Making A Profit
My wife and I once made a small gift to a cause we cared about. It's been a few years, and we're still getting automated mailers from the organization. The envelopes declare "Urgent Need Inside!" or "Special Message For You: Open Now!" By now, they've probably spent as much on postage and glossy brochures as we sent them in the first place. Our gift became a monthly subscription to a junk mail service.
Philippians 4:15-20
And you Philippians yourselves know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church partnered with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you alone. For even in Thessalonica you sent for my need more than once. Not that I am looking for the gift; I am looking for the profit that grows to your account. I have been paid in full, and more. I am fully supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you sent: a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Epaphroditus nearly died to bring the Philippian church's gift to Paul (2:25-30). But Paul never directly thanks them for the sacrificial offering. Instead of thanking them, he thanks God and congratulates his friends for doing well (4:14). The absence of a "thank you" is intentional. In his context, a gift created a debt that had to be repaid. If he accepted the Philippians as sponsors, he would owe them honor and loyalty. He would be "in their pocket." So, Paul refuses to sign the social contract. He will not commercialize their relationship. They are fellow saints, not giving units. Instead of keeping an account of what they've given to him, he maintains a ledger of the profit increasing in their account. He refuses to manipulate them to get more from them. Instead, he celebrates their spiritual maturity. Their generosity is transforming them to be like Christ, and he's excited to see them make a good return. Not only are they spiritually profitable, but Paul says their gift is "a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God." It's what priests say over the smoke of a burnt offering. So, when this impoverished church scraped together funds to care for their friend in prison, God received their gifts as worship. Finally, Paul assures the Philippians that they are under God's care. Just as God has met his needs, he knows God will do the same for his friends. God's riches in glory are more than enough to not only save our souls but also to give us our daily bread. In twenty years of ministry, I've written hundreds of thank-you notes. But I've never written a note congratulating my donors for making a donation. It would feel presumptuous. Maybe that reluctance reflects a failure to trust God for my needs. When I think I need to get money from others, I can no longer see my fellow saints as priests standing in worship before God. "Thank you" acknowledges a donation or subtly asks for more. But Paul is celebrating the spiritual growth he sees in his friends.
Have you ever felt like spiritual language was being leveraged to extract a donation from you?
What does it tell us about God that he not only meets our needs but also celebrates our generosity?
Paul cares more about who the Philippians are becoming than what they can give to him. How do you tend to evaluate your friends?
Think of someone who you've seen be generous, even in a small way. Send them a text, "I've noticed how generous you are, and I think God is doing something good in you."