“Every why hath a wherefore.” That was Shakespeare’s poetic way of saying that very little happens by chance. Generally there is an agent behind an action. There is cause and effect. And to navigate life well, it is vital we understand both. If you want to effect a healthy heart, you need to know the causes of heart disease. Before a major purchase causes you to go into debt, you need to think about the effect it will have on your budget. If you want the peace of being close to God, you need to know what causes that effect. Again, to navigate life well, it is vital we understand cause and effect.

We are nearing the end of the Church Year. This past year, we have reviewed Jesus’ life and teaching. The Scripture readings in these final weeks recall some of the major themes that are woven throughout the Church Year. In this final series we will be looking at those themes with the understanding that “every why hath a wherefore.” We conclude the year by talking about cause and effect in God’s kingdom.

When King David and the people of Israel brought their gifts for the building of the temple, David did not pat himself or his country on the back. Instead, he was amazed at what God had done among them: “Who are we, that we should be able to give as generously as this?” (1 Chronicles 29:14) His joy in giving came from the privilege of being able to give at all!

Humility is the first step in growing in how we see our giving. Everything we place into God’s hands was his to begin with. Our resources, our skills, even our ability to work and earn, all come from him. Giving is not about what we lose, but about what we return to the Lord from his blessings to us.

Second, we grow in generosity when we see giving not as an obligation but as worship. The people gave joyfully because they knew they were part of something bigger. They were participating in the building of God’s . . . . house for God’s mission and to God’s glory. In the same way, each time we give we join in God’s work of bringing his gospel to the world.

Finally, giving allows us to grow through the work of the Holy Spirit. Each act of generosity is a reminder to us that God will continue to provide. As we release our grip on what we think is ours, we learn to trust more deeply in him.

David and the Israelites were getting one of their greatest projects rolling – the building of the first permanent temple to worship their Lord. David leads the people in understanding what was happening in this exciting moment of generosity.

Over time in the Word our giving becomes less about duty and more about joy, less about the sacrifice we make and more about worship. Jesus’ generous sacrifice has made us his people through his forgiveness and love. God’s people give! Like David, we stand in amazement: “Who am I, that God should give me this great privilege?”

But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 
(1 Chronicles 29:14)

Is it easier to be a proclaimer of God’s truth in prosperity or in tough times? The answer is probably this: “Neither is easier. They’re just different.”

On the prosperity side, maybe you don’t have to struggle for the basic needs of life. You live comfortably. You may not face outright physical persecution. The enemy of the faith can be sneakier, and within – within our own country, our own churches, our own selves.

Amos was a prophet who ministered during a prosperous time in the history of God’s Old Testament people. Yes, the Kingdom had divided into north (Israel) and south (Judah), but both territories were doing well. He looked around him and saw people – especially the leadership – lounging on couches, dining on choice foods, strumming away on musical instruments, and drinking wine by the bowlful. They were complacent and living a decadent life. The worst attitude was that of . . . . not grieving over the ruin of Joseph (Amos 6:6). Their country and people were going down the tubes, and they didn’t care!

So, Amos invites them to look around at other great cities around them – Kalneh, Hamath, and Gath – and make a comparison. Israel and Judah were prospering, but were they any better than these other cities spiritually? Could they not fall just like any other nation had?

Christians are often saddened by the spiritual state of our country. Are we doing any better than countries around us, especially those we might have considered “less godly” at one point? We have prosperity that was unthinkable in the past. Is it possible that our own nation could lose that? These are uncomfortable questions, but ones Amos leads us to ask.

It starts with us. Do we fall into spiritual complacency? Is our passion the same as that of Christ who came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10)? Let’s be renewed and refreshed in God’s grace in Christ! We have a God who sought us out and redeemed us. We are sent to spread the light of our Savior. We are called to be active in having conversations about our faith and engaging our neighbors, children and friends with the eternal Word of God. We do grieve any spiritual decline, and we’re not complacent. We are messengers of gospel hope who trust that God will bless his Word.

You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. (Amos 6:6)

What Does It Mean to Be Shrewd in God’s Kingdom?

Most parables Jesus told give us a clear example to follow like the Good Samaritan who helps his neighbor. Or there’s a clear warning like with the Rich Fool who trusts in wealth. But then we come to the Parable of the Shrewd Manager (Luke 16:1-15). What do we do with him? This man, the manager, is not a hero. He wastes his master’s possessions. When he’s about to lose his job, he refuses manual labor and comes up with a plan. He lowers the debts of others so they’ll treat him well later. To us it looks unethical. Yet Jesus says he is commended for being shrewd.

They say that when Uber began the company went into cities without permission, built a user base, and only then dealt with regulators. Not exactly ethical, but ambitious and determined to build their future. Those are the qualities Jesus points to – not dishonesty, but zeal, wisdom, and a view to the future.

If people and companies are so intense about securing their earthly future, shouldn’t Christians be even more zealous about how they live under God? Too often we treat our faith passively, as though drifting along is enough. But Jesus calls us to ambitious . . . . use of the resources God has entrusted to us—for generosity, for service, for building up his Kingdom.

