2 Corinthians 8.13-15

13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, 15 as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."


Verse 15 quotes from exodus 16 when the Israelites were wandering in the desert and God was sustaining them with mana from heaven. God instructed each family to pick up an omer for each person. Thus each person ended up with an equal share of God’s sustenance. God wants us to share the responsibilities of the church as equally as they divided the food. Taking another person’s share of mana would mean they went hungry, but all too often a small percentage of the church is in charge of everything. Not only is it the pastor’s job to preach on Sunday, but to arrange to have the drippy sink fixed. While not all contributions to the church look the same, everyone is called to contribute equally. It isn’t God’s plan for anyone to take too much or too little of the burden. What is your role in the church? Are you taking your share of the load?

2 Corinthians 8.8-12

8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

10 And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

How many times do we say I’m going to start doing this or that, give more time or money? We always have good intentions but rarely act on them or finish what we have started. As Christians we need to do what is within our means. Make sure that if we say we’ll do something that we try our best to stick with it and finish it. It is possible to do; we just need to be as passionate as we were when we started it.

2 Corinthians 8.1–7

1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord's people. 5 And they went beyond our expectations; having given themselves first of all to the Lord, they gave themselves by the will of God also to us. 6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you —see that you also excel in this grace of giving.


I live in a land of abundance where the overwhelming majority has never felt what it is like to face severe oppression or deep hunger. Consequently, this bounty has caused the masses to disregard the still viable parts of existence in need of charity. Oh! How hard it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom! And yet, the Macedonian churches were quite the opposite. Paul says their generosity was caused by poverty and overflowing joy. If these two factors cause “rich generosity,” perhaps we, though surrounded by abundance, should acknowledge the parts of our existence that lie in poverty as well as ask ourselves if our joy in Christ is manifested in our daily lives.

2 Corinthians 7.13–16

13 By all this we are encouraged.

In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. 14 I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. 15 And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. 16 I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.

Have you ever recommended to your friend something you enjoyed and then later found out that he didn’t like it at all? It’s a pretty disappointing feeling. In many ways, when that happens it can make one feel like their opinions are not dependable; that they are untrustworthy. However, that is not what happened with Paul and Titus concerning the Corinthians. Paul says he boasted about the Corinthians to Titus and his boasting was validated. He says he felt encouraged and delighted when this took place. It is no small truth that when our convictions are attested to by others whom we trust, our hearts are strengthened and we grow more confident. Nevertheless, let us not begin to believe that our opinions, though confirmed, are worth much on their own. Only when combined with faith in the Son of God can our opinions hope to safely reside in the truth.

2 Corinthians 7.8–13

⁸ Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— ⁹ yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. ¹⁰ Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. ¹¹ See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. ¹² So even though I wrote to you, it was neither on account of the one who did the wrong nor on account of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. ¹³ By all this we are encouraged.

In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.

A prayer:

I ask You, O Lord, to keep me from willfully sinning. For I know these sins scar Your son and defile my preparation for the kingdom. But if I do sin, chasten me as You would one of Your dear children. Teach me and instruct me so that I am not led down that path again. Bring me to repentance by striking my heart with guilt over disobeying Your righteous command. May tears flood my bed at night in hope that Your everlasting love would forgive me. Let me not sorrow as the world, for the world sorrows at the mere consequences of sin rather than sin itself. The ugliness of sin is revealed when it is understood that it is a direct violation of Your very Personhood. I’m sorry for hurting You, Father, by adding to my Lord’s pain, but forgive me and renew my heart in purity so that I mat once again seek Your everlasting ways.