The point is this: whoever sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. 2 Corinthians 9:6, TLV
The Point Is. Paul’s second letter to the believers of Corinth, there is less criticism of their behaviors as in his previous letter. In fact, despite some problems with “false teaching,” the Corinthians are beginning to mature in the year since his first letter. Paul brags a bit on their growth. He learns that the believing community wants to give to help support Paul’s ministry.
So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on to you and arrange ahead of time your generous gift that had been promised beforehand, so that it would be ready as a gift and not as an extortion. (vs. 5, TLV)
Today’s verse uses the sowing and reaping analogy. After reading a few commentaries about this passage, I came across the great — yet, mostly unheard of — scholar, John Gill. I loved what he had to say (in one very long sentence):
The sower casts and scatters his seed with an open hand; was he to gripe it in his fist, or only let go a grain of corn or wheat here and there, he would have but a poor harvest; so the cheerful giver opens his hand wide, and bountifully supplies the wants of the needy; who, as the sower casts his seed on the empty field, so he bestows his bounty on indigent persons, on all men in want, especially the household of faith: and, as when he has done, he harrows the ground, and covers the seed under the earth, where it lies hid, and is very unpromising for a while, and yet be exercises faith, hope, and patience, with respect to an harvest; so the generous benefactor does what he does in as private a manner as may be; and though for a time his good deeds may seem to be attended with little prospect of reward, yet in the end they certainly shall; for as a man sows, so shall he reap: if he sows, that is, gives nothing, he shall reap nothing; if he sows but little, he shall reap little; and if he sows much, he shall reap much; and that of the selfsame kind which he sows; as he is liberal in things temporal, so shall he prosper and succeed in the same; see ( Proverbs 3:9 Proverbs 3:10 ) ( Proverbs 11:24 Proverbs 11:25 ) ( Isaiah 32:8 ) ( Galatians 6:7-10 ) .
Whew! That was a lot for one sentence! But I encourage you to read it through several times. Think of the farmer who sows seeds: does he fist his hand to dribble but a few seeds? Or does he open his palm to scatter as many seeds as possible so that as many as possible will take root?
When we sow to other ministries — after our tithe to our congregation — we may scatter our resources and not know how they will grow, but that is in the LORD’s hands, just as the seeds He causes to grow. Still we should be discerning about what is fertile ground — respectable, reputable, and righteous organizations.
Today is Giving Tuesday and I want to encourage you to pray about sowing into organizations that are fertile and righteous. May your seeds grow, because the point is, we’ve been blessed in many ways and as He has blessed us we should bless others.
