For according to their means, I can testify,
and beyond their means, spontaneously,
they begged us insistently for the favor of taking part
in the service to the holy ones,
and this, not as we expected,
but they gave themselves first to the Lord
and to us through the will of God,
Saint Paul, as he raised funds from the Corinthians to alleviate the suffering in Jerusalem, shamelessly announced the result of Macedonian charity. He challenged the Corinthians to do at least as well.
But his story of Christian sacrifice is not unusual. Having survived a brush with a hurricane, my parishioners in Jennings La readily donated to support those who had not been so fortunate. One fellow remarked, "I just thought of how much it would have cost me had my business been struck."
Saint Paul tapped into an ancient Jewish tradition of supporting the needy, especially among their own coreligionists. However, he brought a new and deeper insight to the mission. Christians were bound together as the Body of Christ. Their almsgiving was not simply a pious act of religious obedience; nor was it atonement for sin. All the various congregations of the one universal church should support one other as the neck supports the head; and the lungs, the heart.
Money in the church is more than a personal treasure; it is like grace, a support and reassurance for every Christian in need. As it flows like blood from Corinth to Jerusalem, or Jerusalem to Rome money sustains the whole body.
To feed a fellow Christian is to feed the Lord himself. It made perfect sense that they should care for Christians in some faraway part of the Empire; and, if the need arose, they could expect support from those same distant churches.
This is the privilege of all Christians, and the enthusiasm of Macedonia set a standard for all time.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.