I am a thief

As you have seen in the newsletter and in the letter. It is a fun time of the year where we are talking about stewardship. Yay! When I was preparing and writing this sermon, it took a lot not to just begin it with ugh! It just isn’t a fun subject. In fact, it is one of those subjects that can get really touchy or at least misguided. For example, about 15 years ago, I worked at Woody Anderson Ford. I sold cars for a living. Let me tell you that it is such a fun job. I got to drive some really cool cars. But, I also helped people get new cars and that is an exciting process as well. I also worked with some great people. Each morning, myself and a couple of other guys would get together in one of our offices and have a devotion time and a prayer. The other two guys were far more experienced than myself at selling cars. So, I took the opportunity to glean from their experience as often as I could. One particular time I remember telling them that I was having a really tough month. I wasn’t able to close a lot of deals and the pay was based on commission. So, money was getting tight! I was struggling to pay my bills. One of the guys asked me, “Well, you are tithing right?!?” I looked at him as crazy as I could. He pulled out his Bible and read our passage in Malachi. Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you say, “How are we robbing you?” In your tithes and offerings! You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me—He said well there it is. The reason you are not having a good month is because you are cursed with a curse for robbing God. Sadly, that isn’t the only story about this one passage. Oh no! Instead, I can’t tell you how many times I have been told that tithing is the one thing that you can “test” God over. I mean it is right there. Bring the whole tithe to the storehouse and put me to test and see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down an overflowing blessing.” Here is the thing. I wish I could tell you that I have never said such statements, but sadly I have.

Malachi 3 is one of the most often used passages regarding stewardship because the text is pretty straightforward. God doesn’t change so return to God and stop robbing God. Then God will lift the curses and open the windows of heaven. Everything gets fixed right! Well, what about when it doesn’t? I mean the Bible says test God on this so if I tithe and come up short on my monthly does this mean money will start falling from the heavens like bread did in Exodus? What happens if God fails the test? I know some great “preacher” answers. Things like hey did you know that blessings is not limited to money. God has blessed you with a beautiful family. God has blessed you with breath!

Yeah, that is just upsetting. But, here, at least for me, is a bigger problem. See, the whole thing seems like God is in this quid pro quo relationship with the people. If they do the right thing then God will bless them. If they are not, then curses happen. But, good news we can return to God and start paying the right amount of money and everything will be alright again. Doesn’t that just sound lovely! But, what if you can’t? What if there is more month than money? Where is the grace in this passage? Where is God’s love in this passage?

Well, let me help here, or at least try. The text of Malachi is not about money or tithing, well kind of. It is in there but that was not what the prophet was addressing. Malachi is one of the 12 minor prophets of the Old Testament. The meaning of Malachi is messenger from God, but it could also be a prophet’s name. However, the book of Malachi can be divided into 6 oracles. The oracles of Malachi cannot be understood apart from at least a basic knowledge of the context in which he lived. Like the rest of the prophets, he prophesied from God, but he did so within the backdrop of the circumstances and situations of his time. His timing was after Cyrus allowed Israel to return home. There was a lot of excitement about going home, but things were different. The temple had to be rebuilt because the other one was torn down. Cities had to be rebuilt. However, there were many prophets who said Israel would be restored. Great things were happening but then great things didn’t happen. Eventually, people grew impatient and lost enthusiasm for God.

So, instead of offering God their best, they offered God what could get them by. For example, in Malachi 1 there is a question presented why do you despise my name? The priest answer, how do we despise your name? God responds by offering defiled food. The priest wonder, how is it defiled? God responds when you offer blind animals in sacrifices and when you offer those that are lame or sick. See, the problem is not so much that the animals were lame or sick, it was just not the best people could offer. There were several tithing laws. There was the tithe or temple tax that helped support the Levite priests (Num 18:21). There was the poor tithe that was offered every three years (Deut 14:28-29). Then there was also the tithe of the feasts (Deut 14:27). All of these were laws built in to help those who were disenfranchised. It was a requirement, almost a tax but it went to a “good” cause. However, people’s mindset changed from offering their best to help others to offering whatever they could to get by. So, God says they are robbing God. Well, my friends, I am a thief. I have robbed God. Several times, I have not offered my best. Instead, I have offered what I could get by. Sadly, I know this is the case with a lot of people.

I have mentioned my previous work at a thrift store where people would give us “junk for Jesus.” The problem is people’s attitude. Malachi is addressing people’s attitude. He goes through and addresses some of the issues people have with God. He starts with the priests in chapters 1 and 2 and then in our passage, the one most commonly abused, he is addressing the people. He is telling them to do what they were supposed to do in the first place. Return to me, the text reads, and I will return to you! It is all about our attitude toward God.

Because our other scripture reading helps us see how even when we are doing the right things, we could still be robbing God! Matthew 23 is an indictment of the religious people in Jesus’ time. Matthew 23:2 reads, “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.” They did everything for show! This included tithing. Jesus calls it out. You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You gave your money but you didn’t do right by God.

Malachi offers rhetorical questions like: Why do you rob God or why do you despise God? Then goes on showing people how their attitudes need adjusting. And, that is the thing with stewardship. It isn’t about money, well not directly! The religious people were giving their money and resources but they neglected compassion and justice toward the people. They just weren’t doing what they were supposed to do.

Sadly, I have to admit to you that I have been just like them. I am a thief. I have robbed God. But, I am not alone. So, for anyone else who might have robbed God, there is great news! For, the Lord does not change. Therefore, you, O children of Jacob, have not perished. Ever since the days of your ancestors you have turned aside from my statutes and not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you!

Friends, let's return to God together!

Grace and Peace