Matthew 10:40-42 Helping Others as Jesus Helped Others

A successful man known for his generosity was driving his new car through a poor part of town. A boy tried to flag him down. The man didn’t want to get involved, so he pretended he didn’t see the child. As he slowed for a red traffic light, he heard a loud crash. Someone had thrown a brick at his car, denting the trunk.

                                 

The man stopped, jumped out of his car and grabbed the boy that threw the brick. “You juvenile delinquent!” he yelled. “You’ll pay for this or go to jail!”

“I’m sorry, mister,” the boy cried. “My mom’s lying on the floor in our apartment. I think she’s dying. Our phone’s been cut off and I’ve been trying for ten minutes to get someone to stop. I didn’t know what else to do! Take me to jail, but please, call a doctor for my mom first.”

The man was filled with shame. “I’m a doctor,” he said and asked, “Where is she?” The boy took him to his mother and the doctor administered CPR and called an ambulance.

“Will she live?” the boy sobbed. “Yes, son, she will,” the doctor said. “Then it’s worth going to jail. I’m sorry I ruined your car. You can take me in now.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” the doctor said. “It was my fault you had to throw a brick to get my attention.”

The doctor made sure the boy was taken care of, and as he drove home he resolved not to fix the dent. He would keep it as a reminder that not everyone in need has a brick to throw.

What Jesus is telling us to do in the reading from Matthew’s Gospel is similar to the famous Golden Rule-“Do unto others”. A cup of cold water is a gift that everyone can give because it is the smallest of gifts. Even this, the smallest of gifts, is precious to the person receiving it, because it sometimes it is the gift of life.

We are to do this for everyone we meet, because the recipient could be an angel, prophet or Jesus in disguise. It can mean providing material support such as food, clothing or shelter. It can also mean accepting the truth of our guest’s message. We must be prepared to pay the costs-financial, personal and danger. It is expensive to provide for living expenses. Our personal space and privacy are invaded. We could be caught in the opposition/persecution that the prophet would face. Jesus even said that hatred and persecution would get so bad that anyone who offered his sent ones a mere cup of cold water would receive a divine reward

Those who do God’s work can be assured that those who help them will be rewarded. Doing God’s work includes healing and those who are in the health care profession, such as the staff here at Queens Manor.  They often leave personal comforts such as family time to care for the needs of others. When they care for the residents, they show the love Jesus showed us when he lived among us. When we serve others, we serve Jesus, just like Jesus and his disciples served others.

We are to show compassion for others by caring for the sick, comforting those who mourn, etc. This is contrary to our “me-first”, selfish culture. It will loosen our hold on our possessions, lives, and so on, but these small beginnings are the seed of a different kind of happiness-the happiness that only the Christian life provides. 

 

Even small gifts can make a big difference. It is a reminder of the old adage that “big things come in small packages”. To offer hospitality, care and compassion, we simply have to bring who we are, what we have, where we are. It requires attention to the person receiving the hospitality. We have to receive the person first before they can receive the benefit of the gift we offer.

To Jesus, hospitality meant acceptance, even those who, in his society and in his day, were deemed to be unacceptable. This is why he put his arms around lepers, ate with tax collectors and sinners, forgave adulterers and broke Sabbath laws. Hospitality was not only important to Jesus, it was at the very heart of being God, and it didn’t make any difference to him where such hospitality took place, or to whom, or on what day.

When it comes to hospitality, we take turns being the host and being the guest. Sometimes we are the ones who simply need the hug or cup of water and kindness comes. Other times, we are the ones providing the hug or cup of water. The “little ones” Jesus refers to are frequently the scapegoats or victims in our society. They are the powerless, the weak, the hurting, the abused, the abandoned, the elderly or children, and they are often the easiest targets for our wrath. They need the help and compassion that Jesus offers through us. When we help them, we have the power to bring others unto a relationship with God, the power to show others God’s love by showing them our love, the power to bring them face to face with God by bringing them face to face with us.

