Archives by: Gary Hoag

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. Psalm 107:8-9

“Do not give your heart to that which does not satisfy your heart.”

Abba Poemen (340-450) Egyptian Coptic Monk in The Sayings of the Desert Fathers: The Alphabetical Collection, trans. Benedicta Ward (Kalamazoo: Cisterian, 1975) 178.

The global pandemic has rightly shaken our attachment to things that were never intended to satisfy us. We must give our heart to the Giver and not the gifts He has given us to enjoy and share. When we give our heart to the Giver, we give it to the one who “satisfies the thirsty” and “fills the hungry with good things.”

Don’t give your heart to things that do not satisfy. Don’t seek things but more of God. Put your cup under His spigot. Be filled and positioned for unthinkable generosity.

If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Luke 6:29

“Abba Macarius discovered a man who owned a beast of burden engaged in plundering his goods. So he came up to the thief as if he was a stranger and he helped him to load the animal. He saw him off in great peace of soul, saying, ‘We have brought nothing into this world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.’ (1 Timothy 6:7) ‘The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ (Job 1:21).”

Abba Mararius (360-435), one of the desert fathers, in The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, translated by Benedicta Ward (Kalamazoo: Cistercian, 1975) 131.

Can you imagine a scene where someone takes our coat and so you offer your shirt too? Or imagine saying, “Let me help you load that.”

I think most of us are far too attached to “our” material things to assist a thief in loading them only to haul them away. Our proclivity is to fight for what is “ours.”

This story teaches us to remember to hold on loosely to everything. Possessions are temporal. They come and go. We arrived on earth without them and we will depart without them. In between, God supplied them.

When people see us behave this way, it shows our faith and true attachments. It shows we have found something worth more than all the possessions the thief can load.

Is there anything you might hesitate to load? We do not find “great peace of soul” in possessing things but in knowing the Lord who provides us with everything we have ever needed and will ever need.

Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast. Mark 2:19-20

“Abba Cassian related the following: ‘The holy Germanus and I went to Egypt, to visit an old man. Because he offered us hospitality we asked him, “Why do you not keep the rule of fasting, when you receive visiting brothers, as we have received it in Palestine?” He replied, “Fasting is always to hand but you I cannot have with me always. Furthermore, fasting is certainly a useful and necessary thing, but it depends on our choice while the law of God lays it upon us to do the works of charity. Thus receiving Christ in you, I ought to serve you will all diligence, but when I have taken leave of you, I can resume the rule of fasting again.”

Abba Cassian (360-435), one of the desert fathers, in The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, translated by Benedicta Ward (Kalamazoo: Cistercian, 1975) 112.

When we fast, we set aside our desires. It prepares us for works of charity when God gives us opportunity. When we receive Christ in others with all diligence, we practice hospitality. This is generosity.

What desires might you set aside today? This is the activity that makes us ready for generosity. Now, what would it look like for your to show hospitality with charity?

Sit with the Lord. Think of the people in your life like the old man in this account who had time for you. They made space to share with you and bless you.

How might this inspire you to fast? It is a “useful and necessary thing” because it teaches us to create space in our lives to receive Christ in others.

For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries. Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “‘Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. Revelation 18:3-5

“He also said, ‘The desire for possessions is dangerous and terrible, knowing no satiety; it drives the soul which it controls to the heights of evil. Therefore let us drive it away vigorously from the beginning. For once it has become master it cannot be overcome.’

Isidore of Pelusia, one of the desert fathers, in The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, translated by Benedicta Ward (Kalamazoo: Cistercian, 1975) 99.

In my Tuesday morning study has been going through the book of Revelation. It is a challenging book to read, for sure, but seems fitting in the times in which we live. This past week, we read the destruction of Babylon and how many had been deceived to pursue her luxuries.

God desires that we separate ourselves from that which cannot satisfy. Jesus urged us to remember that life was not found in having an abundance of possessions (Luke 12:15). Sadly, most of the world thinks otherwise.

