By: Obed Pineda
One day, there was a man having a conversation with God. This man was very curious about what it must be to be God Himself. So he asked, “Lord, what is one day for You?” The Lord answered, “Well, for Me one day is like a thousand years.” This marveled the inquisitive man and heightened his curiosity further. Thus, he asked a second question, “Father, what is a million dollars like for You?” to which God responded, “For Me, one million dollars is nothing more than one cent.” The man was astonished at hearing the Lord’s reply of how little and insignificant such a large sum for a human was for the great Creator. As he pondered about the vastness of God’s glory, a cunning idea sparked in his mind’s eye. “My God,” begun the man, “Would you be willing to give me one cent?” “Sure My son, one day I will give it to you.” Holy Writ decries, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:7-8, emphasis added). There is no question that the greatest con that has victimize a staggering amount of the world’s population is self-imposed by ignoring this specific warning issued by the Holy Spirit. Like the curious inquirer from our story, mankind will earnestly begin to seek God, but will eventually shift to seeking something from God. Hence, this shift of focus is what drags man deeper into the delusion that God can be “fooled” by human wit. The apostle Paul in this Scripture invites his readers to think judiciously, critically, and logically to avoid being ensnared by empty, unfruitful ideas. The crux of his lesson is concise, undeniable, and easily understood by anyone. It is indisputable that if a person plants an orchid seed, what will sprout from the ground are orchids; not cedar trees. Even if a person did not know what manner of seed he was sowing, in time the plant, flower, or tree that springs from beneath the earth would reveal the true nature of that seed. Everyone would agree that if I were to claim that I planted a lemon tree, but an apple tree grew instead, then it would be clear that I mistook apple seeds for lemon seeds. No one would believe that lemon seeds can produce an apple tree! Thus, the same logic is being traced by the apostle Paul in his example. He echoes the Redeemer’s rhetorical question, “Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?” warning His audience to insure that those who come to teach them are not false prophets (Matthew 7:15-20) Thus, the Bible exhorts every man to examine himself first, and others as well, through sound judgment not based on appearance, but by the results (i.e. “fruits”) of the action. The apostle and our Lord concur that it is impossible for a man to reach eternal salvation when his focus is more on the matters of the flesh, rather than the matters of the Spirit. In other words, a spiritual man cannot be materialistic, nor can a materialistic man be spiritual. Yet, humanity has often fallen prey to the deadly idea that God will be appeased by material, physical offerings. This harrowing reality is easily spotted in those who believe that as long as they give a large monetary donation, they have fulfilled God’s worship. Those who believe this to be true have forgotten the weeping prophet’s reprimand of Judah, who did the same. The Lord spoke, through His prophet, saying, “‘Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations?’ Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,’ says the Lord” (Jeremiah 7:8-11, emphasis added). This reproach of Jehovah God toward His people’s attitude, and ignorance, of His worship stands true today. Many believe that the Lord can be bought, bribed, or negotiated with when it pertains to His commandments. Tragically, the erroneous logic is that some good deeds can erase and avoid the consequences of other wicked ones. What is neglected to be understood is that God wants man’s heart; not his possessions. The Pharisees failed to comprehend this valuable lesson because they believed that strictly adhering to the Law was sufficient to gain them entrance into eternal life. Yet, Christ corrected their flawed mentality by reminding them of Isaiah’s words, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8-9, Isaiah 29:13, emphasis added). Many follow this blind guidance by attending Sunday morning service because it is required and not because they have the desire to do so. Several believe that because they were in the pew, sang, prayed, partook of the Lord’s Supper, and listened to the preacher’s sermon, that they pleased God with their “offering.” What they fail to realize is that God knows the heart of those who approach His altar, and it is there where the true quality of the sacrifice being offered to Him is revealed. The manner of spirit (i.e. attitude) with which we approach the Father manifests in the type of sacrifice we offer Him. Israel never understood that the system of sacrifices that Jehovah God had established under the supervision of the Levites were meant to be a representation of the worshiper’s devotion, thanksgiving, or penitent heart searching for reconciliation. Unfortunately, too much emphasis was placed on the physical elements of these sacrifices and the sincere mind was forsaken by the majority of them. This came to be because the people beguiled themselves to believe that the sacrifices and offerings alone were enough to cover the trespasses and sins. This false notion eventually evolved that the greater value the offering had, the more pleased God would become in the offering. Therefore, it was an astonishing clarification for the twelve when the Lord declared to them as He, “sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which makes a quadrans. So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood’” (Mark 12:41-44, emphasis added). What made this widow’s two mites more valuable than the vast amounts of money that the rich poured in? Upon giving all that she had, this widow manifested her true faith and gratefulness toward the Lord. She never doubted nor forgot the providence of God. Unlike many, her pure love for God prevented her from being exploited by the con that there are “loopholes” to His commandments.