 Bibliography

1.      Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASV

2.      Exegesis for Matthew 10:40-42. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.org

3.      Richard Inness, “Listen to the Whisper”. Retrieved from www.actsweb.org

4.      Leslie Snyder, “Uncommon Courtesy”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

5.      Jeanne Schuller, “Through the Din Comes a Call”. Retrieved from http://onlineministeries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/062611b.html

6.      The Rev. Dr. Trace Haythorn, “The Art of Welcome’. Retrieved from www.day1.org

7.      The Rev. Beth Quick, “The Friendly Church”. Retrieved from www.bethquick.com/sermon6-26-05.htm

8.      The Rev. Dr. James B. Lemier, “Sermon for the 6^th Sunday after Pentecost”. Retrieved from www.day1.org

9.      Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.

10.  The Peoples’ New Testament. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.

11.  The Rev. Dr. James D. Kegel, “Encouragement”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.org

12.  Dr. Randy L. Hyde, “The Stranger at the Door”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.org

13.  Pastor Steve Molin, “Sittin’ on God’s Porch”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.org

14.  Daniel Clendenin, PhD, “A Rabble of Blasphemous Conspirators: Proclamation and Reception of the Early Believers”. Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net/index.shtml

 

 

Luke 8:26-39 Jesus, the Demon-Slayer

There was a little old lady who would come out every morning on the steps of her front porch, raise her arms to the sky and shout, "Praise the Lord!". One day an atheist moved into the house next door. Over time he became irritated at the little old lady. Every morning he would step out onto his front porch and yell after her, "There is no Lord".

Time passed, and the two of them carried on that way every day. One morning in the middle of winter, the little old lady stepped onto her front porch and shouted, "Praise the Lord! Lord, I have no food and I am starving. Please provide for me, oh Lord!"

The next morning she stepped out onto her porch and there were two huge bags of groceries sitting there. "Praise the Lord!" she cried out. "He has provided groceries for me!" The atheist jumped out of the hedges and shouted, "There is no Lord. I bought those groceries!"

The little old lady threw her arms into the air and shouted, "Praise the Lord! He has provided me with groceries, and He made the devil pay for them!"  

There is a television show called "Extreme Makeover Home Edition". It is a show where a construction crew comes into a home and does a complete renovation, usually for a low income family or a family that has seen other hardships. There is nothing new about extreme makeovers. In fact, Jesus performed many extreme makeovers in the Bible. We heard one such makeover in the reading we heard from Luke 8:26-39 earlier in this morning's service.

When Jesus healed the demon-possessed man, he was no longer shameless. He was clothed. He had a sense of what was decent and proper. In  other words, he had morals. The man was in his right mind. He saw the world as it was…a world with both enemies and friends. It doesn’t matter what they are or how severe they are. Jesus has the power to overcome our demons.

The story of Jesus and the demon-possessed man is an example of spiritual warfare. Jesus declared war on Satan and his demons. The Bible doesn't tell us much about demons, but it tells us enough. They are real and they deal in fear and deception. They are opposed to God and everything he does. We do not have to fear demons because we have faith in God's power.

All of us have our own inner demons, but they usually are not as severe as those who controlled the man. Our demons include possessiveness, hoarding things, extreme individualism, self-centeredness, racial prejudice, homophobia or exclusiveness. They could be spiritual questions, family secrets, health issues or anything else. They exist in the minds of perverts, rapists, murderers, child molesters, other criminals and anyone who thinks, does or speaks evil. To be possessed is culturally acceptable, and to be demon-free goes against our culture. That is scary because it goes against the status quo.

When demons control us, we are not ourselves because we are not in control. In contrast, sin is what we do because we are in control of our lives. The freedom demons offer is a false freedom because it dehumanizes and isolates its victims. Just look at how the demon-possessed man was treated. He was isolated from the community by having to live in the cemetery. He was isolated when the townspeople tried to confine him in chains. 

Who are the people in our society that we try to restrain in various forms of chains? Are they people like the mentally ill or clients of sheltered workshops such as Penny Lane Enterprises? What places does Jesus take us to that scare us? Are we scared of people who are different from us because of race, colour, creed or other petty reasons? Jesus forces us to confront our demons. How do we react when that happens? Do we react like the demon-possessed man did when he was healed or do we react like the townspeople did?

This story reveals the emphasis that Luke's Gospel places on salvation. It shows the depth of human suffering into which God's salvation can reach. Jesus seeks out the oppressed, understands their plight, redirects their rage and reincorporates them into the community. Jesus' power is greater than all the forces in the world. Jesus never went out looking for demons, but when he found them he dealt with them immediately and severely. We do not have to go looking for demons. We need to keep our eyes fixed on God.