Then I saw this vivid picture with my word for the year (remember) in it in today’s Scripture. The reason God wants us to remove ourselves from such thinking and living is because he does not want us to suffer the consequences of her sins and crimes. The plagues and punishment that follow.

The desert fathers sent us a strong message by their separation from society which can shape our generosity. We must drive away the desire for things lest we be overcome by it and know no satiety. Are there any possessions that you have which have a hold on you?  

So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. Acts 20:31

“The same amma said that a teacher ought to be a stranger to the desire for domination, vain-glory, and pride; one should not be able to fool him by flattery, nor blind him by gifts, nor conquer him by the stomach, nor dominate him by anger; but he should be patient, gentle, and humble as far as possible; he must be tested and without partisanship, full of concern, and a lover of souls.”

Amma Theodora, one of the great women of the desert, in The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, translated by Benedicta Ward (Kalamazoo: Cistercian, 1975) 83-84. The new header photo shows our cold snowy weather here in Denver.

Are you a teacher? If so, this meditation is for you.

The Apostle Paul said to be on guard. Why? Teachers are tested at every turn. Teachers must be full of concern for others rather than full of themselves. Their desires and motives must always be in check lest they be distracted by domination, vain-glory, pride, flattery, material gifts, or other stuff. Teachers must be lovers of souls who deeply care for people.

God, help all the teachers reading this today, myself included, to pass these proverbial tests and, in so doing, teach generously!

Remember those who led you, who spoke the Word of God to you; and considering the result of their way of life, imitate their faith. Hebrews 13:7

“A brother who followed the life of stillness in the monastery of the cave of Abba Saba came to Abba Elias and said to him, ‘Abba, give me a way of life.’ The old man said to the brother, ‘In the days of our predecessors they took great care about these three virtues: poverty, obedience, and fasting. But among monks nowadays avarice, self-confidence, and great greed have taken charge. Choose whichever you want most.’

Abba Elias in The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, translated by Benedicta Ward (Kalamazoo: Cistercian, 1975) 72.

Today the Scriptures and Abba Elias call us to “remember” our “predecessors” who led us and spoke the Word of God to us. We are to consider the result of their way of life and imitate their faith.

But every generation must choose. They must choose what people “nowadays” are doing or follow the disciplines that are central to the Christian faith.

Avarice is the desire for gain. Self-confidence is rooted in pride. And, greed is linked to accumulation when fasting is the opposite. Every generation, every person must “choose whichever you want most.”

Choose wisely.

Generosity is a fruit of the Spirit and only flows from the one who exchanges the desire for gain, pride, and accumulation for poverty, obedience, and fasting.

Look closely at Jesus and those who followed after Him. You will see why the author of Hebrews exhorted us to remember them and imitate their faith.

This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 9:23-24

“Abba Isaiah, when someone asked him what avarice was, replied, ‘Not to believe that God cares for you, to despair of the promises of God, and to love boasting.’ He was also asked what calumny is and he replied, ‘It is ignorance of the glory of God, and hatred of one’s neighbour.’ He was also asked what anger is and he replied, “Quarrelling, lying, and ignorance.'”

Abba Isaiah in The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, translated by Benedicta Ward (Kalamazoo: Cistercian, 1975) 70.

We must remember to watch out for avarice.

In the words of Abba Isaiah, it is living like we do not believe God cares for us and despairing rather than trusting in His promises, which results in boasting against him because our trust is in ourselves to sustain us.

We must also look out for calumny.

This is slandering our neighbor and exhibiting anger which takes the form of quarrelling, lying, and ignorance. The alternative is love. This is desperately needed when everyone seems to be fighting about so many things.

Practicing generosity helps us avoid avarice and calumny.

It leads us to give sacrificially which means we must rely on God’s promises and not our resources to sustain us. It also teaches us empathy. As we care for our neighbor’s needs rather than bickering, we show God’s love to the world.

