“that is the question.”
Hi friends,
I have just been super busy with school, etc that I have not been able to make any posts.
But I had a small but interesting discussion at church today so I will share here with some scripture because I want to share with you all.
I should really be sleeping or studying but I could not resist not posting something
Context: We just had a sermon today about using finances with the eternal perspective in mind and it is now Sunday school (where at the beginning, we discuss a bit about our thoughts on the sermon), and a question comes up on what does it look like to honor God with out finances when money is scarce?
Or more specifically, should we change or even abolish in whether or how we tithe/offer?
For most people, gut reaction will be yes. We read the story of the Widow’s two copper coins:
Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
Luke 21:1-4
And the answer here is pretty clear. It’s obviously yes. The widow is commended for her faith.
Some people will quote Malachi 3:10 or 2 Cor 9:6-7 (despite those texts being written to a very specific people, in a very specific time, and with specific purpose) to say that we should.
And I agree, I think that we should. I think that to be willing to tithe and offer your money to God even when finances do not look good is living out what Jesus talks about in Matthew 6 where Jesus tells us to ‘seek first the kingdom and his righteousness’ (Matthew 6:33). Do that, and in turn, God will provide is the gist of Matthew 6.
Yet, here is another proposal.
Let’s go back to Luke 6 where we read the story of David and the Showbread.
On a Sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?” And he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
Luke 6:1-5
If you have not read this story, essentially, David and his men break Levitical law by eating the bread of the presence meant for the priests.
(Further references are 1 Samuel 21:1-6, Lev 24:5-9 if you are interested)
Yet, his actions commended by Jesus.
Let’s say it’s not simply myself that I have to take care of but my household as well. Could we not draw the same principles as in this story that it is more important to take care of the people we are supposed to oversee than to simply than to ritually preform worship?
Of course, this is not just an excuse to not tithe and not give offerings, etc but a look into what scripture really says because when we look into the scriptures, it’s a lot more complicated than just “yeah, just always tithe.” And I think if we approach is to just always tithe, we may be missing something.
Because obviously it’s of great faith for some to have few but to still give a lot
i.e. The widow with the two copper coins
But is it also not of great faith to search the scriptures, look at some of the great heroes of the faith, and see that sometimes “breaking the law” is the best way to honor God?
i.e. David and the Showbread
In Matthew 15 (which I read like two days ago), Jesus brings this very concern up. He confronts a group of Pharisees who neglect their parents “in the name of God.”
He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God.
Matthew 15:3-6
Yes, they do so honoring tradition rather than Torah but the point is the same. They neglect their family in order to give to God. The Bible actually happens to speak on this as well:
But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
1 Timothy 5:8
If you do not provide for your relatives and the members of your household, you are denying the faith and worse than an unbeliever.
In other words, don’t even bother.
Is honoring you parents and loving the ones of your household not synonymous with loving God? Does Paul not say that the whole law is fulfilled in one word? (Gal 5:14).
Is it not possible that when we get so caught up in trying to be counter-cultural and radical and zealous for God that we actually miss a part of the story ourselves?
So what is the answer?
My proposal is that it’s something for us to wrestle with. That it’s something God doesn’t explicitly give an answer for.
I think that’s all for today. Thanks for reading.
Stay cool,
Jason
Jason Reads the Bible 