Lenten Reflection on 2 Corinthians 9:6-9

 

2 Corinthians 9:6-9

 ⁶The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ⁷Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. ⁹As it is written, “He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”

 

Now, we explore our last congregational value: “Giving of Yourself.”  This value of giving does not stem out of the church’s need to get more money.  In fact, “giving of yourself” is about more than just money.  Every part of our being is a gift from God, to be used by Jesus Christ in his mission of love.  Let me say that again, every part of our being is a gift from God, to be used by Jesus Christ in his mission of love.

We do not give of ourselves to be known as a good person, nor do we give to win any sort of heavenly reward.  Jesus Christ has already won us our reward on the cross, and, that was not of our own doing.   Giving of ourselves is about love.  This is about God loving us, this is about loving God, and this is about loving others.  Or, as Paul explains it, it is about planting seeds that will sprout.

When I was a child, I wanted to do something really, really special for my parents, because I loved them and they loved me.  So, I took the $14 that I had saved and grabbed a set of new dishes (plates and bowls) that was marked $13.99.  It was a gift of love. 

Unfortunately, as anyone who is older than 11 knows, $14.00 would not be enough for a $13.99 item.  When the total, including tax, came in well over $14, my heart was crushed.  After-all, this was not just a matter of not having enough money to buy myself some candy.  I was trying to give something special to someone out of love.

I think that the cashier saw that look of utter defeat on my face because she said, “You don’t worry about a thing.  I will take care of the rest.”  And, there we have it.  A poor boy, gives his all out of love and a minimum wage earning cashier helps him to do it.   The cashier even helped me carry the heavy box of dishes out to the car where I hid it under my coat in the trunk.  We did not worry about locking our car doors back then.

I thought about that cashier the other day when the man in front of me at the grocery store had the same familiar look of defeat on his face that I had as a child.  All this individual was trying to do was buy some eggs, milk, and bread.  All I was trying to do was buy a couple of Reese’s Peanut Butter cups.  I thought about the love of the cashier, I looked at the cash in my hand, put back the candy, and provided what the man needed. 

I want to be clear; this has nothing to do with me being a great guy.  Rather, it has everything to do with that cashier years and years ago who planted God’s seed of love and giving into my heart.  It has to do with the author of that “giving” sort of love, Jesus Christ.

Jesus gave his time, stopping to heal a woman from bleeding when he was already doing another task.  Jesus has the time to love. 

Jesus gave of his gifts as he multiplied the loaves and the fishes out of love for those who were hungry and seeking his help.  Jesus has the gifts to love.

Jesus gave his life on the cross out of love for us all, that we might be saved from sin and death.  Jesus gave it all. 

Jesus gave of himself, and that seed of love has sprouted again and again like a perennial that keeps sprouting and multiplying every spring.

Planting seeds of love reaps a harvest of abundant love.  That love can be planted through our money, our time, our talents, or a combination of them all.  But, in each case, it holds true that you can only reap a harvest if you planted it in the first place.  “The one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”

Here the thing: God does not sow sparingly.  Paul reminds us that “God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.” 

You have been blessed in abundance, so that you can share joyfully in abundance.  And, all of us have been blessed in abundance.  Some of us: money.  Others of us: time.  Still others: talents and knowledge.  Every part of our being is a gift from God, to be used by Jesus Christ in his mission of love. 

We have been blessed in abundance so that we can love in abundance.  After-all, Jesus Christ loves us in abundance; enough to die for us.  Therefore, we hold high the Christian value of: “Giving of Yourself.”