Archive for April, 2021

“The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ Luke 10:35

“Blessed is the innkeeper who can care for another’s wounds. Blessed is he to whom Jesus says, “Whatever you shall spend over and above, I will repay you.” A good steward is one who also spends over and above.”

Ambrose of Milan in Exposition of the Gospel of Luke 7.82 (ACCS NT3; Downers Grove: IVP, 2003) 181.

This week my thinking will orbit around the Good Samaritan story as I am preparing to preach for a church in Malaysia this Saturday night (Sunday morning there). I’ve never taught on this text.

I’m learning new things. In reading the early fathers thoughts I came across this comment by Ambrose. He notes keenly that our stewardship often requires care for the needy that is over and above.

It is powerful idea to think that God sees our “over and above” giving and will repay us, but it’s a theme we see in the wisdom literature. Ponder this idea related to your own stewardship.

As you reflect, consider these words from wisdom literature. Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done. Proverbs 19:17

Afresh I am learning that we must not see our stewardship as a solo activity. The Samaritan collaborated with the Innkeeper. With whom might you collaborate to give “over and above” to aid the needy?

Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever. Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous. Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor. The wicked will see and be vexed, they will gnash their teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing. Psalm 112

“In this Psalm is described the blessedness of the man who feareth the Lord. This blessedness consists in a delight in God’s commandments, in the prosperity of his seed, in the abundance of his house, in comfort in trouble, in his good deeds, honorable memory, and his fearlessness of any evil report. The last verse announces in forcible language the envy of the wicked on witnessing this eminently happy condition of the righteous.”

George Phillips in A Commentary on the Psalms (London: Williams and Norgate, 1872) 331.

In meditating on various Psalms this morning I came across Psalm 112. It seems like the picture of the righteous and generous household. What struck you in reading it? Sit with that idea.

For my part, I notice God supplies abundance and we don’t witness self indulgence in response, but rather service and the scattering of gifts generously. May this be a picture of your home and mine!

As another week begins may God make us into gracious and compassionate and righteous people who remember what to do with the good things God showers on us.

“‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:33-34

“The great command to love one’s neighbor as oneself is specifically extended here to cover foreign residents… Israel should be particularly sensitive to the resident aliens’ problems since they were once themselves in that situation in Egypt.”

Gordon Wenham in The Book of Leviticus (NICOT; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979) 273.

The more I think about generosity, the more I believe that it must flow from people who are “particularly sensitive” and I find myself lacking in this area most of the time.

Perhaps that’s why God has me on the anvil doing these Daily Meditations, to pound out the weaknesses in my will and conform me into the image of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here, God is forming His people in the Old Testament and wants them to “remember” what it was like to be an alien and foreigner,and to extend help to such folks. What if we did this today?

It would come across as generous hospitality to people who feel lost and displaced. Ask God if there’s someone you need to be “particularly sensitive” to love and serve. Go do it.

Know well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds; for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to all generations. When the grass disappears, the new growth is seen, and the herbs of the mountains are gathered in, the lambs will be for your clothing, and the goats will bring the price of a field, and there will be enough goats’ milk for your food, for the food of your household, and sustenance for your attendants. Proverbs 27:23-27

“This poem consists of an admonition to take good care of one’s flocks and herds… On the one hand, money and status are depreciating, not self-renewing resources. Money vanishes, sometimes flying away unexpectedly and capriciously like a bird.

On the other hand, animals are self-renewing and an increasing source of wealth. If given the grasses that the highlands of Palestine naturally provide, the he-goats provide clothing and money to purchase arable land, and the she-goats provide enough milk to feed the entire household, including the milkmaids.

The list of benefits does not aim to be exhaustive. Flocks are also important for food and for cultic sacrifice. Their skins were used for bottles and fabric, and their horns for vessels or as instruments.”

Bruce Waltke in The Book of Proverbs, Chapters 15-31 (NICOT; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2005) 390.

God’s design for sustainability appears in today’s Scripture. God’s generosity which fuels human sharing also comes into view. The admonition is not to see wealth as an end but a tool for ongoing enjoyment and sharing.

Why not seek money or status, riches or a crown? It provides short-lived satisfaction. Instead, we put to work what God supplies in ways that contribute to flourishing for us and our community.

Notice that God’s provision blesses not just our household but those around us. What’s our role? We must steward with diligence what God has entrusted to us, or in this case, our herds and flocks.

