Brown's Daily Word 11-8-07

Good Morning.
One of the familiar stories of the New Testament is the story of Zacchaeus, who met Jesus. In a deeper way Jesus, who came to seek and save the lost, came to Jericho, the oldest city on earth, seeking Zacchaeus. Jesus is the "Hound of Heaven" who, even today, seeks to save and to rescue. There was a dramatic transformation in the life of Zacchaeus. His priorities and perspectives on life changed after his encounter with the living Lord. He became a very generous and giving person. The Lord baptized him, including his bank accounts.
One of the visible signs of a redeemed person is giving and generosity. When we look at chapter 11 of Ecclesiastes, we read these familiar words, “Cast your bread upon the waters.” It meant that sometimes we do things for others that may appear to be wasteful, extravagant. Who would take good bread and throw it in the water? This “casting of bread” means that we should be willing to take a chance where we perceive a need exists. This is a faith venture. The bread of charity goes forth, like ships transporting their cargo over the waters.
One day C.S. Lewis was walking with J.R.R. Tolkien in Cambridge when the two were approached by a shabbily-dressed man asking for money. Lewis fished out of his pocket all his spare change and handed it to the man. Tolkien chided Lewis, saying that the man would likely use it for drink. “Well,” said Lewis, “I’d probably use it for drink myself.” We should give wisely, but sometimes we simply give out of the goodness of our hearts.
In his book, The Power of Generosity, Dave Toycen maintains: “Panhandlers deserve to be treated as human beings. Whether we choose to give money or not, our first obligation in a caring society is to acknowledge their presence. Looking away is a form of denial that diminishes and distances at the same time. Generosity sets a standard that builds relationships rather than destroys them.” Some people who go to the city bring extra sandwiches to give to panhandlers. On the other hand, he saw a t-shirt that read, “No change--don’t ask.” We can be mean-spirited, or we can communicate grace. It’s wiser to give to shelters and soup kitchens, and steer people to them, particularly if we suspect our money may aid someone’s addiction.
Are we generous or greedy? If we fantasize about winning a magazine sweepstakes, what first comes to mind? a) What we could buy for ourselves; or b) what we might do for others? Proverbs 11:24 says, “the world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller” (The Message).
Generosity isn’t something religious fanatics do; it’s a lifestyle of sharing that enriches the giver. Jesus commended a poor woman who gave to the temple two “mites”, an insignificant amount, yet Her giving received special notice from God. We do not give to gain favor from God; we certainly don’t do it to get to Heaven. We give because we are grateful for all God has done, and we want to give cheerfully.
We need to keep from limiting our giving; verse 2 says to “give portions to seven, eight”, whatever is needed. Seven is the Hebrew number of completeness; eight goes one step further. Giving becomes habit, a way of life--in good times and times of disaster. We don’t wait for an earthquake or flood--we give regularly. In verse 3 our kindness is compared to clouds swelling with rain, the natural outflow of a full life. We empty ourselves again and again. Our lives are filled with God’s blessings, and we in turn shower others with our bounty. We don’t know what disasters may come upon the land -- in other words, this could be our last day, so we are and we must be benevolent.
In verse 3, Solomon uses a symbol of trees falling to the south or north. Whatever direction a tree falls, that is where it is meant to be according to God’s providence. In the same way, we are placed where God wants us, for His purpose. Things don’t happen by accident. The people Solomon is writing to are struggling with causality; they see life as meaningless. Does anything matter in life? As people of faith, we accept God’s will and we try to bloom where we are planted.
Sometimes we lack faith, and so we hesitate to act. Verse 4 cautions that we lose out by waiting for the perfect time and occasion to proceed. Waiting for perfect conditions can keep us from growing, and failure to get things done. Time and events wait for no one. Procrastination is the thief of time. Faith means trusting God, especially when His timing disagrees with ours.
One thing we eventually discover about life is just how little we really know. We are frequently baffled over what God does in His world, and why, and we have no control over His activity. Verse 5 reminds us that we do not know the path of the wind, nor can we comprehend the mystery of birth. We don’t need to know all the answers to life’s mysteries. We marvel at Creation and are humbled by all that God has wrought. The winds are directed by His command. Until God takes us home we will not grasp the mystery at work in all He does.
God expects us to continue sowing our seed, verse 6. We can’t foresee whether our efforts will be fruitful, but we labor on, nonetheless. We don’t stop; we don’t give up, and we don’t know how our work will turn out in the end.
Verses 7 and 8 speak of light and darkness. When the sun breaks through a darkened, cloudy sky we thank God for getting us through the storm. There will be many days of darkness, many inevitable trials in life. God helps us grow through them, and He intends that we help others. The true source of the world’s light is the Lord Jesus, and we are His hands in the world, bringing comfort to those in need.
Solomon is not saying in verse 8 that after death there is nothing; he’s pointing out that death is final. He’s saying in effect: “You only have one life to live.” To unbelievers, death is shrouded in mystery. To people of Jesus the Risen one,it is the gateway to New Jerusalem.
In Jesus ,
Brown

The St. Petersburg Men's Ensemble
Sunday, November 11, 2007

The St. Petersburg Men's Ensemble will be in concert at the Union Center United Methodist Church during the 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. worship services, and in full concert at 7:00 p.m. This group consists of four gifted and talented male vocalists, who sing a cappella. They sing a wide repertoire of musical styles, including classic songs of the Christian faith and Russian folk songs.
The church is located at 128 Maple Drive, Endicott, NY. For information, please call (607)748-1358.