Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you. [1 Thessalonians 2.9]
Have you ever considered why Paul was so set against burdening the people of Thessalonica financially as he preached the Gospel to them? I used to think Paul was just being proud in this "preaching without pay." Now, however, what Paul was doing is very clear to me.
First, from yesterday's One Year Chronological Bible reading, the first part of Acts chapter 17, we see that Paul's time in Thessalonica was difficult. The Jews stirred up a mob from the marketplace and chaos ensued. As was pointed out in Again, Follow The Money, the marketplace held no uncertain ties to idolatry and that is confirmed in today's OYCB reading in Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians following his time there.
And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don’t need to tell them about it, for they keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God. [1 Thessalonians 1.8-9]
In further discussion, Paul contrasts the message of Jesus to their previous idols in this way:
Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know. And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money! [1 Thessalonians 2.5]
Why did Paul say that? Because the modus operandi of Thessalonian believers' previous idols was to get their money!
But there's more...
We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people. For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you. So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord. As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece—throughout both Macedonia and Achaia. [1 Thessalonians 1.4-7]
The power of God confirmed the Word of God to the Thessalonian people. AND, it didn't cost the people of Thessalonica one cent! Word spread quickly! And, this is precisely why the Jews were so successful in stirring up a mob from the marketplace during Paul's first visit there!
But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd. [Acts 17.5]
All of this means nothing however, if we do not associate what happened back then to what is happening unchecked all around us today! The money associated with debt, insurance, medicine and technology in our day makes the money associated with idolatry in Paul's day seem like nothing!
The problem today is that few (if any at all) are really preaching the Good News in such power that people would see and turn away from the expensive man-made systems of debt, insurance, medicine and technology and instead turn to God. Oh sure, words and emotion flow freely at church, but word is not getting out that the power attends. Not only do people pay dearly to keep their idols of debt, insurance, medicine and technology in the Church, but they also have the added financial burden of paying their preacher and staff!
Effectively, the Church has become just one more expensive booth in the marketplace of idolatry.
Paul's radical refusal to take money for his preaching and teaching threw down a timeless gantlet brilliantly portraying the contrast between the powerful proof-positive works of the Holy Spirit and idolatry.
Who will throw down that gantlet today?
Father, while my words may seem like "pointing the finger," I find the real culprit here to be myself. Do I trust and demonstrate the power of Your Holy Spirit enough to entirely turn away from the idols of debt, insurance, medicine and technology? God help us to not only see our gross idolatry, but to turn away from it - turning only to You. So be it.
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