A friend of mine had a baby recently – and her husband took a week or so off before heading back to work. I asked him how it was going.
He said, work is alright, but it’s different now . I just don’t find it matters as much as it used to. I won’t quit or anything, but it just seems less important to me.
True enough. My friend still needs to work, but there is a new member of his family who is far more important than every possible promotion, raise or accolade.
We all need this kind of shift in perspective – not by all going and having a kid – but by inviting God to be at the center of our lives.
When there is no ultimate goal or concern in our lives, or that varies day to day, or simply becomes whatever is most urgent, busyness consumes us. We can’t stop it or get away from it.
If God is the ultimate center of our lives, then everything else falls into place around Him. James, who we interviewed a couple weeks ago was consumed by the lifestyle his lucrative career could buy, and lost himself. In the end, he quit, took a break, and eventually came back – but able to see that work wasn’t everything. You can watch the interview again here: https://vimeo.com/72458543
He and my friend with the baby both realized they were enslaved to their work, sometimes without even realizing it.
This kind of slavery to work is something God wanted to prevent Israel from ever experiencing again, or inflicting on anyone else. In Deuteronomy 15:1-2 and Deuteronomy 15:12-15:
“At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release. And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor.”
“If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he shall serve you six years, and in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. And when you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty-handed. You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress. As the LORD your God has blessed you, you shall give to him. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this today.
We’ve heard a lot about the Sabbath day so far, but this introduces the idea of the Sabbath year where Israel was meant to release every debt, and release every person who was so indebted they had sold themselves into slavery.
Why? Because God had released their nation from slavery, and this would be a constant reminder. Every week, a day off, and every 6 years, a year off for crops and for the lowest servants. This would be a clear sign they were not worshipping work, but worshipping God.
That same act of liberation needs to be in our rest. We need to tell ourselves we are resting to prove we are not slaves to our employers, to our bank accounts, to our pride or anything else. We are children of God, not defined by work.
There is more to me than my work.
This inner shift has to come before we try making outer, structural changes to our weeks and years, like we’ll discuss next week.
Question: What would it take for you to see your work differently? What could change for a year, or what life event, would break the cycle?
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Matthew 6:1 says “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
Jesus began with a general principle: Beware of practising your righteousness before others in order to be seen by them.
This is one of three examples Jesus uses to illustrate. Look at two others in the next two weeks involving prayer and self-denial.
First example, however, is giving: 2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Jesus acknowledges that his followers are not the only nice, generous people out there, giving is not an exclusively Christian activity.
Says to his followers in v. 2 & 3 "when" you give to the needy – simply assumes you will give to help others.
This would be a big part of Jewish society...a box at every synagogue where money for the poor could be placed.
Another clue: do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do. Even the hypocrites...whose habit of acting religious Jesus is about to attack quite vigorously...are known to give to the poor.
Clearly Jesus doesn’t have to bother commending giving itself, it’s fairly universal.
Same today. Jesus’ followers don’t have a monopoly of giving, or niceness.
Charitable giving by Canadians was $10.6B in 2010
Some Christian, some not. Giving is widespread.
When Jesus talks about giving to the poor, then and today, he’s not claiming that Christians are the only givers, only kind people.
What he does want, however, is for his followers to give for particular reasons. More concerned about motivations than money.
Wants them to hide their giving from others, hide from self, show to God.
Today, we look at hiding it from others
He wants his followers to hide their giving from others. Drive a Prius because it’s eco friendly, not for looks.
Wants his followers to give generously to others whether the collection is in a basket or a bag, whether by pre-authorized giving or in cash, whether recognized by the charity or not.
Wants their motivation to be something other than being noticed by others.
Question: How does Jesus expect his followers to give like others, and how does he expect their giving to be different?