The demons knew what their fate was supposed to be. They knew that they were supposed to enter the abyss, which was known as the place where God confines demons. They pleaded with Jesus to go into the pigs instead. Since pigs were unclean animals in the eyes of the Jews, it was logical that unclean spirits sought out unclean things. Even though the demons thoughts that they had won when Jesus agreed to their request, in reality they lost because the pigs entered a natural abyss when they fell off of the cliff. (Pause)

So how do we deal with evil. There are four steps:

1.      We must expect struggles with evil. Satan has been defeated by Christ, but he will never give up. He will keep fighting.

2.      We must actively live out our faith. Satan's cronies tremble before God's awesome power.

3.      We must resist evil with the power of the Holy Spirit. We do this by going to the Lord in prayer for everything.

4.      We must remember that as believers in Jesus we are on the winning side. We will be injured and we will suffer from time to time, but we will be free from spiritual bondage.

Jesus acted as a friend to the demon-possessed man. He asked the demons hard questions and expected mature responses. The demons knew that Jesus would radically change their lives, and they were not ambivalent  when it came to radical change. When we encounter Jesus we can expect radical changes in our lives. We won't be the same. Either our hatred of Jesus will grow or we will draw closer to him in faith.  The demon-possessed man received a new identity when Jesus answered his problems. The demon-possessed man sat at the feet of Jesus, which meant that he was now under the authority of Jesus. He chose to act responsibly. The man became free when he submitted to Jesus' authority.

The demon-possessed man was so grateful for his healing that he wanted to join Jesus and the disciples. Instead, Jesus told him to stay home, minister and witness to the people. In a sense, the man did join the group. He became a disciple. We are also disciples when we follow Jesus by faith by ministering and witnessing wherever we are. Sometimes we will be called to a different calling than the one we would have chosen, but it is important to listen carefully and obey the call to which we have been called. It is better to be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord than to be a prince or princess anywhere else-unless God has called us to be a prince or princess.  

There was a cost to the healing. The cost was the loss of the townspeople's livelihood when the pigs died. The pigs were expensive property. They were sold to the Roman occupiers for food. The people did not care that the demon-possessed man was healed. They were only concerned with their livelihood. In other words, they were more concerned with material things than they were with spiritual things. They knew what to do when the man was sick, but now that he was healed they didn't know what to do. They could have rejoiced with the man, but to do that they would have to have been healthier themselves. They were sick and could not deal with the healed person in their midst, so their natural response was to reject this new element that had come into their lives, just like a body sometimes rejects a transplanted organ.

Christianity preaches a message of salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus. There is no violence in that message, so why do so many of the other religions in the world persecute Christians? It is because they recognize that Jesus can do things for the people that they can't. Jesus paid for our sin debt on the cross. No other religion can offer that. In other words, people of other religions are jealous of Christians-plain and simple!

Now that the man was healed, the townspeople would have to find room for him in the village. Will his family welcome him home? Has his wife remarried? Have his children made peace with his absence? How will he make a living? Will he become dangerous again? Will one of their daughters fall in love with him? Jesus solved one problem but created the potential for more problems. It's no wonder that the townspeople asked Jesus to leave.  

When we have been freed by Jesus, we are free to follow his version of the Ten Commandments:

1.      Be yourself. We can be aware that we are integral parts of God's creation.

2.      Love the world by loving your neighbour. We are all neighbours and we have a neighbourly connection to every other human being on earth, including those who suffer from mental illness.

3.      Learn from everyone. We are all equal in God's eyes. We may have different gifts and talents, but we are specially gifted by God's spirit.

4.      Love always and in every circumstance.

5.      Be merciful, just like Jesus showed mercy to the demon-possessed man.

6.      Live surround sound. There is never just one voice that we hear when we listen to God speak to us. We can't hear his voice without hearing the voice of Scripture and being open to receive the voice of the Spirit. There is never just one side to a story. It takes all four gospels to tell the story of Jesus.

7.      Learn a living. Everyone we meet has something to teach us. The demon-possessed man taught us how we should respond to God's grace in our lives. The townspeople taught us how not to respond to God's grace.

