The text this evening is from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, the ninth chapter:
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
Paul’s exhortation to the Corinthians to give bountifully to the work of the Church was written because of the hard hearts of the Corinthians. They were amassing for themselves great wealth, and being stingy in helping those around them. The Corinthian church was a mess. You had rich people basically body-slamming poor people out of the way to get to the Lord’s Supper. The poor were jealous of the rich. Those who were gifted in some areas were smashing it in the face of others who didn’t have those gifts. They encouraged one another in giving in to sexual sins. But, their main problem was a doctrinal problem.
In fact, their doctrine was the root concern of all their other issues. They thought they could get past the Law of God by shoving the Gospel down other people’s throats. Oh, you don’t like it if I get drunk on the Communion wine? I’m forgiven, brother! Oh, you don’t like it if I eat food that’s already been given over to idols? I’m forgiven, brother! They would have called themselves Gospel people, but they missed the entire point of the Gospel, which is not to shove the free forgiveness of sins at people as an excuse to sin in massive ways, but that, in repentance, the forgiveness of your sins may be obtained through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Yet, Paul gives them the Law. And that’s because, to hard-hearted sinners, the Law must be given in order that they may come to that repentance. What’s Paul’s prescription? Give generously. Give often. Give cheerfully. It’s really a demand there, that Paul gives, and it’s a prescription for us, even today.
Tomorrow we gather in our homes to celebrate Thanksgiving Day, which is really a wonderful opportunity that our government gives us in order that we may have, collectively, a day set aside to specifically give thanks to God for all that He has given us. And, of course, in order to give thanks to God, many of us will gorge ourselves on turkey, cranberries, potatoes, and pies. Then we all gather to our couches, unbuckle our belts, put a beer in hand and watch football. I will say that you, dear friends, are doing the good thing, and beginning your holiday centered rightly, giving thanks to God who has given you such wonderful stuff. And it’s not bad to enjoy the fruits of God’s creation, but just think about it for a moment.
God has given us much, therefore, we consume much. And, if that’s not an indictment, and it probably should be, then we have Black Friday, where people abandon their families on Thanksgiving Day to stand in cold lines for 12 hours so that they can go and save thirty bucks on a new blender, or shop the deals, fighting, rioting, pushing and shoving people out of their way, all in search of what the market tells us are the best deals of the holidays. But, that’s not enough for our culture. Let the shopping spree continue. You might go to the big box stores on Black Friday, but don’t forget the mom-and-pop stores on main street on Small Business Saturday. And how dare you leave the internet companies to not earn anything on Cyber Monday. And this year, by email inbox has been filling up with adverts telling me I should start spending my money right now, that Black Friday has come on Monday.
We live in a consumerist culture, where we buy, buy, buy, get, get, get, need, need, need, need. I feel like American culture is basically Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka. I want it now! What happened to being thankful? We traded it in for feeling like we’re being deprived of something.
Paul’s admonition to the Corinthians is really the only proper antidote. If you must have, have, have, then give, give, give. And know why you’re doing it. The world absolutely could take this advice and run with it, and they do. The return from selfishness is selflessness. Instead of getting, give. Instead of buying, give. Instead of hoarding, give. The world does this well, but they do it with nothing in mind but making themselves feel better. This is not Paul’s advice.
We don’t just give to make ourselves feel better, though that’s often a byproduct of it. Instead, we give to make other people’s lives better. That’s the whole idea of vocation in Christianity: we serve our neighbors in love. And one of the best ways to do that is to support your church as it ministers to you and others in the name of Jesus, bringing you the Word and Sacrament each time we gather. Now, this isn’t really a sermon about giving more to the Church. We are already in our stewardship month during normal services. However, this is about making certain that we have the proper focus, which is Christ to the nations.
When we give cheerfully, we give out of our blessings. When we give cheerfully, we add something to someone else. When we give cheerfully, we’re reminded of how willingly our Lord Himself gave cheerfully as He gave up His life in service to us. It’s not to say that the Lord went hopping, and skipping, and jumping down the Via Dolorosa, but that He went because He knew this was God’s will. He knew that He was atoning for the sins of all mankind. He knew that, by His death, all sinners could be welcomed into the kingdom of God forever and ever. This is why, when we give, we bring Christ to people, for they will see the generosity that exists among us and question it. Then, we may tell them the Good News of Jesus, that we give because He first gave to us, and He has given to them also, the forgiveness of sins.
When we give, we’re miniaturizing the gift of Jesus to the world; we’re reenacting it. It’s like a model, right? Jesus’s vicarious death, that means His death in your place, for you, for the forgiveness of your sins, His death is the Empire State Building. You’re giving to others, to the Church, to the ministry of Word and Sacrament is the model of the Empire State Building you buy in the hobby shop. This is a good thing.
The Lord is taking care of you, what do you have to fear of giving? The Lord has given you exactly what you need, what do you have to fear of giving? And it is the same of Jesus, too. The Lord gave Him exactly what Jesus needed: the Word to be reminded of why it is He had to die, the Word to rely upon in His pain and agony, the Word to call our to God in prayer. And He gives you what you need: the physical blessings of this life that you may live as long as you have them, the Word that you might rely upon the Lord’s promises and call out to Him in prayer and praise, and the Sacraments that you might be strengthened in your faith until the end of time and inherit life eternal.
And, my goodness, for these things, give. Give thanks to God! Even if you should be starving, and many Christians around the world are, give thanks that He has sent for His Son to live for you, die for you, be resurrected for you, and ascend for you, that He is preparing a place for you in His house. This is the Law of God, that we give to one another. But it is given for us to follow now that we have been redeemed. Now saved by Jesus, we may ask what to do next. Paul’s answer, God’s answer, is give. Give to shove it in the face of the world. And if you cannot give because you have great lack, then give thanks. Give thanks to God for providing you a place to eat and drink and have life. Give thanks to God that you are one of the redeemed children of God. Give thanks that you have been given a new family this day, the family of believers, not just in this place, but all around us, the Church that was, the Church that is, and the Church which is to come.
And no matter what you eat this Thanksgiving Day, know that the feast we are about to have here, this, which is a foretaste of the feast to come, is greater than any of that. A morsel of bread and a sip of wine is the very fruit of the tree of life, that you may be granted eternal life. Let this fill you, let this be even enough for you, for He desires that you may eat of His body and His blood forever and ever, that you may have life in His name. So you shall. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord! Amen.
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