God, please bless our neighbors, Ken and Carol, who thought of our needs yesterday and shared food with us. Protect them from COVID until we can fellowship again. Protect all who are vulnerable in Jesus name. Amen.

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.” Luke 21:1-4

“[Epiphanius] said, ‘God sells righteousness at a very low price to those who wish to buy it: a little piece of bread, a cloak of no value, a cup of cold water, a mite.’ He added, ‘A man who receives something from another because of his poverty or his needs has therein his reward, and because he is ashamed, when he repays it he does so in secret. But it is the opposite for the Lord God; he receives in secret, but he repays it in the presence of the angels, the archangels and the righteous.'”

Epiphanius of Cyprus, a bishop in The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, translated by Benedicta Ward (Kalamazoo: Cistercian, 1975) 59.

The irony of the widow’s mite story never ceases to amaze me. It reminds me, with the words of Epiphanius, that the right way is a path that anyone can take.

Generosity and sacrifice is not just something rich people can do. It’s actually hardest for them because they have so much. Give sacrificially and secretly today.

Compared to the reward in heaven, anything we would give, including all the wealth of the world, is a very low price compared to our eternal reward.

“As they were walking along the road, a man said to Him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:57-62

“Abba Doulas, the disciple of Abba Bessarion said, ‘One day when we were walking beside the sea I was thirsty and I said to Abba Bessarion, “Father, I am very thirsty.” He said a prayer and said to me, “Drink some of the sea water.” The water proved sweet when I drank some. I even poured some into a leather bottle for fear of being thirsty later on. Seeing this, the old man asked me why I was taking some. I said to him, “Forgive me, it is for fear of being thirsty later on.” Then the old man said, “God is here, God is everywhere.”‘”

Abba Bessarion, a desert father in The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, translated by Benedicta Ward (Kalamazoo: Cistercian, 1975) 40.

Our human tendency when we see provision is to hoard it. We do. We pull out our leather bottle for fear. Fear drives us to to grasp, to collect, to accumulate.

Then we rationalize the behavior as prudent concern for our future. So perhaps pause and ask yourself this question. Do you have a leather bottle? What’s in yours?

The call to discipleship is a “don’t look back” invitation to trust. With Abba Bessarion, we must remind ourselves: “God is here, God is everywhere.”

So, where are you today on your spiritual journey? Do you have needs? Lift them to God. Do you have provision? Enjoy and share it.

But if you have a leather bottle, don’t fill it for fear. Go forth living generously  in faith remembering that “God is here, God is everywhere.”

Surely God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul. Psalm 54:4

“They used to say of a bishop of Oxyrrynchus, named Abba Apphy, that when he was a monk he submitted himself to a very severe way of life. When he became a bishop he wished to practise the same austerity, even in the world, but he had not the strength to do so. Therefore he prostrated himself before God saying, ‘Has your grace left me because of my episcopate?’ Then he was given this revelation, ‘No, but when you were in solitude and there was no one else it was God who was your helper. Now that you are in the world, it is man.'”

Abba Apphy, a desert father in The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, translated by Benedicta Ward (Kalamazoo: Cistercian, 1975) 35-36.

Who is your helper? Who or what do you rely on to sustain and empower you for the duties and responsibilities of life?

As I interface with Christian workers around the world, it’s fascinating to see that those in places that are rich with material resources tend to rely on material resources.

Hear me. I don’t think they make a conscious decision that money is the power of ministry. It is more of a subtle shift in trust because having money does make us feel secure and in power.

In places where there are little or no resources, I see far more time spent praying and fasting and most of time it is in groups and takes place frequently.

All around the world, I see the tendency to rely on one’s own capacities when chosen for a role. So, What is the lesson and how does it relate to generosity?

Our only good service is set aside our desires in fasting and prayer, to depend on God and use whatever He supplies by putting it to work.

This keeps us in a posture of perpetual dependence. And it ensures that what happens in and through us is all in accordance with His good pleasure and purposes.

Surely the Lord is our helper; the Lord is the sustainers of our souls.