The Jericho Road

“Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” ~ Jesus, in Luke 12.48b

Here we have the answer to the question of how much we owe in service to God and man. It is in direct proportion to the blessings we have received from God. To the degree we are born with advantages over others and have been offered opportunities to improve those advantages, to that degree God expects us to help those who have been given less. He has not given us talents, education, family, and friends merely for our own enjoyment. He does want us to be happy, but he desires our happiness to come like his own, in the unselfish service to those with less than ourselves. 

We are not talking merely of financial or material wealth, nor only of education or position in society. God has given his children much greater treasures in the gift of his Son. Our personal knowledge of God through Christ obligates us to give at least as much as we’ve received. Do we know the joy of forgiveness? Then to that degree God requires we share it with others. How much grace was needed to bring us to a knowledge of God? That is just the measure of grace God expects us to give others. We could go on about love, mercy, hope, joy, and faith. And what power of God have we known? How have we benefited from it? 

Answer these questions in our personal life and we will know our duty to God and man. We are to give as it has been given to us for this is the economy of heaven, the law of love in the kingdom of God.