Notice that some of what we have will be consumed, some will serve like working capital to produce more, and some will be shared. But it’s never, ever stored up on earth.

That’s not its purpose. Don’t allow it to be yours! Whatever you hold on to and think you own, owns you. Hear the Word of God. Riches are not forever. Quit holding on to them. Put them to work today!

To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:27-30

“The Bible is full of those serendipity truths – often the inverse of what our natural minds understand. For instance – salvation is free, but it comes with demands.

It is better to give than to receive. When a man strikes you on one cheek, turn the other to him. If you have two coats, give one away. If someone asks you to walk one mile, walk with him two.

Often so surprising – so inverted is this spiritual life. No more surprising than this ultimate truth for the believer – the need to live to be forgotten, so that Christ can be remembered!”

David Bruce in “Live to be Forgotten!” devotional shared at Billy Graham Evangelistic Association devotions on 23 March 2021. Special thanks to Gregg Capin for sharing this with me yesterday.

As I reflected on this text, I am reminded that John played his role. He did his part. He served for a season faithfully not to advance his reputation but to point people to Jesus. That’s really why we are here on this earth. Hopefully our generosity will reflect God’s generosity to us. But what does it really mean to live to be forgotten?

In his devotional, Bruce calls for humility and adds that “humility is not thinking less of self – it is not thinking of yourself at all.” So what if we added humility to our generosity? One outcome that is guaranteed. Like John pointed the world to Jesus, our lives will point people to God. May our humility and generosity cause us to be forgotten and Jesus to be remembered.

He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. Deuteronomy 10:18

“Charity isn’t the responsibility or privilege of the wealthy alone, but all people, regardless of social or financial status, and it isn’t practiced among the wealthiest people I know nearly as strikingly as with those I’ve known who are living in a state of material poverty and insecurity. For twenty-six years, I’ve been attempting to outdo victims of war with generosity, and so far, I’ve failed.

Do you want to experience hospitality? Go to any refugee camp or hide site for IDPs (internally displaced persons) in the world and be invited into the shack or tent of a family displaced by war, reduced to a few threadbare clothes, and some simple sentimental possessions like a wedding picture. You enter and a rush of activity ensues: water is boiled to make sweet tea. A meal is prepared. The table is wiped; a pillow is placed at the small of your back as they say, “Recline here. You must be so tired.”

Material wealth may make generosity abundantly clear. But wealth is not required for generosity. One may be wealthy and generous but one may also be poor and generous. Wealth is a tool, and may as easily be employed falsely as altruistically…

Those of us who have done this work for many years will tell you this: we learned the most important lessons of our labor from the people we set out to help. No matter the level of sacrifice or generosity, we will never outdo displaced families when it comes to intention, loving community, and sacrifice. We, like them, are learning to love by loving.”

Steve Gumaer in “Learning Generosity in Syria” Plough blog post on 9 April 2021.

Special thanks to Daily Meditations reader, Bill Crowe, whom I have never met but often blesses me with quotes. He shared amazing blog post with me. It’s worth the read. Thanks mate!

Ponder the generosity of refugees. Every wonder how your generosity could be striking and abundant like theirs? Think about it? What causes us to label generous activity with those terms?

We choose those words when behavior is unexpected or countercultural. It appears as different from the norm. So, if we live in affluence, striking and abundant generosity focuses on dispensing rather than accumulating.

For those in poverty, like the refugee, the focus on sharing with others rather than worry about what they don’t have. This is only possible when we realize that we have something better than what the world seeks after.

Only when our trust is firmly in God do we become people who “defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow.” Only then do we “love the foreigner…giving them food and clothing.”

Where do you fit in this picture? Are you rich or poor? Don’t let that impact your generosity as generosity is about more than money! What would it look like to learn to love by loving for you?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:40

“A life of importance sees the import of giving your life away, to the hidden and the unpopular and the children and the forgotten and knowing this will be remembered by God.”

Ann Voskamp in The Way of Abundance: A 60-Day Journey into a Deeply Meaningful Life (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2018) 209.

Special thanks to Daily Meditations reader, Rose Hagler, whom I have never met and who shared this post with me, because it contains our word for the year: “remember.”

God sees what most of the world misses. To him that which is important is care for the hidden, unpopular, the children, and the forgotten. The world does not give a rip about these folks.

Who are these groups where you live and serve? Take time today to think about this. This is another one of those posts where I urge you to get a cup of coffee and reflect.

