December 12, 2020
Day 14 of the 26 Days of Advent. Unfortunately it seem like
Christmas is about getting stuff.
There is a sad trend in American theology which suggests God
wants to make you rich. Often this kind of statement is followed by an appeal
for some sort of “seed” money. The idea is to give in faith that God will
multiply the money.
First, this is bent toward prosperous societies. Try preaching
that in a poor country of the world where there are little prospects of
anything more than daily food, if that. About a third of the world lives on
what we could consider half a pancake.
Second, this teaching is backward. God first gives to us and
we are faithful with our tithe. The prophet Malachi, speaking for God, promised
“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in
my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not
open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there
is no more need.”
[Malachi 3:10 ESV]
There are two flaws in deciding this verse promises material
prosperity. The interpretation of “blessing” as financial. However, one blessing
God can give is to make what we have last longer, like when His people wondered
in the wilderness. Another blessing is the love we give and receive. The other
problem with this interpretation is the missing words in the text. If you have
a King James Version, words in italics are added to aid understanding. The affect
the meaning of this verse is cryptic if not fuzzy.
Third, the teaching robs us of faithful dependence on God.
Those who live in poverty are focused on God, not getting stuff. George Mueller
would give thanks for food that was not yet available. God would provide. The more
we have, it seems, the less we depend on God.
Fourth, it keeps us from becoming more like Jesus. Few realized
that Jesus lived in deep poverty absolutely dependent on others. “But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests,
but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” [Luke 9:58 NLT] This was a
value he commissioned when sending out His disciples, “Carry no moneybag,
no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.” [Luke 10:4 ESV] In other
words: no money, no food, no impression of wealth, and no distractions.
Finally, it seems to me we live in a material world where we
are saturated with the desire for stuff. In such a world of distraction we can
lose sight of God. The real test of faith is not the stuff we have. The real
test of faith is when we do not have stuff.
Here is the Bible’s version of the “ice bucket” challenge. The test is:
if we had nothing, would God be enough?
“Though the fig tree doesn’t
bloom, and there’s no produce on the vine; though the olive crop withers, and
the fields don’t provide food; though the sheep are cut off from the pen, and
there are no cattle in the stalls; I will rejoice in the Lord.
I will rejoice in the God of my deliverance.” [Habakkuk 3:17 – 18 CEB]
If you have food to eat today, rejoice and be thankful. If you
have a roof over your head, rejoice and be thankful. If you have a vehicle for transportation,
rejoice and be thankful. There is nothing wrong with having stuff. We err when
we pursue stuff rather than God. We fail when we depend on our stuff rather
than God. We suffer when forget to have compassion on those in need.
This covid Christmas gives us a chance to step back and give
careful thought to our ways. What is important and what is just fluffy stuff?
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