As disciples of Jesus we are encouraged to be content in this life if we have food and shelter (1st Timothy 6:7-9) knowing that God is aware of our needs and will somehow, someway provide for those basic needs (Matthew 6:30-34). While this teaching from Scripture can be a great source of assurance to a believer, I think it can also be a clarifying standard for Christians in determining who truly are the materially rich and poor in our society.
I say that because I think many Christians are led to believe that this declaration found in 1st Timothy ("If we have food and covering with these we will be content") is just for Christians as though there is one material standard for Christians and then quite another for the world. On the contrary, this is the Creator’s rich/poor line, or the poverty line, for His image-bearers which He has given first to His priests, the mobile tabernacles -- i.e. Christians -- to model and communicate to the nations as the true assessment for evaluating who is in corporeal need and who isn't.
In other words, the rich/poor line isn't -- as our US government would have us believe -- $30,000 a year, two cars and a 2000 square-foot home. Rather, the standard is this: Does one have food, clothes and shelter?
So, for example, if a person has clothes and a home but no food, then they're poor according to Christ; or another, if they have food and clothes but no shelter, then they're poor. But if they have both food and covering, then they're materially rich and should be content; and Christians should be giddy to love and disciple our neighbors in this standard of material wealth, and thereby worship God and bring glory to His name through our deeds of mercy.
No comments:
Post a Comment