August 16, 2022
Friends,
Our world appears to be beset by scarcity. There’s not enough to go around, or there’s always the sense that someday we’ll run out. Food, energy, land, water – take your pick. The story of our world is the story of things getting used up.
That’s how it appears, and that’s what drives much of the selfishness on display in our world. Kids argue about who will get the bigger slice of pie, workers contend for a bigger portion of the profits, and the elites conspire for a greater measure of power.
Not so the Christian. Instead of spending all our energy trying not to be outdone, we love our neighbors, desiring that even our enemies would do well, perhaps even better than ourselves. In a world beset by scarcity, that requires sacrifice. Love is sacrificial.
And yet, there’s a theme present in the book of Proverbs that reframes the nature of this sacrifice. It is a theme of abundance. “Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine” (Prov. 3:9-10). Wisdom invites, and you can always grow wiser still. The one who gives is rewarded with more. Like the widow’s oil jar and flour pot, you can keep on drawing on the blessings of God and there is more to go around. Like the 5 loaves and 2 fish, multiplied to feed 5,000, even after everyone has been filled, you end up with more than what you had at the start. Here’s how Jesus puts it: “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25).
That is to say – the world appears to be beset by scarcity, but on account of Jesus, we actually live in a realm of super-abundance. It’s a realm in which even the dead are raised. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9).
So, sacrifice for your neighbors. Give unreasonably. Forgive prodigiously. Show compassion like you’ve lost your grip on reality. And wait and see if God doesn’t fill you up with every good thing and more, in this life and the next.
God bless and keep you,
Pr. Buchs
COMING EVENTS:
Elders’/Council Meetings – Thursday, September 9 @ 6 & 7pm
Family Night – Wednesday, September 14 @ 5:30pm
Men’s Bible Study – Wednesday, September 21 @ 8pm