8.      Truth is black and green. It is black in the words of Scripture, and it is green in the relationship between creation or nature and the Creator.

9.      Trust the Spirit: the power of force is farce. In Jesus the ultimate expressions of power and powerlessness came together.

10.  Show Courage. The courage Jesus showed was not just the courage of resistance. It was the courage of endurance. There will be some of us who may be called upon to show the courage of resistance, taking definitive, costly action, in order to stand up for justice, mercy, truth, and love. But every single one of us will find it necessary to offer the courage of endurance throughout our lives. The easiest way for evil to win is not through bombs or bullets, but through the slow erosion of commitment and courage to stand against the current.

 Bibliography

1.      Swindoll, Charles R. : Swindoll's New Testament Insights on Luke (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan; 2012)

2.      Alexander Wales, "The Demons Within". Retrieved from www.esermons.com

3.      Lawson, B., & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher's Commentary Series, Vol. 26:Luke (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983)

4.      The NKJV Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2007)

5.      Barry, J.D.; Grigoni, M.R.; Heisler, M.S.; Custis, M.; Mangum, D.; & Whitehead, M.M.; Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software; 2012)

6.      David R. Cartwright, "What Happens When You Are Not Prepared for What Happens". Retrieved from www.esermons.com

7.      Arley K. Fadness, "Liberating the Possessed". Retrieved from www.esermons.com

8.      Leonard Sweet, "Jesus' Ten Commandments". Retrieved from ww.esermons.com

9.      Exegesis for Luke 8:26-39. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

10.  Rev. Dr. Ken Klaus, "A Man's Declaration". Retrieved from www.lhm.org

11.  Lectionary Homiletics, Vol. XXIV, #4 (St. Paul, MN: Luther Seminary; 2013)

12.  Proper 7-Year C. Retrieved from www.preachingtip.com/archive

13.  "An Extreme Makeover". Retrieved from http"//sermonsforkids.com

 

Acts 5:27-42 Obey God

Acts 5:27-42 is a story about obeying God regardless of the consequences imposed by mankind. Like Peter, we as Christians are to obey the Lord rather than man in situations where the two are in conflict. For example, when obeying our political leaders would cause us to do something that goes against God's Word, we are to obey God's Word instead of our political leaders. At all other times we are to obey our political leaders as commanded by the apostle Paul.

In this reading, Peter and the disciples have been arrested and brought before the Jewish Sanhedrin, or high court, on charges of preaching the Gospel in spite of being ordered not to. In their defence, Peter preaches the second of his two famous sermons as recorded in the Book of Acts, the first one being preached on the Day of Pentecost. It is in this second sermon that Peter teaches that we as Christians are to obey God instead of man in cases where the two are in conflict.

Was Peter's speech inspired by the Holy Spirit? We don't know for sure, but I believe that it was. Was Gamaliel's speech inspired by the Holy Spirit? Again, we don't know for sure, but I believe that God used Gamaliel to save the lives of the disciples. If they had been put to death, Christianity would also have died. Instead, Gamaliel fulfilled his part in God's plan by encouraging the members of the Sanhedrin to leave the disciples alone.

God first delivered the disciples from jail through supernatural means by sending an angel from heaven. Then God delivered them through natural means by causing an enemy of Christianity to argue for their release. This is passage is proof of the work of God's sovereign hand in history. He can even use the thoughts of those who oppose the gospel to preserve and protect His servants.

Gamaliel's advice was wise, both for us and the Sanhedrin. There are times when certain people and causes are obviously a contradiction to the Word of God that we know they are not of Him. There are times when they may be great truths wrapped up in new methods with which we are not familiar. Wait. If they are of God we can't stop them. If not, they will not succeed. 

The disciples also obeyed God by continuing to teach and preach in spite of the warning from the Sanhedrin. The disciples knew that God wanted to fill the minds of the people with truth. That was the only way they could oppose the lies that Satan wanted to fill the people's minds with. We as Christians today also need to be filled with spiritual truth in order to counteract the lies that Satan and our sin-filled world want to fill our minds with. We get spiritual truth by  attending weekly worship services, studying the Bible either by ourselves or as part of a small group, and by listening to sermons preached by people such as me or other preachers.

