One of the duties of the church is to feed the poor. We are commanded to give drinks to our enemies, to provide them with food and shelter. To accept that we will be ripped off. We do this because it brigns glory to God. Now, this is one of the ways that the missionaries worked in Victorian times in India and China, and still do in the less developed parts of the world.
Many people from the poorest and most deprived parts of society — the Dalits, the minorites, the starving — came to church for the grain. They were called rice Christians — they were there for the rice.
Nothing new here: Jesus had rice disciples.
16When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. 20But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.
22The next day the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there. They also saw that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23Then some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
25When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.”
I could very easily get into a discussion about what this means, and how this affects the sacrament of communion. But it is better to think about this as a form of prosperity GOspel. The old idea, best summed up by the opponent, that we only worship any power because he will benefit us.
1There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. 2There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 3He had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and very many servants; so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. 4His sons used to go and hold feasts in one another’s houses in turn; and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5And when the feast days had run their course, Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” This is what Job always did.
6One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. 7The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil.” 9Then Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10Have you not put a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.11But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.“12The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not stretch out your hand against him!” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
13One day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the eldest brother’s house, 14a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were feeding beside them, 15and the Sabeans fell on them and carried them off, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you.” 16While he was still speaking, another came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17While he was still speaking, another came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three columns, made a raid on the camels and carried them off, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18While he was still speaking, another came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house, 19and suddenly a great wind came across the desert, struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; I alone have escaped to tell you.”
20Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” 22In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong-doing.
Now, the entire point of prosperity teaching is that we are blessed by obeying God, and from those riches we are blessed with we can do good for others. Attached to this is a huge encouragement to give, to honour God with our monies. But it misses a point. God is not to be worshipped because he is like a vending machine — put in some goods, and get some out.
There is no forumula for prosperity. In the end, we bring nothing into this world, and we take nothing with us.
(Do not pretend, for a second, that Job was not grieving. He uttered this from a posture and position that indicated grief).
Job is the correction to this. The story of Job is manifestly unfair to our eyes. And it is interesting that Satan is the one who is preaching a gospel of prosperity.
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