Inheritance
When someone dies they pass on an inheritance – something gained because of someone else’s sweat, blood, and tears. We all have an inheritance of freedom in this country, passed on by our fore-fathers because of their sacrifices. It is a joint inheritance, one experienced within the whole and because of the whole. But somehow we see it as an individual inheritance – one to be consumed alone with no thought of passing it along to our children. This is generational wealth.
Our current selfishness is destruction/consumption of our inheritance with no thought for tomorrow – fools we are. This is the case because we have forgotten the whole. Therefore we are weak and wasteful. And our enemies scoff.
The Church mirrors this selfishness. Paul prayed that the believers in Ephesus “eyes would be enlightened” so that they would “know the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.” The context is our inheritance in the Church. We have grown so individually minded – independent – we have forgotten our dependence on God and the Body. It is only through the Body that we gain the inheritance. It is only through the Church is Jesus glorified. You see this by how many can live without their church, switching churches like a junior higher switches girlfriends based on selfish reasons or only being their when it is convenient. Church attendance is only the bi-product of giving your heart to Jesus and your siblings. It is not the measure.
Many I see that live their lives alone with only a measure of the benefits of the Kingdom. The measure of benefits we enjoy is in direct proportion to the measure we give ourselves to each other, the Church. (Jesus, by the way, is the head of the Church.) We struggle along in our poverty, oblivious to our wealth in the saints. Their wealth is our wealth. Our wealth is theirs.
I’ve tried to introduce others to this, inviting them to enjoy the reprieve from the heat by the shadow of His wing. But, they would not. I offer them wisdom but they choose foolishness. The rebellion and pride in their heart is the vast expanse between them and me preventing them from partaking of the riches of the Kingdom. So they stand back in their jealousy and accuse me of not giving. How ungrateful. How arrogant. How poor. My dad used to say, “Poor people have poor ways.”
Come and I will show you the ways of the Lord. Come, experience the inheritance.
Our current selfishness is destruction/consumption of our inheritance with no thought for tomorrow – fools we are. This is the case because we have forgotten the whole. Therefore we are weak and wasteful. And our enemies scoff.
The Church mirrors this selfishness. Paul prayed that the believers in Ephesus “eyes would be enlightened” so that they would “know the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.” The context is our inheritance in the Church. We have grown so individually minded – independent – we have forgotten our dependence on God and the Body. It is only through the Body that we gain the inheritance. It is only through the Church is Jesus glorified. You see this by how many can live without their church, switching churches like a junior higher switches girlfriends based on selfish reasons or only being their when it is convenient. Church attendance is only the bi-product of giving your heart to Jesus and your siblings. It is not the measure.
Many I see that live their lives alone with only a measure of the benefits of the Kingdom. The measure of benefits we enjoy is in direct proportion to the measure we give ourselves to each other, the Church. (Jesus, by the way, is the head of the Church.) We struggle along in our poverty, oblivious to our wealth in the saints. Their wealth is our wealth. Our wealth is theirs.
I’ve tried to introduce others to this, inviting them to enjoy the reprieve from the heat by the shadow of His wing. But, they would not. I offer them wisdom but they choose foolishness. The rebellion and pride in their heart is the vast expanse between them and me preventing them from partaking of the riches of the Kingdom. So they stand back in their jealousy and accuse me of not giving. How ungrateful. How arrogant. How poor. My dad used to say, “Poor people have poor ways.”
Come and I will show you the ways of the Lord. Come, experience the inheritance.
posted by brent at 12:32 PM
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