Here in Canada we are fortunate in that we can share our faith with others. In many other countries it is against the law to share our Christian faith. We as Christians have an allegiance to a higher authority-God. In the words of Dr. Charles Stanley, who is the President of In Touch Ministries and the man who compiled the study Bible that I use when I prepare sermons, when God tells us to do something such as sharing our faith with others, we have to "obey God and leave all the consequences to Him". We must expect persecution for doing God's work, but we must remember that if we are persecuted for obeying God, God might not stop the consequences from happening. He might not ease the consequences. The persecution we face might be part of God's plan for our lives.

Would we, like the disciples and the apostle Paul, rejoice if we suffered for the Lord? If we feel battered and bruised, we must remember that God sometimes delivers us through the battering and the bruising, not from through the battering and the bruising. We, like the disciples, must remain committed to obeying God, regardless of the cost.

When we obey God by doing things such as loving an enemy, people will be amazed because it is not the logical thing to do. Obeying God is the Christian thing to do. In contrast, obeying man is the worldly thing to do. When we obey God, we don't know what the result will be, but God will bless our obedience in some way.

Bibliography

1.      Dr. David Jeremiah, "Cause for Amazement". Retrieved from turningpoint@davidjeremiah.org

2.      Fred Gillett, "Obedience, Not Outcome…". Retrieved from www.hourofpower.org

3.      Dr. Jack Graham, "Loving God With Your Heart and Mind". Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

4.      Bayless Conley, "When It Is Right to Disobey". Retrieved from answersweekly@answersrbc.org

5.      T.M. Moore, "The Courage to Endure". Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org

6.      Charles R. Swindoll, "An Unexpected Ally". Retrieved from Insight.for.Living@insight.org

7.      Exegesis for Acts 5:27-32, 40-41. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

8.       Ogilvie, L.J.; The Preacher's Commentary Series; Vol. 28: Acts (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson inc.; 1983)

9.      The NKJV Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2007)

Matthew 10:40-42 Helping Others as Jesus Helped Others

A successful man known for his generosity was driving his new car through a poor part of town. A boy tried to flag him down. The man didn’t want to get involved, so he pretended he didn’t see the child. As he slowed for a red traffic light, he heard a loud crash. Someone had thrown a brick at his car, denting the trunk.

The man stopped, jumped out of his car and grabbed the boy that threw the brick. “You juvenile delinquent!” he yelled. “You’ll pay for this or go to jail!”

“I’m sorry, mister,” the boy cried. “My mom’s lying on the floor in our apartment. I think she’s dying. Our phone’s been cut off and I’ve been trying for ten minutes to get someone to stop. I didn’t know what else to do! Take me to jail, but please, call a doctor for my mom first.”

The man was filled with shame. “I’m a doctor,” he said and asked, “Where is she?” The boy took him to his mother and the doctor administered CPR and called an ambulance.

“Will she live?” the boy sobbed. “Yes, son, she will,” the doctor said. “Then it’s worth going to jail. I’m sorry I ruined your car. You can take me in now.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” the doctor said. “It was my fault you had to throw a brick to get my attention.”

The doctor made sure the boy was taken care of, and as he drove home he resolved not to fix the dent. He would keep it as a reminder that not everyone in need has a brick to throw.  

What Jesus is telling us to do in the reading from Matthew’s Gospel is similar to the famous Golden Rule-“Do unto others”. A cup of cold water is a gift that everyone can give because it is the smallest of gifts. Even this, the smallest of gifts, is precious to the person receiving it, because it sometimes it is the gift of life.

We are to do this for everyone we meet, because the recipient could be an angel, prophet or Jesus in disguise. It can mean providing material support such as food, clothing or shelter. It can also mean accepting the truth of our guest’s message. We must be prepared to pay the costs-financial, personal and danger. It is expensive to provide for living expenses. Our personal space and privacy are invaded. We could be caught in the opposition/persecution that the prophet would face. Jesus even said that hatred and persecution would get so bad that anyone who offered his sent ones a mere cup of cold water would receive a divine reward

Those who do God’s work can be assured that those who help them will be rewarded. Doing God’s work includes healing and those who are in the health care profession, such as the staff here at Queens Manor.  They often leave personal comforts such as family time to care for the needs of others. When they care for the residents, they show the love Jesus showed us when he lived among us. When we serve others, we serve Jesus, just like Jesus and his disciples served others.

