Stewardship [17]
Most people when they hear the word “stewardship” groan inwardly, believing that this is only to do with money and (even worse) that the church is always asking for it. During my time in ministry, I have been accused on a number of occasions of asking for money. Well, there are many things on which I could be faulted but actually I don’t think this is one of them.
As I said to this congregation when I came here, there may be times when I will bring certain needs before you for prayerful consideration. It is up to you to respond in the way that seems appropriate to you. That is (to me) very different from asking for money. Maybe you see it differently?
Actually, the issues are very simple. All we have comes from God. God does not actually ask for it back, as the gifts of God are irrevocable. But he gives it to us in trust.
Under Old Testament Law, God was to be given a minimum of a title (a tenth) of everything. That sounds good. Of course, people can become obsessive. Jesus spoke of people who tithed dill and cumin and yet neglected the actual spirit of God’s law. We now live under the New Covenant and need not be bound by the strict tenth. Does that mean then that we give more or less?
I have to point out the somewhat painful fact that we, as a congregation, have got to be able to pay our way. If we don’t we cannot hope to survive, humanly speaking. There is no chest of gold in Edinburgh for us to tap in to.
But there are other ways of giving to God and these all need to be controlled by our worship. Worship of God and knowledge of his Word will lead us to service of others. But generally speaking service of others will not necessarily lead us to worship. Also a worldly-wise calculation of Christian giving may well give us the wrong answer.
It is often easier to give materially - especially when it will get the praise and admiration of men - than to share of ourselves.
Spiritual devotion will seldom be appreciated by other people – it may even be despised.
People thought that the widow’s mite was too small but they thought that Mary’s gift was too great. Their attitude was really the same, odd as that may sound. “The world despised the widow’s mite as too small while it criticised the anointing as wasteful, exhibitionist and unrealistic.[18]
This is a helpful warning to us to beware of over close, worldly wise calculation in church affairs. What was said about the value of the ointment and the need of the poor was true – but the Lord looks for un-calculating wealth of devotion rather than a fine wisdom and balanced judgment in giving. The Lord loves a cheerful giver, not a careful one.”
Our whole attitude to giving, whether it be money, time or talents depends on our attitude to God and to what God has done and does in Jesus Christ.
Judas had been with Jesus from the very beginning of his ministry. Yet his heart was hardened in such a way that he deprecated devotion to Jesus by saying that the money could have been spent on something better. Yet he himself was dipping in to the funds for which he was responsible and would eventually betray his Master for thirty pieces of silver.
In considering our stewardship, let us all (and that includes me) ensure that we are not carried away by love of the world which ruined Judas and which made him despise an action of costly devotion and love which, as long as the Gospel is preached will be told in memory of one whose love was constant and true.