Scripture
For you know the grace of our LORD Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that through HIS POVERTY you might become rich.
~2 Corinthians 8:9, NIV
Quote
But drops of grief can never repay the debt of love I owe; here LORD I give myself away, tis all that I can do.
~Issac Watts
I’ve read today’s text I don’t know how many times but yesterday the two words–HIS POVERTY–jumped out at me. Let me say before I make any comments, I am not woke; I am not a social justice warrior. I know there is some poverty in America but it is not our number one problem and neither is racism. Things have changed drastically in America in my own life time. When I was in elementary school 60 plus years ago, very few people had money. Of the 28 or so students in my class, only two had money in their pocket. Most of us had nothing. We couldn’t buy a drink {6 cents} or a candy bar. We didn’t think about that much because practically everyone was in the same boat. There were some kids in our class that had less than I did, a lot less. I worked my way through high school, college and Seminary {June did help me in Seminary}. For the first 30-35 years of my ministry, I drove old ratty cars. I have rode in things that some would not be caught dead in. At the same thing, I have to say this: I have never had a hard time finding work. My first employer {became a mentor} was James M. Newby. I worked as a farm hand through high school, then I bagged groceries at A&P, then I was the stock boy at J.C. Penney in Huntsville. In New Orleans, I got a job the second day I was there–painting old tin buildings at the 7-Up plant, then my last year, I worked on a Milk dock for a diary. I work for a man who will hire people off the street any working day of the week but I never run into anyone who wants to work. What I am saying is that POVERTY in these parts is mostly self-induced.
BUT that really has nothing to do with the text. Jesus choose to be poor. He could have been born in a palace. Herod’s palace was 4 miles from Bethlehem and it had hot and cold water, bath rooms, the whole nine yards. Yet Jesus first crib was a feeding trough. Our goal is to become rich: Jesus goal was to become poor. He was rich in heaven but He became poor here on earth. Mary and Joseph were members of the peasant class. Jesus was raised in poverty. He never owned a home. Matter of fact when He died, the only thing He owed was his coat. He borrowed a room for the last supper and He was buried in a borrowed tomb.
Don’t misunderstand the point as our Catholic friends have done. The members of the Saint Benedictine order take a vow to poverty. There is nothing inherently spiritual about poverty. Poor people don’t give; they are not in a position to give. In Ephesians 4:28, Paul said, “Use your hands to do hard work, and then you can give generously to others in need.” It doesn’t matter how much money you have, Christ wants us to be poor in spirit which is code for humility. Don’t limit wealth to money only: Christ became poor so we could become rich in humility, mercy, kindness and love. By the world’s standards, I am not a wealthy man but I don’t go by the world’s standard and I am telling you, Christ has made me rich. There is a thin line between authentic praise and vain glory and I am not taking any chances but I know that in CHRIST, I am a wealthy man and it is much more exciting to give than to receive. Both are fun if we have the right spirit. Billy Graham said, “God gave us two hands, one to receive and one to give.” It takes a certain grace to do both. Pride and greed will pervert the process.
We celebrate the home going of Roger Burcham. Roger was the last member {other than yours truly} of the old Friday prayer group that meet every week for a decade. John Tanner was the one who wanted to start the group. We were building the FORTE and John said, “We are too old to help but we can at least pray.” Our goal was to pray every Friday until the FORTE was completed and we ended up praying almost a decade. Members of that group were John, Hugh, Milton, Luther, Kenneth, Roger and myself. We started out going to Cross Roads for lunch afterwards which I looked forward to but they went up on their salad bar and Hugh stopped going. I praise the LORD for Roger’s promotion because he got to stay at HOME. Folks, in these days, that is huge. A tribute to Dot for taking good care of Roger. She has had some difficult moments but she did it and did it superbly. I also want to thank the church for standing with Dot.
We will blog through Saturday and then take a week off, LORD willing. I may take a computer with me but more than likely will not blog while we are in the mountains. Things are different for us this year. I think Big Mama and I will be home alone but we do have next week to look forward to and I have my puzzles. I do hope you have a Merry Christmas and I plan to be at communion tonight at DBC. Perhaps I will see some of you there: if not, I wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS. I do love those two words.