Do you get more pleasure
from getting or giving? Do you get more
joy from playing it safe or taking risks?
Can you say that you are living life in all its fullness? Do you fear that your best days as a Christian
are behind you? Do you want more from
life than simply gathering stuff? Do we
want to live with a sense of purpose? In
this morning’s reading Solomon speaks to us about the joy of generosity.
Give generously (1-2
and 6)
What does it mean to ‘cast
your bread upon the water’? There is
debate about exactly what this means. The
reformer, Martin Luther, suggests that Solomon is telling us to ‘be generous to
everyone while you can, use your riches wherever you can possibly do any good.’
Remember the parable of
the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). A talent
was a momentary unit worth twenty years wages.
The master went away and left his servants in charge of his
finances. When he returned, who was the
servant that he was angry with? The
master was angry with the servant who had played it safe. We don’t want to have a big bank account when
Jesus returns. We want to be able to
show him how we used our money generously.
I am not saying that we
should be reckless. We should be making
provisions rainy days. But we should not
be overly cautious. We are called to
step out in faith. We should be
sacrificially generous. We should even
be willing to take prayerful financial risks in our giving.
Not only are we called to
give away our money; we are called to give away our faith. It takes courage to take about Jesus. It may cost us in terms of popularity and
reputation. We may be laughed at and
called superstitious. We may be
misunderstood as do-gooders. We will
always be able to find reasons not to speak about Jesus. In one of the first churches I worked with,
the people resisted the idea of doing mission because they said that they were
not ready. They said that they needed to
work on strengthening the fellowship within the church. You actually strengthen the community in a
church by doing mission together.
Nothing binds people together like having a sense of shared purpose. I wonder if they ever felt ready.
‘Give a portion to seven,
or even eight …’ (2a). Seven was the
number of completeness. Solomon is
telling us to give to the nth degree.
Stretch your sense of generosity.
When it comes to giving your faith away, remember that talked of
scattering the seed of the gospel on all sorts of ground (Mark 4:1-20). The end of verse one implies that you may have
to wait many days (or even years) before you see any return.
‘In the morning sow your
seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will
prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good’ (6). The Bible has a theology of rest, but not a
theology of retirement. What we call
‘retirement’ should be seen as an opportunity to enjoy new ways of giving for
God. If you have planned well, you will
have more time on your hands. You are no
longer burdened by having to earn your crust.
You are available to explore new ministries. Even at the very end of your days, you have
the opportunity to show faith in the face of death and time to pray with the deep
insight.
With regards to holidays. The summer break may be a time recharge the
batteries, but it is also a time when you will meet new people who may know no
other Christians but you. People who
have been on mission trips will tell you how much they were stretched and grown. Think of your holidays as rest and mission.
Don’t hesitate to give (3-5)
Some things are
inevitable. When the clouds are full of
moisture, it will rain (3a). The tree
will lie where it falls, for it has no power to move (3b). It is inevitable that when we speak about
Jesus, some will take offense, but don’t let that keep your mouth shut! It inevitably tests us to give generously, but
don’t let that make you tight-fisted.
While some things are
inevitable, others are uncertain. Often,
we don’t have a clue how things will turn out.
But don’t let uncertainty cause you to procrastinate. The picture, in verse four, is of a farmer
observing the wind because he hopes for a more suitable day to sow or looking
at the clouds wondering if there would be a better day to reap his harvest. There won’t necessarily be a more opportune
time to give or share than now.
I have waited too long to
talk to my friends about Jesus. I hope
that they will bring up the topic. But
they don’t. So, I wait! However, we need to take more
initiative. We need to asking leading
questions about what they believe in order to open up the conversation. Don’t keep putting off giving away your
faith. You might forever miss the
opportunity. Who knows, they might die
this very night. I am not telling you to
be overly pushy. We are told to share
our hope with ‘gentleness and respect’ (1 Peter 3:15). If you can see that they want to change the
topic away from religion, don’t steel-roll them. But don’t be afraid to take the initiative.
We used to live in a
house with a study at the front. That
was where I prepared my sermons. One
evening a neighbour called because they were leaving to live in Australia the
next day or two. That neighbour said to
me, ‘I often saw you in your study and thought about coming to talk to you
about God. But I never got around to
it.’ I had missed a great opportunity
because I waited on him to make the move.
Some of your family and friends are wanting to talk to you about Christ,
but they are scared to bring it up. What
might happen if you were to take the first move?
‘As you do not know the
way that the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so
you do not know the work of God who makes everything’ (5). Who knows how God is going to work as you
give and speak? We speak, but the Spirit
blows where he wills (John 3:8). We
can’t convict people of sin and their need for God’s forgiveness, but the Holy
Spirit can (John 16:8). We can warn
people that without holiness you cannot see God (Hebrews 12:14), but it is only
the Holy Spirit how can motivate them to strive for purity. ‘Unless the Lord builds the house, the
labourers strive in vein’ (Psalm 127:1).
‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord almighty (Zechariah
4:6). There is a wonderful freedom in
realising that the success of mission or the fruitfulness of our giving does
not depend on us. Our job is to sow, his
is to grow. We cast our bread upon the
waters, his responsibility is for its return.
We may see no other fruit other than the great delight the Lord takes
that we were willing to take a risk and step out in faith.
Giving is the source of
joy (7-10)
Our passage ends with
Solomon telling us to enjoy life. No
matter how many years you live, enjoy them (8).
Be happy while you are young (9).
‘Banish anxiety from your heart’ (10).
It is not that there will be no dark days. Nor do we live recklessly, for our lives are
the evidence of God’s grace within us on the day of judgement. God wants us to be happy. I am telling you to share money and faith to
rob you of joy, but to fill you with joy.
Jesus said that ‘it is more blessed (or joyful) to give than receive’
(Acts 20:35).
A woman was leading a
ladies’ Bible study where she shared what she had learned about the happiness
of Jesus. One woman, who had grown up in
church circles, was startled. This woman
thought that it was wrong to think of Jesus with a smile. Do you believe that Jesus was the happiest
person who ever lived? The book of
Hebrews tells us that God has anointed Jesus with the oil of joy beyond his
companions (Hebrews 1:9). He is gladder
than the angels of heaven! We read of
Jesus rejoicing in the Holy Spirit (Luke 10:21). He tells his disciples that he wants his joy
to be in them (John 15:11). We know that
he was a happy person because children are not drawn to grumpy adults (Matthew
19:13-15). Yes, he was a man of sorrows
who was familiar with grief (Isaiah 53:3), but sorrow and joy can live
together.
Jesus is our model in
what we are learning through this passage.
No one gave more generously than he did.
He gave his life for us. He died
that we might be forgiven. That giving
was costly. He cried out from the cross,
‘my God, my God why have you forsaken me?’ (Matthew 26:46). He was abandoned that we would never be
forsaken. He was rejected so that we
could be accepted. Greater love has no
man than this (John 15:13). But that costly
giving was soaked in the joy he took in winning our salvation. That costly giving led to joy. ‘For the joy that was set before him, he
endured the cross’ (Hebrews 12:2).
Giving can be
costly. Sharing can hurt. But it leads to joy. So, do you get more pleasure from getting or
giving? Do you get more joy from playing
it safe or taking risks? Can you say
that you are living life in all its fullness?
Do you fear that your best days as a Christian are behind you? Do you want more from life than simply
gathering stuff? If you want to be happy
cast your bread upon the water—be generous with your money and give away your
faith.
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