Day after day we are constantly reminded that we are representatives of Christ. And these verses remind us what representatives ought to do: “He laid down his life” “a cup of cold water in My name” “I was hungry and you gave Me food” “undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows” “God so loved the world that He gave” “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor” Of course, the list goes on and on. I know there are much more to being a representative of Jesus Christ than being an advocate for humanitarian causes. But let’s look at the daily things that God provides for us all day. Air to breathe, food to eat, clothes to put on, a job, income, encouragement, health. If our heavenly father gave us these things to rely on him for, then what are we doing as advocates to also provide these things to others? God uses the necessities in life as reminders that we need him. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life, and “I am living water”. Every time you breathe, it is a reminder that you need God; and every time you drink, it is a reminder that you need God. Yes, eating, drinking and breathing are all mechanisms that we need to sustain life, but since I think God could have simply designed us without these needs, I believe that God wanted us to learn something from them. God gave us a need for nutrition to remind us that we need spiritual nutrition, not just physical nutrition. Also, we need spiritual breath, and we need living water. Without a God that gives us food and water, what would we think of God being capable of giving us everlasting water, and living bread? So how can we minister about a God that gives us everlasting life, if this God cannot provide a much simpler task of just some clean water? This is where our part comes in. If we are representatives of God, then our job is to do God’s work. He needs us to give that cup of cold water in his name. He needs us to give the hungry some food. Literally, we need to put our money where the mouths are.
LOL – Oh how I love clever puns, and especially ones that emphasize a truth by the twist like this one does!
Vince.
While there is truth to your take on sharing and generosity, let us not forget that our Lord was known as the Great Teacher, not the healer or the guy that would feed thousands. His ministry focused on teaching the good news, he focused on helping others to learn about God’s will. Lets face it, offering financial/food/freebies doesn’t result in conversion from the heart, but rather, conversion out of greed.