The verses that follow the parable make it clear that this has nothing to do with greed or materialism. “You cannot serve both God and money.” The Pharisees thought riches proved God’s blessing. Jesus says true blessing is knowing how to use wealth shrewdly as an expression of faith.

At the same time, we remember that in the end, the manager had to trust the mercy of his master. So do we. Our standing before God does not rest on our shrewdness, but on Christ’s grace. His cross secures our eternal dwelling. To serve him as our only master with all we have is true shrewdness.
 

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Luke 16:13)

The Pharisees and their companions often gave Jesus good reasons to launch into a teaching or a parable of some kind. In Luke 15 their complaints about his close association with “sinners” led to three parables in a row about being lost and being found.

Let’s just take the first of the three, “The Parable of the Lost Sheep” (Luke 15:1-7). When one sheep goes astray, the shepherd is not content to let it happen. Even though there are ninety-nine others, the one that is lost is not disposable. There’s no thought of just going out and replacing it with another, more “obedient” sheep.

The appeal of keeping our churches “neat” and “tidy” is strong. It makes things easier for us. A self-righteous church is also overly . . . . concerned about protecting its image and feels some pride in whispering judgment on others. That in no way reflects the church Jesus set up, though. Are we a welcoming church ready to throw a party of grace for wanderers who are brought home by the Holy Spirit?

There’s also an implication there in the Pharisees’ complaints that the people they looked down on were in the category of “sinners,” while the Pharisees and others were not. This attitude made these self-righteous religious leaders more lost than anyone, because they did not even recognize their own “lostness” or look to the Messiah for salvation.

We have been welcomed in God’s grace. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Despite our own sins, Jesus has sought us out and has given us the blessings of forgiveness and the resurrection through faith in him.

The Pharisees meant their words to be a criticism: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Without knowing it they were proclaiming God’s love and the heart of the gospel for us and for all.

Jesus welcomed sinners. We are a church that does too!
 

2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” … 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. (Luke 15:2,7)

Philemon is a very short book and seems to be mostly an everyday letter about an everyday topic. Some might question its usefulness or even its right to be in the Bible at all. But then God inspired it to be there so he must have a purpose in mind.

A close read of the letter to Philemon shows it to be a very gospel-oriented correspondence. Paul’s words in verse 18, “charge it to me,” are an echo of the heart of the gospel. Paul is willing to bear the debt of Onesimus because Christ bore our debt before God.

The whole letter is a living illustration of . . . . Christian sacrifice for the sake of reconciliation. Each of the three men involved are called on to willingly “take on someone else’s debt” for the good of the others.

The Apostle Paul writes from prison, already suffering for the gospel. Yet even there, he sacrifices further by sending away Onesimus, who had become like a “son” to him in faith (v. 10).

Onesimus was a runaway slave. For him it was no small step to follow the apostle’s advice and return to the house of his master Philemon where he could potentially face anger or worse. He trusted in God’s grace and the appeal Paul makes on his behalf.

Then Philemon is asked to receive Onesimus not as a slave but a brother in Christ. This does not seem to us to be such a difficult request, but at the time it would upend social norms and possibly cause financial loss. His response in Christian love would be one of mercy, not justice.

Faith in Christ changes all our relationships. We continually go back to his willingness to charge our offenses to him. As Isaiah, the prophet, reminds us: But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). At the cross, he absorbed the full cost of our rebellion so that we might be reconciled to the Father and to one another.

We can forgive others’ wrongs to us. We can humbly give up our own comfort for the sake of reconciliation. Paul’s “charge it to me” ultimately points us back to Christ.

17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. … 25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
(Philemon 1:17-18,25)

You want to sell a kitchen table on Facebook Marketplace because you just bought a new one. You publish the pictures and the price. A buyer comes over, takes a look, and decides to go for it. He or she walks away with the table. You receive some cash. This feels completely normal. It’s called a transaction.

We know all about business. Everything has a dollar cost. We’ve noticed for a while now, though, that the “transaction” mindset can too easily bleed over into many people relationships where it doesn’t belong. Our world often runs on “what’s in it for me?” Transactional relationships dominate—from business networking to social media “likes,” to even friendships built on convenience. That shouldn’t feel normal, because it’s not.

If you invite someone to a meal who cannot pay you back, you’re acting beyond a transaction. It takes God-given humility. Jesus calls his disciples to give in a way that does nothing to advance their own status. In his day, banquets were often about reputation—whom you invited, whom you sat with, how it would reflect on you. Inviting the poor or crippled would not raise your standing. In fact, it might lower it.

Jesus does promise repayment “at the resurrection of the righteous.” But we have to be clear: this is not a transaction with God. We don’t earn eternal life by our generosity. Otherwise, it would fall back into the very mindset Jesus warns against. The resurrection is pure gift, given for the sake of Christ’s death and resurrection. Our acts of humble generosity flow from that grace. And that frees us to give without calculating, trusting God’s overflowing generosity toward us. Who could use a gift without cost from you?

But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. (Luke 14:13–14)