Day 61: The Offering

A good portion of these chapters is taken up with the offering that Paul is bringing to Jerusalem, and that he hopes the Corinthians will contribute generously to.  In Macedonia, they astonished Paul with their generosity, and it might seem that he is shaming the Corinthians (a somewhat wealthier congregation) to do their part.  It is not that they are not going to give anything; he wants them to (cheerfully) give generously, not just a little.

Paul goes back and forth -- give generously, he tells them.  But then he will say, but I'm not saying you should give above your means, just what is appropriate.  Then again, "God loves a cheerful giver."  But  again, it's not what you don't have that counts, but what you do have.  He doesn't seem to want them to give out of guilt or compulsion, but freely, but this is really really important to him.  He wants it to be as important to them.

I think I understand this.  I want people in my congregation to give, and be generous and support the mission of the church, but I feel conflicted about it, too.  I don't want the widows on fixed incomes to hear the message and  give more generously than they can afford.  But then again, I do know there are people out there who can do more than they are doing right now, and I hope to inspire them.  Then again, I really want people to hear the central message -- the message of the overflowing grace and generosity of God, more than anything else.  I would never want people to think that God's love was dependent on their giving.

So, I think I can understand a little of what is running through Paul's mind.

Perhaps this is why I latch onto that one verse, "for you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, though he was rich, became poor for our sakes, so that by his poverty we might become rich"

Again, I'm surprised by some of the things that Paul says.  He has to justify himself (or feels like he does.)  He tells them that he is shy when he is with them, but bold in his letters (which is a fascinating detail to me; I imagine that Paul-in-person would be much like the letters).  He also says that he is quiet and unassuming in person, not eloquent; but he does write eloquently.  Again, this is not the way I imagine Paul.  I may be reading into his words here, but it seems to me that perhaps the Corinthians have heard a flashier preacher of late, and they are wondering if this Paul fellow is really all that he is cracked up to be.

(sigh).  People are often taken in by the flashy public speaker.