And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” He said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” Exodus 33:19-20
“In His greatness and inexpressible glory no one can see God and live, for the Father is beyond all comprehension. But in His love and generosity and omnipotence He allows even this to those who love Him, that is, even to see God, as the prophets foretold… By His own powers man cannot see God, yet God will be seen by men because He wills it… As those who see light are in the light sharing its brilliance, so those who see God are in God sharing His glory, and that glory gives them life. To see God is to share in life.”
Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130-202) in Against Heresies as recounted Milton Walsh in Witness of the Saints: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012) 217.
Remember how close Irenaeus was to our Lord. Jesus discipled John, who discipled Polycarp, who discipled Irenaeus. And notice what Irenaeus says. He echoes Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” Matthew 5:8. Because of God’s generosity and His omnipotence, or in plain terms, because He is infinitely good and wants to share it and all-powerful and willing to wield it, we can see Him, We who were dead have been made alive. We who were blind now see.
John also comments on this. “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” John 14:21. Consider an implication of this for our generosity. It’s found in the last line: “To see God is to share in life.” People are trying to sort life and figure things out. Our generosity comes into view as showing them how to see God and grasp life. We do this by enjoying and sharing Him and the gifts He gives us.
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. 1 Timothy 6:17-19
I am flying to Wisconsin today. So excited to see Linda Maris and Brent Eggers from NCF Wisconsin, Nick Breach from Compass Finances God’s way, Tim Dittloff with Full Sail Leadership Academy and Catalyst Ministry Solutions, and John Stanley with Generosity Gameplan. These people are fellow servants in God’s kingdom and dear friends who see God. They have taken hold of life and help others grow in their grasp of it. I am hoping to bless them and be blessed by the fellowship.