Every so often as I research and read in preparation for one topic, I stumble across a line, thought or quote that inspires me to write a new sermon – or in this case a blog post. As I was reading Scot McKnight’s Kingdom Conspiracy (great book – please read it!), I found this quote on the topic of how citizens of the Kingdom of God (Christians) should consider handling finances, money, and possessions.

[Jesus] is neither a champion nor an opponent of laissez faire; he neither forbids trade unions, strikes, and lockouts, nor advises them; he was neither socialist nor individualist. Jesus was fined neither of the working nor [of] the rich man as such. He dealt with persons, nor economic classes. The question he would put to a man is not “Are you rich?” “Are you poor?” but “Have you done the will of my Father and loved all men?”

 The quote is from Shailer Mathews, a prominent theologian from the early 20th century, and the quote addresses one of the most complicated, under-discussed, and controversial aspects of Jesus: money. Don’t mis-read me, though; I am not saying that money is not talked about at all. Our culture has money on the brain. We watch stocks, bank accounts, and investments with Superman-laser-eye-like intensity. Bills constantly remind us of money. We have TV channels dedicated to money. Political debates and disagreements often revolve around money like planets around a star. We think about, talk about, complain about, dream about, and maybe even obsess about money. We “keep our mind on our money and our money on our mind.” But not in the context of Jesus and his Kingdom. That’s complicated and uncomfortable. Many don’t know what Jesus taught about money, and many think they do. You might have heard that Jesus only loves the poor and has no tolerance for the rich and wealthy. Or maybe you heard that Jesus was hypocritical by condemning the wealthy while benefiting from their contributions. So let’s clear some things up, and here is where the above quote is so valuable. Read more…

As the end of the Israelite exile in Babylon came to an end, God began to prepare Israel for their return home. They went home in waves, one group went early to rebuild the wall around the city, another group went early to rebuild the temple, and then everyone else came to rebuild their homes. And to prepare the Israelites for their return, God gave these words to the prophet Haggai in 2:1-9:

In the second year of King Darius, in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say, Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts, according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear. For thus says the Lord of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.

Before the Israelites could return, it was imperative that God remind them not to be afraid. Certainly returning to their homeland would be challenging, full of risk and danger, and was likely an intimidating prospect, but God nonetheless wanted Israel to trust in God for their safety. And what exactly was supposed to embolden the Israelites; from where was their courage drawn? From the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit.

Of all the reasons God could have supplied to the Israelites for not being afraid, God chose to remind them that the Holy Spirit was with them. God could have said, “Do not be afraid for I will protect you,” or “Do not be afraid for I will fight for you,” or any number of other reasons, but it is the presence of the Holy Spirit that was chosen to encourage, uplift, and protect the Israelites. And what could be more safe, more empowering, or more courage giving than having the presence of God with you? These Israelites were empowered by the presence of the Holy Spirit to carry out the work with which God had tasked them. How amazing is that?!

My question, then, is do we feel as empowered and courageous as the Israelites did? We have the same Holy Spirit abiding with us, but do we still fear the work that God has called us to do? All followers of Christ have been called to live a life that stands as a witness to the life, love, and sacrifice of Christ, but are we afraid of living such a life? Are we afraid of the sacrifices following Christ will demand? Are we afraid of the consequences following Christ will enact? Are we afraid of the lifestyle changes that following Christ will bring? Or are we courageously living our lives for Christ because we know the presence of God is with us in the Holy Spirit? The choice to be afraid or to not be afraid is ours, but remember, if the Holy Spirit abides with us, we do not have to be afraid.

Continuing our look at the Holy Spirit's interactions with people prior to Pentecost, consider this story from Exodus 31:1-11:

The Lord spoke to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: and I have filled him with divine spirit, with ability, intelligence, and knowledge in every kind of craft, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, in every kind of craft. Moreover, I have appointed with him Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have given skill to all the skillful, so that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, and the ark of the covenant, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its stand, and the finely worked vestments, the holy vestments for the priest Aaron and the vestments of his sons, for their service as priests, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the holy place. They shall do just as I have commanded you.”

One of the first tasks God undertakes after freeing Israel from Egypt is the construction of the mobile temple, the Tabernacle. God intended the Tabernacle to have many functions including: conflict resolution, sanctuary, criminal justice, worship, sanctification, and portable throne room of God. Needless to say, a structure this important would need to be adorned with high quality materials, beautiful designs, and inspiring artistic works. Thus, God appointed several people, most notable Bezalel and Oholiab, to carry out the job of decorating the Tabernacle.

What is remarkable about Bezalel and Oholiab, though, is not just the career changing opportunity they had to decorate the Tabernacle, but that they were filled with “divine spirit” long before there was a need for a Tabernacle so that one day they would be able to work on the Tabernacle for God. In other words, Bezalel and Oholiab were gifted in advance by God's Spirit, the Holy Spirit, with artistic talent – metallurgy, carving statues, weaving, and much more (indeed “every kind of craft”) – so that one day they would be able to use their talents for God. Therefore, the story of Bezalel and Oholiab reminds us that the talents we have are not simply here for our own amusement, but they can – and should – be used to serve God.

Perhaps this is a new concept for you; is thinking about your hobbies as a way to minster to others and to serve God a foreign idea? Somewhere along the way we convinced ourselves that in order to serve God you had to perform a certain set of tasks: give money to the poor, sponsor a starving child, preach, go on mission trips, etc. However, the truth of the matter is that God has given us talents, gifts, skills, and personalities through the Holy Spirit in order that we might use those natural talents in a way that serves God. So do not necessarily go looking for a way to serve God that is unnatural to you, but train yourself to use the talents you have to serve God.