Contribution or commitment ...

At first, this scripture may seem remote from us;
Paul is reminding the Corinthians of a commitment
that they had made to a relief effort for others.
But there is something challenging here for us, too.

How do we gauge our part in a work?
What is the difference between a contribution and a commitment?
Paul claims Jesus as the ultimate standard; Jesus is the one
who emptied himself of everything (kenosis) so that we might have
anything worthwhile spiritually or physically.
Are we worried about what we get out of ministry here in Hollis,
or is our concern whether or not those who are without have
what they need. Where are we with that?

Hear the word of the Lord:

Now as you excel in everything —
in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness,
and in our love for you —
so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.

I do not say this as a command,
but I am testing the genuineness of your love
against the earnestness of others.
For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
And in this matter I am giving my advice:
it is appropriate for you who began last year
not only to do something but even to desire to do something —
now finish doing it,
so that your eagerness may be matched
by completing it according to your means.
For if the eagerness is there,
the gift is acceptable according to what one has —
not according to what one does not have.
I do not mean that there should be
relief for others and pressure on you,
but it is a question of a fair balance between
your present abundance and their need,
so that their abundance may be for your need,
in order that there may be a fair balance.

As it is written,

"The one who had much did not have too much,
and the one who had little did not have too little."

May God help us to open ourselves to his word.

Blessings,

Ron

2 Corinthians 8:7-15 - NRSV

Each other's burdens ...

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. As has just been said:
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion."
(Heb 3:12-15, NIV)

In the middle of a comparison of the receiving community with the community of Israel and its sin in the desert, the writer of Hebrews drives the point home to his weary readers: "Hold on," he says, "the desert is for testing." He exhorts the weary community to encourage one another, indicating that endurance and resistance to sin are community matters.

Our cultural context makes it so easy to get caught up in our own concerns, struggling along our own path with no thought of another. Small wonder we feel so completely lost and overwhelmed at times, when we have made no effort to bolster each other. In fact, the book of Hebrews itself (called a "word of exhortation") and this very devotional practice are representatives of something more. They exhibit the encouragement of others to hold fast in the face of exhaustion, disappointment, disillusionment, and sorrow.

Speaking of sharing each other’s burdens, the text says that we have come to share in Christ if we hold on. One of the most gigantic questions in human existence is "why?" When we are totally spent, or even just a little worn out, the question "Why keep going?" comes to our minds. Little do we realize what holding on means. We often become so consumed by the struggle of our lives and work that we think even if we hold on we will still just be hanging by our fingernails, straining through a meaningless fight.

The author of Hebrews, though, tells us that hanging on means sharing in Christ. We have already seen how Jesus has shared our reproach. By hanging on, we come to share in him. Maybe it will be just a little bit easier to hold on and keep on going today knowing what that effort means. You are not just scraping by, you are sharing in Christ through your blood and sweat and tears.

Blessings,

Greg and Tiffany