Counter-intuitive Christianity

June 25, 2021 (Friday)

 

There are many things in the Bible that are counter-intuitive. On other words, the run counter to rational thinking. The Corinthian church was a puzzle wrapped in an enigma and boxed in a conundrum and thrown down a rational black hole. If you can unravel the letters to the Corinthian churches you have the answers to the universe! Okay, maybe not the universe, but the church and the Christ-life.

 

Let’s start with a teaser, “Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia.” [2 Corinthians 8:1 NLT] Two pieces of information are important here. God’s grace, or kindness tends to be a “BIG” theological concept timed to salvation (and all that means). The churches of Macedonia, or northern Greece, are more of a mystery to us without research or explanation.

 

Paul explains, “They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.” [2 Corinthians 8:2 NLT] Notice the three things in this verse. First, they were being tested. The Greek text gives us the idea this was a severe and painful test. Paul hints this may be due to deep poverty. Second, they had an abundance of joy. Please understand joy is not the same as “happiness.” Happy is a part of joy, but joy runs deeper and has nothing to do with circumstances. The last point is they “overflowed in rich generosity.”

 

Does this make sense? People under stress tend to withdraw into a shell. We tend to go into self-preservation mode. However, there is something about being down to your last dollar that causes one to not hold material things of this world tightly. Oddly enough, the poor tend to be the most generous. Maybe not actual numbers, but percentage and attitude.

 

One day while Jesus was watching people put their offerings in the collection box, He noticed, “One poor widow came forward and put in two small copper coins worth a penny.” [Mark 12:42 CEB] Jesus loved it! He didn’t point out the rich throwing in large sums, He pointed out the two mites (copper coins). Jesus reason, “All of them are giving out of their spare change. But she from her hopeless poverty has given everything she had, even what she needed to live on.” [Mark 12:44 CEB]

 

Paul pointed out the poor Macedonians, “I assure you that they gave what they could afford and even more than they could afford, and they did it voluntarily.” [2 Corinthians 8:3 CEB] On top of that, “They urgently begged us for the privilege of sharing in this service for the saints.” [2 Corinthians 8:4 CEB] Here are “dirt poor” people, scraping by, living “hand to mouth,” and yet begging for the privilege of helping.

 

I suspect that is because, being in deep poverty, they understood the pain and the need. People who have been there have a better view of those who have never been the situation.

 

One thing that alarms me is when the church and those that occupy its seats closes the heart to the poor and those in need. I know the need seems to be a bottomless hole, but there is something to consider. Jesus, as He sits in judgement states, “…Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.” [Matthew 25:40 CEV]

 

When we help others, we are serving Jesus.