Sowing and Reaping

I have often heard Luke 6:38 ("Give and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you") used as an offering text, and it is a good one for that. Another one commonly used for offerings is 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, 10-11: "But this I say: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work....Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God." Both point out that you reap according to how you sow.

Interesting too that God gives both sufficiency and abundance, likewise seed and bread. The sufficiency and the bread is provision for our needs, and the abundance and seed is "for every good work", so we can give and help others who have need, including individuals, our churches, other ministries, other places where we can do good and/or further the work of God's kingdom. We are "enriched for all liberality."

Paul starts a chapter earlier to talk about giving, and in the middle of that he writes this surprising verse (into which I am adding my parenthetical comments): "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich (before He came to the earth), yet for your sakes He became poor (He left all those heavenly riches behind for our sakes) that you through His poverty might become rich." There are those who would claim that this just means spiritual riches, but the context is about material giving. So it would appear that God is perfectly happy for us to be financially rich, as long as we have this giving heart, and are cheerful givers. In fact, if you look at the lists of blessings and curses in Deuteronomy 28, poverty is mentioned over and over in the curses list, but certainly not in the blessings list.

In another letter, Paul says, "Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good that he may have something to give him who has need" (Ephesians 4:28). We should work so that we have something to give! How freeing to have our focus on being able to be a blessing, and be able to rest in the knowledge that God is our source of supply, both bread and sufficiency as well as seed and abundance! It is usually the case that He does supply through our work, but let's trust Him for extra so we can enjoy the thrill of being a blessing to others.

But back to Luke 6:38. Its context is actually not about giving money or material things. Backing up to verse 35-37: "But love your enemies, do good and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." And then we have our "Give, and it will be given to you" verse. There is mention of lending, hoping for nothing in return, so giving money is included. But it is even more about the giving of our forgiveness, giving mercy as we refrain from judging and from condemning and we will receive the same. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy," Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount.

It is so easy to judge and condemn. But the truth is, we do not really know what is in the hearts of other people. We don't really know their motives. Consider, when you are at the receiving end of rudeness or unkind and unjust behaviour, that you don't know where those actions are coming from. Hurt people hurt people. We have no idea what they are dealing with on a daily basis or what kind of bad news they may just have received. Even with our family members, we need to give them the benefit of the doubt and not ascribe evil motives to them. Be ready to extend mercy and leniency. Your Father has been and continues to be merciful to you.

So let's be generous givers in the areas of finances as well as mercy and forgiveness. We have the promise that as we sow, we will also reap.