We are to show compassion for others by caring for the sick, comforting those who mourn, etc. This is contrary to our “me-first”, selfish culture. It will loosen our hold on our possessions, lives, and so on, but these small beginnings are the seed of a different kind of happiness-the happiness that only the Christian life provides.  

Even small gifts can make a big difference. It is a reminder of the old adage that “big things come in small packages”. To offer hospitality, care and compassion, we simply have to bring who we are, what we have, where we are. It requires attention to the person receiving the hospitality. We have to receive the person first before they can receive the benefit of the gift we offer.

To Jesus, hospitality meant acceptance, even those who, in his society and in his day, were deemed to be unacceptable. This is why he put his arms around lepers, ate with tax collectors and sinners, forgave adulterers and broke Sabbath laws. Hospitality was not only important to Jesus, it was at the very heart of being God, and it didn’t make any difference to him where such hospitality took place, or to whom, or on what day.

When it comes to hospitality, we take turns being the host and being the guest. Sometimes we are the ones who simply need the hug or cup of water and kindness comes. Other times, we are the ones providing the hug or cup of water. The “little ones” Jesus refers to are frequently the scapegoats or victims in our society. They are the powerless, the weak, the hurting, the abused, the abandoned, the elderly or children, and they are often the easiest targets for our wrath. They need the help and compassion that Jesus offers through us. When we help them, we have the power to bring others unto a relationship with God, the power to show others God’s love by showing them our love, the power to bring them face to face with God by bringing them face to face with us.

 Bibliography

1.      Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASV

2.      Exegesis for Matthew 10:40-42. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.org

3.      Richard Inness, “Listen to the Whisper”. Retrieved from www.actsweb.org

4.      Leslie Snyder, “Uncommon Courtesy”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

5.      Jeanne Schuller, “Through the Din Comes a Call”. Retrieved from http://onlineministeries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/062611b.html

6.      The Rev. Dr. Trace Haythorn, “The Art of Welcome’. Retrieved from www.day1.org

7.      The Rev. Beth Quick, “The Friendly Church”. Retrieved from www.bethquick.com/sermon6-26-05.htm

8.      The Rev. Dr. James B. Lemier, “Sermon for the 6^th Sunday after Pentecost”. Retrieved from www.day1.org

9.      Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.

10.  The Peoples’ New Testament. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.

11.  The Rev. Dr. James D. Kegel, “Encouragement”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.org

12.  Dr. Randy L. Hyde, “The Stranger at the Door”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.org

13.  Pastor Steve Molin, “Sittin’ on God’s Porch”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.org

14.  Daniel Clendenin, PhD, “A Rabble of Blasphemous Conspirators: Proclamation and Reception of the Early Believers”. Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net/index.shtml

 

 

Deuteronomy 16:18-20, Deuteronomy 17:14-20, 2 Corinthians 8:1-16 How Christians Are Supposed to Treat Each Other

An elderly widow, a scavenger who roamed the streets in tattered rags looking for bottles and junk, died. She was a familiar sight to people in the neighbourhood as she walked along the streets.

After she died, deputies went to her little room and found a letter to a close friend in  which the widow told the friend how she wanted the funeral---the funeral home she wanted, the fact that she did not want any flowers, etc. The friend remembered that the widow had a little red box in her room, where there was enough money to pay for her funeral.

In the box were bankbooks with entries of more than $60,000 in savings accounts, along with a key to a safe deposit box. When the friend opened the safe deposit box, there was more than $70,000 in cash, and many of the bills were in denominations of $50 or $100. The widow lived in poverty when she could have enjoyed a much higher standard of living. On the other hand, many who would not live a poverty-stricken life physically live a poverty-stricken life spiritually.  

The passages from Deuteronomy 16:18-20, Deuteronomy 17:14-20, 2 Corinthians 8:1-16 talk about how we as Christians are to treat each other and our fellow man. All of us are under God's authority. God demands justice and compassion for all of his people.

