Indescribable Gift!

Reflection: Paul rounds out his teaching on generosity by giving the reason and motivation for all of our generosity. He says, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”  You might ask what makes it “indescribable”?  It would be helpful for us to meditate on this statement, as we consider the gift God has given us in Jesus Christ.  We need to remember that Jesus was with God from the beginning, and in perfect harmony with Him and all Creation.  And then St. Paul tells us in, Philippians 2, that Jesus did not consider equality with God something to hold on to, but came down out of heaven to become a man.  And not only that but a man who emptied himself, gave up His rights as God, and became a servant.  And not only that, but this “God-man” became a servant, even to death on a cross, where he paid for the sins of the world.  That’s right the one who was sinless, the one who was God, died on a cross, which was reserved for murderers. 

In short, Jesus gave up everything to give us everything.  He surrendered all so we could have all.  Paul says as he contemplates this, it is “indescribable”.  So when we consider how we might give back to Him who gave everything, we can do it with thanksgiving.  Every gift we give should be accompanied with a “thank you” to the One who gave it all for us!  When is the last time you said thank you to God for sending His Son to die for you and all people?  When is the last time you have given of our time, talents or treasures just because?  Just because you are grateful to the one who had it all and gave it all so that we might have life.  I have a feeling if this were to be our meditation, a generosity would be unleashed that the world has never seen and most importantly it would overflow in thanksgiving to God for His great and indescribable gift in His Son! 

¹⁰ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹ You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. ¹² This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. ¹³ Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. ¹⁴ And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Psalm 73:1-12

A psalm of Asaph.

¹ Surely God is good to Israel,
    to those who are pure in heart.

² But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
    I had nearly lost my foothold.
³ For I envied the arrogant
    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

⁴ They have no struggles;
    their bodies are healthy and strong.
⁵ They are free from common human burdens;
    they are not plagued by human ills.
⁶ Therefore pride is their necklace;
    they clothe themselves with violence.
⁷ From their callous hearts comes iniquity;
    their evil imaginations have no limits.
⁸ They scoff, and speak with malice;
    with arrogance they threaten oppression.
⁹ Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
    and their tongues take possession of the earth.
¹⁰ Therefore their people turn to them
    and drink up waters in abundance.
¹¹ They say, “How would God know?
    Does the Most High know anything?”

¹² This is what the wicked are like—
    always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.

Proverbs 29

Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes
    will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.

² When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice;
    when the wicked rule, the people groan.

³ A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,
    but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

⁴ By justice a king gives a country stability,
    but those who are greedy for bribes tear it down.

⁵ Those who flatter their neighbors
    are spreading nets for their feet.

⁶ Evildoers are snared by their own sin,
    but the righteous shout for joy and are glad.

⁷ The righteous care about justice for the poor,
    but the wicked have no such concern.

⁸ Mockers stir up a city,
    but the wise turn away anger.

⁹ If a wise person goes to court with a fool,
    the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.

¹⁰ The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity
    and seek to kill the upright.

¹¹ Fools give full vent to their rage,
    but the wise bring calm in the end.

¹² If a ruler listens to lies,
    all his officials become wicked.

¹³ The poor and the oppressor have this in common:
    The Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.

¹⁴ If a king judges the poor with fairness,
    his throne will be established forever.

¹⁵ A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom,
    but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother.

¹⁶ When the wicked thrive, so does sin,
    but the righteous will see their downfall.

¹⁷ Discipline your children, and they will give you peace;
    they will bring you the delights you desire.

¹⁸ Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;
    but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.

¹⁹ Servants cannot be corrected by mere words;
    though they understand, they will not respond.

²⁰ Do you see someone who speaks in haste?
    There is more hope for a fool than for them.

²¹ A servant pampered from youth
    will turn out to be insolent.

²² An angry person stirs up conflict,
    and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.

²³ Pride brings a person low,
    but the lowly in spirit gain honor.

²⁴ The accomplices of thieves are their own enemies;
    they are put under oath and dare not testify.

²⁵ Fear of man will prove to be a snare,
    but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

²⁶ Many seek an audience with a ruler,
    but it is from the Lord that one gets justice.

²⁷ The righteous detest the dishonest;
    the wicked detest the upright.

2 Corinthians 9:10-10:6

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹ You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

¹² This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. ¹³ Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. ¹⁴ And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Paul’s Defense of His Ministry

10 By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! ² I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. ³ For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. ⁴ The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. ⁶ And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

Whatever the Lord pleases he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. Psalm 135:6

Are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? 1 Corinthians 10:22

God, we go round and round, convinced we know the way. In spite of the evidence of your great beauty all around us, in the mountains, seas, and eyes of those we love, we forget you are the source of all there is. Today, we remember, and we give you all praise and glory! Amen.