Why do this? For Jesus, our care for the outcasts is our care for Him. Think about that because if you do nothing for them, it is as if you are doing nothing for Him.

Give your life away for these outcasts. It’s what He just did during Holy Week for you and me!

“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” Matthew 18:32-35

“Whoever tries to separate man’s forgiveness from God’s will no longer be able to count on God’s mercy. In so doing, he not merely forfeits this, like the servant in the parable. Rather, he shows that he never had a part in it. God’s mercy is not something cut and dried that is only received once. It is a persistent power that pervades all of life. If it does not become manifest as such a power, then it was never received at all.”

Herman Ridderbos in his Commentary on Matthew as recounted by Craig L. Blomberg in Preaching the Parables: From Responsible Interpretation to Powerful Proclamation (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004) 74.

This quote is another winner unearthed by my pastor, James Hoxworth.

Mercy, grace, forgiveness, and generosity flow from the transformed Christ because of what God has done in our lives. To fail to illustrated these traits shows we never received them to begin with.

This is a weighty idea. Perhaps get a coffee and sit with this one? 

Don’t forget that for Jesus, our actions reveal what we truly believe. Faith without works is useless. If we are not dispensers of these divine gifts, it shows we never received them to begin with.

Father, may your persistent power be evident in the mercy, grace, forgiveness, and generosity that I receive and dispense, even to the most undeserving. Make it so by your Spirit I ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. Luke 7:37-38

“One of the most certain facts about Jesus is that He associated with the wrong people, people others thought caused defilement, but Jesus did not fear becoming unclean through contact with the unholy. He thought holiness was stronger and more contagious than defilement and he accepted the woman’s actions as righteous and loving.”

Klyne Snodgrass in Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008) 86.

Do you associate with anyone that might be labeled a shady character?

Yesterday my pastor looked at this text and quoted Snodgrass. Klyne is a brilliant scholar and friend. He alerts us to the fact that holiness is “stronger and more contagious than defilement.”

Think about that in light of the pandemic. COVID has gripped the world in fear.

We must fear neither disease nor defilement. Like Jesus, we should be associating with people that may even be labeled “wrong” because we are all broken and in need of a Savior.

How might you associate generously with the socially unclean?

For Jesus, it matters not how we start but how we finish. Like the woman, those who are forgiven much, love much. Let’s love people generously, especially those society labels “undeserving” or “unclean” people.

Remember, God’s love, grace, and forgiveness are for everyone.

So if anyone cleanses himself of what is unfit, he will be a vessel for honor: sanctified, useful to the Master, and prepared for every good work. 2 Timothy 2:21

“When a man by means of charity and an intention towards God offers himself up to God in all his works and in all his living, to His honour and praise, and seeks rest in God beyond all things, then he must, with humility and patience and forgetfulness of himself, still await new riches and new gifts, with certain confidence: and still he must be untroubled, whether God gives to him or does not give. Thus a man makes himself ready and pleasing, so that he may receive the interior life of yearning for God. When the vessel is prepared, one pours into it the precious liquor. There is no more precious vessel than the loving soul, nor is there a more cordial drink than the grace of God. Thus shall man offer up to God all his works and all his life with a single intention towards God, and he shall rest, beyond intention, and beyond himself, and beyond all things, in the high unity where, without any mean, God and the loving spirit are united.”

Jan Van Ruysbroek in The Spiritual Espousals, translated by Eric Colledge (London: Faber and Faber, 1952) 90-91.

I likely got your attention with the “precious liquor” title. But the reality is that we are intended to be vessels that contain the greatest of all spirits. Are you a vessel for honor?

Let me give a biblical example lest this remain just a lofty thought. Consider Esther. She was an orphan girl who had nothing, then everything as queen. She risked everything for God.

In so doing, she helped her people go from destruction to deliverance. She’s fresh on my mind as we reflected on her story yesterday in lesson two for JOE India and will do it again tomorrow with JOE Malaysia.

“Humility and patience and forgetfulness” were necessary for Esther to “await new riches and new gifts, with certain confidence” not knowing whether God would give what she hoped for or not.

The key was for her to fast with her community. To set aside her desires and urge everyone to join her. When we make ourselves ready for God, through us He can do the impossible.

So, God help us with self preparation, as “There is no more precious vessel than the loving soul, nor is there a more cordial drink than the grace of God.” Make us vessels who dispense divine generosity.