The Point of Absurdity
In highschool I was watching tv and came across a televangelist. I remember stopping my channel surfing because it looked like a QVC sales pitch with the numbers in the corner and a timer of when supplies would be out of stock. I was intrigued because this was normally the channel that some pastor was on tv screaming not a “but wait there is more” type of paid advertisement. As I watch my skin began to crawl. There was a “prayer ministry” out of Ohio that was offering to have their “Bishop Fredricks” prayer over a handkerchief and mail it to you for a small price. “Just call in with your ‘gift’ ready!” So . . . I called. A woman answered with an incredibly long introduction about their ministry that was well rehearsed. I asked how much was the handkerchief. She asked for my name and address. I politely asked again, how much was the handkerchief. She responded, “Sir if you will let me know what your prayer request is and your address I can put it in and then we will take care of billing.” I told her that I was interested in the cost of having my hanky prayed over because money was tight. She said, “The handkerchief is $75.” After trying to convince her to let me mail in one of my on handkerchiefs to be “prayed over” in order to save money to no avail, I revealed my true intention. I told her that my handkerchiefs at home were used and gross but I would love to “bless” her with as many as I could send them if she would just give me her address. I even told her it was free. She must have had another call.
I sometimes feel like “Bishop Fredricks” when I talk about tithes and offerings and to be fully transparent I’m sure in my life in ministry I have fallen into a type of that persona that was more than just a feeling. In our church culture we have developed a dependency on money. This was not something felt in the early church and the reason is organizations are dependent on revenue and organisms are dependent upon life. The weird reality is that organizations sometimes have life and organisms sometimes have revenue. Thus we get lost in what drives us and where our focus should be.
We all have seen the sleazy “ministries” that have lots of glitz and glamour asking for money, all while our spirit is doing backflips screaming “RED FLAG! RED FLAG!” But trying to be a Pastor inside this church culture and encourage people to give generously without feeling like I should go out and buy pinky rings is something that makes me think I should have bought the prayer hanky for the extra layer of blessing.
This skewed approach to giving unfortunately comes with lots of hesitancy - even carrying over to the guy on the street corner begging for food. I sit and rationalize what he needs or doesn’t need for long enough for me not to have enough time to do anything before the light turns green. Sure, he could be living in a 4000 sqft house. Sure, he could be using the money given to feed an addiction. But when did I separate myself from humanity to the point where someone must meet my qualifications of need before I will be generous? God loves a judgemental giver? NOPE!
Jesus teaches us to give blindly:
“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.
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 teaches us that relationships are more important than giving:
23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Jesus doesn’t focus on percentages He focuses on ALL:
41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
Again Jesus doesn’t mention 10% He focuses on ALL:
7 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”
At Selah Memphis, we see how Jesus teaches the Levitical law of tithing. But like He does with all “new covenant” teaching, He takes it to the point of absurdity. Jesus doesn’t refer to giving in percentages. He teaches to give all. Another way to look at it is this: would Jesus be someone you trust with your money? Could He qualify in today’s church culture as a good business administrator? He most likely would be considered an abusurd decision maker in the financial arena. Most Biblical financial planning is based on concepts and practices pulled out of context. And one of the last things I’d define Jesus as, because of my skewed viewpoint on money and giving, is a good example to folllow when it comes to personal finance. So the fact that I am more likely to attribute the word “absurd” to Jesus’s financial teachings versus “well-thought-out” causes red flags to go off in me again. Have we come up with a better way to manage giving and finances, or have we gotten “safe”?
In order to be like Christ, we have to look at His life. So it’s time to get absurd.
Absurdity looks like this right now for me and my family in these two areas:
In a season when we are fully trusting God with our money (or lack of it), we are still going to give to the point of absurdity.
I’m going to risk the appearance of the sleazy preacher and encourage you to live generously. Sure, I would love for it to be helping in the start-up phase of Selah Memphis, but generosity is the heart goal. This church culture concept that you must give a tithe to “your church” and it must be 10% is not the goal.
Jesus said ALL because He was talking about our hearts. There is no money in heaven, but think about the generosity that exists there! It’s time for “church organizations” to realize that a dependency on revenue is far from the gospel and to transition to life-giving organisms that give to the point of absurdity!