this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.
Are we willing to offer the LORD even up to our whole livelihood? Obviously there are many things for which we need it. We are not called to recklessly squander it. That said, are we able to trust the LORD with it? If he calls us, are we willing to step out in faith? We know that every good gift is ultimately from him anyway. We tacitly acknowledge that he can provide for his people. But how tight is our grip on what he does give us? If he asks us to offer back to him something he gives us are we really so certain that we are so good at managing it that we are unwilling to do so?
Only the poor in spirit inherit the kingdom. It is hard (but not impossible) for those who are rich to enter the kingdom. The secret is to be "those buying as not owning, those using the world as not using it fully. For the world in its present form is passing away" (cf. 1 Cor. 7:30-31). The secret is to remember that even our "whole livelihood" is like the talents given by the master. It is not ours to bury. It is not ours to horde. It is not our to squander recklessly. We must use it for the LORD.
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah strike this difficult balance. If we found ourselves forced into the service of an enemy king we would probably take one of two approaches. Most likely, we would wallow in self-pity, feeling unable to do anything of use. How many people find themselves in jobs and responsibilities where they do feel this way? And when they do, do they scrape by with the bear minimum, content to simply survive even if it means burying the gifts? But maybe we would take full advantage of the position, to eat from the table of the king, and to defile ourselves with the food and wine from the royal table. Daniel and his companions do neither. They don't squander their gifts. They don't bury them. They allow the gifts that the LORD gives them to be a blessing to everyone even when they are forced into rolls that they would not choose. They put their whole livelihood in the hands of the LORD. And like those who invest the master's talents they see tremendous returns.
In any question of wisdom or prudence which the king put to them,
he found them ten times better
than all the magicians and enchanters in his kingdom.
This should be how all Christians seem to those around them. It is true that we dwell in a world occupied by enemy forces. Yet even though much badness comes with that we must continue to be good stewards of the gifts we are given. We must not hide our lights under bushel baskets. We must be willing to let them shine. The world needs to see it. It is waiting.
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.
No comments:
Post a Comment