Read: Romans 15:25-29; Acts 19:21-22
If the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they also ought to be of service to them in material blessings. (Rom. 15:27)
A few years ago, I kept a coin in my pocket during the 40 days of Lent, which had on it the insignia of the cross. It was a daily physical reminder to me to adopt the mind and sacrificial service of Jesus Christ.
Paul wrote that before he came to visit the church in Rome (Rom. 15:23-24), he would first go to the mother church in Jerusalem with an offering from the Gentile churches of Macedonia and Achaia (vv. 25-26). This offering was partly symbolic, communicating to the entire world that there was a peace between Jews and Gentiles in the new family of faith in Jesus Christ that was greater than the peace of Rome. It was also a sign of respect from daughter church to mother church. However, it was not only symbolic! It was a significant amount of money that would relieve the material poverty and stress of the church in Jerusalem. From 2 Corinthians 8-9, we also learn the offering for the mother church in Jerusalem held a strategic place in Paul’s plans.
The offering is not a mere formality in our worship services either. Offerings are both a symbol of the submission of our financial lives to Christ, a sign of unity and trust, and needed to sustain ministry. They are real symbols of the unity that we already possess in Jesus Christ.
As you pray, pray that the unity of the church be strengthened, perhaps especially through the grace of giving.
Kent Fry is a retired pastor and visiting research fellow at the Van Raalte Institute in Holland, Michigan. He and his wife, Joyce, are active members of Second Reformed Church in Zeeland, Michigan. Kent is an active cyclist, and he and Joyce enjoy time with their children and grandchildren.
