedonian church did but how they went about it.
v. 2: "Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity." Circumstances did not dictate their generosity and joy.
v. 3: "I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own." They gave in a truly sacrificial way.
v. 4: "they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints." They took the initiative in giving.
v. 5: "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." They had the correct priorities. They gave to God first and then to others. It wasn't an either/or situation for them. Generosity had no limits for them.
As I was saying on Sunday, this is the kind of church that I want to be a part of!
Application: This is Paul's challenge to the Corinthian church and to us as well: Excel in the grace of giving. We need to be careful in seeing this passage as a challenge rather than a comparison. If we read this with certain cultural lens, we can interpret this as a guilt trip or a manipulative comparison. It is important to shed any cultural bias and read this as Paul intended. He believes that the Corinthian church is able to grow in this way and thus he challenges them to step up to the plate.
The key verse in understanding this challenge is found in v. 7: "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." (NIV)
Paul affirms the areas in which the Corinthian church has in fact excelled: faith, speech, knowledge, earnestness, and love. But the one area of growth is in the "grace of giving." The root word here in this phrase is not "giving" but rather it is "grace." In the NASB translation, this phrase is translated as "gracious work." At the end of v. 6 of the NIV, this same exact word is found and it is translated as "this act of grace." This word refers to the practical and tangible expressions of God's grace that the church is called to live out. God's grace is more than a spiritual principle, theological statement, or philosophical idea. It is a real, practical, and ultimately radical application of our faith in God.
At its heart, "excelling in grace" requires sacrifice. It is a call to give up control over one's life, finances, creature comforts, lifestyles, and expectations. It is about remembering what God has done for us and then passing on that same generosity, forgiveness, and sacrifice to others.
The Corinthian church does many things well, but it lacks in this area. Paul thus challenges the church to grow and mature by learning to excel in this "grace of giving," of practicing "gracious work," and performing "acts of grace." It is about giving to others in practical and tangible ways that same grace that God has given us.
John Wesley said this about how we should live out God's grace:
"Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can."
I couldn't agree more.
Prayer: Thank you for reminding me this past week on the Navajo Mission trip that You are clearly at work in this world. Thank you for the challenge and inspiration in my own life to continue to lay my life down for You and for the sake of the Gospel.