Deuteronomy 17:14-20 is God's instructions to the Israelites to appoint a kings who will fear God and observe his laws. God knew that when the Israelites settled in the Promised Land they would ask for an earthly king to lead them. The only way for the king to make wise decisions was to write out God's laws and read them daily. The king's strength was not to be in wealth or political alliances, but in God's Word. It is an anchor in stormy times. It sustains us and keeps us on the course God has planed for our lives.

Kings were to be good examples of God's past faithfulness, and our modern-day leaders are also to be good examples of God's faithfulness. In Deuteronomy 17:16-17, God warns leaders that they will always face the temptation to abuse their power for personal gain, which is contrary to his will. Old Testament kings were to keep a copy of God's laws with them and read it on a regular basis. By doing so kings were taught to fear God.

Judges were also in the category of leaders. God told the people in Deuteronomy 16:18-20 to appoint judges to judge the people when they committed crimes. Judges, like kings, were told to administer justice fairly and impartially. Justice is pictured as being blind and balanced. In other words, it is impartial. Judges and kings were told by God to be fair and impartial with everyone  they dealt with.  

God shows his grace to his people and in return we are to show his grace and glory in the world, as represented by the generosity of the Macedonians as written in 2 Corinthians 8:1-16. Their giving was not compulsory, and our generosity must not be compulsory either. We must do our share in meeting the needs of our less fortunate brothers and sisters. Giving to others brings God's undeserved gifts into our lives. As we in the Anglican Church say in the prayer we say when our offerings are placed on the altar, "All things come of thee O Lord, and of thine own have we give thee".

Sacrificial giving is not defined by the size of the gift but by the proportion we give to God of our resources. Sacrificial giving means that we give in proportion to what we have received. It involves personal involvement, and it usually involves adapting our ways and schedules to fit others' needs.

2 Corinthians 8:1-16 is essentially a fundraising letter. The Christians in Jerusalem were having a hard time financially. In addition, they were being persecuted. In his travels Paul encouraged the members of the churches he founded to collect money to support their Christian brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. The Macedonian church was a very poor church, but God gave them grace, and in spite of their poverty they took an offering to contribute, and they did not expect anything in return. They were moved by the Holy Spirit to give and the Holy Spirit empowered them to do so.  

We are encouraged to behave in a similar manner. God gave us grace, and the Holy Spirit moves us to give and empowers us to do so. As a result, our Christian brothers and sisters who are less fortunate are provided for. When they are blessed, we are blessed too. When the grace of giving sweeps through a congregation, the people ask, "What needs doing? What need can we help meet? What ministry needs to be funded?"

A just society can only be achieved by obeying God's word and listening to his counsel and his ways. We can't have just laws and justice as long as God's laws are ignored or hated as they are today. Obeying God's laws gives us and society the stability to endure even the most difficult of trials, just like obeying God's laws allowed the Christians in Jerusalem to endure hardships with help from their fellow Christians-including the Christians in Macedonia. More important was the fact that by giving to the Christians in Jerusalem, the Macedonian Christians gave of themselves. By being generous with material things in spite of their own poverty, the Macedonian Christians grew spiritually. Those who give out of faith and love will also grown spiritually. God cares about the giver's heart, not how much the giver gives.

 Bibliography

1.      Stanley, Charles F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2009)

2.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.

3.      Matt Guerino, "Faithfulness Relieve". Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org

4.      T.M. Moore, "The Nature of Justice". Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org

5.      T.M. Moore, "The Future". Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org

6.      Chafin, K.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.,: The Preacher's Commentary Series, Vol. 30: 2 Corinthians (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1985)

7.      MacArthur, J.F. Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2006)

8.      Barry, J.D.; Grigon, M.R.; Heiser, M.S.; Custis, M.; Mangum, D; & Whitehead, M.M.: Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software; 2012)

9.      Dr. Harold Sala, "Doing What You Can". Retrieved from www.guidelines.orgCharles Swindoll, "The Authority of Our Words". Retrieved from www.insight.org

10.  Rev. Robert Heerspink, "Guidelines for Giving". Retrieved from www.backtogod.net

11.  Pete Briscoe, "An Act of Grace". Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

12.  Dr. Charles Stanley, "The Grace of Giving". Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

13.  Dr. Harold Sala, "Transferring Ownership". Retrieved from www.guidelines.org

14.  Dr. Harold Sala, "Poverty and Asking". Retrieved from www.guidelines.org