The Philippian, Thessalonian, and Berean followers of Jesus were begging. Begging earnestly, begging insistently, begging urgently. For what? They were begging for the favor of participating in the support of the saints.1
You see, the believers in Jerusalem were suffering from poverty and a famine. And hundreds of miles away in the Macedonian province of Greece, these Christians (who had never met their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem) were desperate for the favor of participating in their support.
All this is even more striking when we learn what the Macedonian believers themselves were facing. Paul noted they were in the midst of severe trials (persecution) and extreme poverty.2 Historians tells us the region had been thoroughly decimated by a number of successive wars during and after the conquest by Rome.3 And yet here they were begging for the favor of participating in the support of their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. Their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity and they gave even beyond their ability.4 Impressive!
Probably like you, I have been asking God what I should write down for my faith promise at the conclusion of our Global Impact Celebration on November 7th. And as I’ve been praying about this, the words that keep coursing through my mind are: the favor of participation.
There are many different facets of giving to missions, aren’t there? The urgency to spread the message of eternal life; missionaries’ needs; earthly and heavenly rewards; and more. But here is yet another perspective: the favor of participation. Through our giving we receive the favor of participating in the most enduring, most vital, most significant work in the history of humanity. Let’s make sure we don’t miss out on that privilege!
1 2 Cor 8:4
2 2 Cor 8:2; 1 Thess 1:6
3 Thomas Arnold, History of the Later Roman Commonwealth
4 2 Cor 8:2-3