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Our Forgiving God - July 2006 Our July web-devoition, suitable also for the Canada Day celebrations in July. An educated young scholar once came to Jesus & asked him: "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answered: "Keep the commandments." The young man said: "I’ve observed them all!, What do I still lack?" "Sell everything and give the money to the poor, and follow me --" The young man left, saddened by Jesus’ answer! (Matthew 19) There was once a man who had two sons. The youngest wanted his inheritance NOW! so he could leave home. The elder son stayed home, and although he lived in the lap of luxury -- he lived like someone imprisoned, and he resented his father. Jesus told a story about the father of these two sons. The father worried for his son travelling in the world. One could imagine him daily scanning the horizon for a sign of his son! When, one day the young man was finally sighted in the distance, the father rejoiced & asked the servants to prepare a great feast, & they ran & brought the son the best gown & shoes and placed a ring on the son’s hand! [so he would not appear poor.] For the father had compassion on him. (Luke 15) Lazarus lay for years, at the door of a rich man. Dogs licked his wounds, causing infection & illness -- so that one day -- he finally died. But God received the soul of the poor man into heaven & he was seen again there, resting in the arms of Abraham; consoled & well. (Luke 16) When Jairus came to Jesus, Jesus had been travelling all day & must have been very tired! Jairus’ plea moved Jesus’ heart to help his little daughter, and Jesus immediately followed him to his home -- On the way a sick woman touched Jesus’ robe in the hope that she would be healed -- and she was! Her desperate hope was not disappointed! (Mark 5) The greek churches were in need of help when Paul wrote to the church in Corinth. Paul knew that the new Christians in Corinth had made good progress in their faith! They showed good spiritual growth, their utterance (speech) reflected what was in their hearts, they studied & pursued the Christian life in all earnestness ... but they had not followed through in their pledge to the greek churches -- so Paul asked one more thing of them: they are to share from their abundance so that all may be equal. -- And Paul required this in his letter to them, explaining that it is necessary that those who have little will have no lack (v.15) and so that the Corinthian’s love may show itself as genuine. (v.24) (II Corinthians 8) God provides the snow on the mountains so that its crisp, melted waters can rush through the cracks in the rock and via the ditches -- into the valleys and into the rivers and lakes -- to provide refreshing water for fish and other marine creatures to live in, and for us to farm and to garden as co-creators of God’s marvellous world. God gives generously of sun and rain so that we can be content whether -- we have a cottage retreat for summer or winter -- or whether we live in an apartment or flat & use the public beach when we want to get away. It is God’s Will that we all have sufficient & that we are all equal in happiness & faithfulness. The first apostles took up the first collection among the new Christians in Galacia to help the church in Jerusalem. Why? Paul might reason: So that it couldn’t be said of the Christians abroad: ‘you are to blame for the poverty of the Jerusalem church’. Paul asked the Corinthian church to help the Greek churches, so all would have enough, and so that their own faith may be tested & found true. When the waters from the mountains are allowed to reach their destinations, Wonderful things happen. Grace abounds. Then, ‘Abundance’ itself is everywhere! So remember:
Amen
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