“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. “
Acts 4:32-35
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SEPTEMBER 30, 2024
What a wonderful picture of the early church in Jerusalem where “the believers were one in heart and mind!” How can a group of ordinary people be so united? It happens when we give ourselves over to something greater than ourselves. These men and women committed their lives to the resurrected Jesus. A number of them had undoubtedly witnessed the resurrected Jesus and heard Him speak about the kingdom of God.
The early church saw Jesus’s mission and kingdom as the priority; everything else became secondary, including their personal possessions. A beautiful picture of generosity emerged where people shared everything they had. Possessions were given to the Lord, and thus no longer considered for their own personal use.
Today we are weighed down by possessions. One might even say that our possessions possess us. We spend an inordinate amount of time and money just organizing, maintaining, and storing our belongings. Opportunities are available to share our resources with those in need, such as Wheaton Bible Church’s response to the fire at Main Park Apartments earlier this year. However, our generosity in these situations is largely limited to our excess, what we feel we no longer need or can spare.
This is the challenge the early church in Jerusalem offers us: they did not merely give of their excess. They sacrificially shared everything they had.
People sold even their homes and properties and contributed the proceeds to support those in need. Who has seen anything like this before? A group of people living as a community where no one lacked anything because of the generosity of the whole.
It has been said that an accurate gauge of someone’s commitment to the Lord can be determined by looking at their pocketbook. The generosity of Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem is humbling. They did not let concerns about financial security govern their participation in the ministry of the church. They lived by faith and not by sight. What a challenge for us in our materialist, individualist culture!
Questions for reflection and discussion:
- How are we doing at being one in heart and mind?
- What hinders us from this kind of unity?
- How does our generosity compare to that of the Jerusalem church?
- Do you have assets that you could or should convert into caring for the whole community?
Church Reading Plan: Ezekiel 33; Psalm 81-82