Read: 2 Corinthians 8 1-4 MSG
Now, friends, I want to report on the surprising and generous ways in which God is working in the churches in Macedonia province. Fierce troubles came down on the people of those churches, pushing them to the very limit. The trial exposed their true colors: They were incredibly happy, though desperately poor. The pressure triggered something totally unexpected: an outpouring of pure and generous gifts. I was there and saw it for myself. They gave offerings of whatever they could—far more than they could afford! —pleading for the privilege of helping out in the relief of poor Christians.
Macedonia was an ancient kingdom in Greece, a home for Jews fleeing persecution. Once the most powerful empire in the world, this thriving region grew to face a history of turmoil. The region worshiped many gods, had a government that was tightly connected to the religious leaders, and ultimately fell to Roman rule. The government imposed social and economic laws preventing its citizens from being the once thriving empire it had been.
Enter the Apostle Paul. As Paul traveled sharing the gospel of Jesus, he had a vision of a man asking him to come to Macedonia to help. Although this wasn’t the direction he was traveling, Paul followed the prompting of the Holy Spirit and headed to Macedonia to share the gospel with the people there. Although these new believers in Macedonia were persecuted for their faith in Jesus, refusing to worship false gods, and living a life of poverty, their ultimate response was one of joy and generosity. Their love for Jesus prompted them to focus not on their circumstance but on the blessing they received from Him. A blessing they could not hide so they gave whatever they had. Imagine we were the Macedonians – I wonder if that is not far from the truth. In our society our faith is questioned and we are sometimes persecuted for outwardly expressing our faith. But in contrast to the Macedonians, as a community of believers, we can find ourselves hiding our faith. Are we afraid of persecution? What if we “suffer as a Christian, (but are) not ashamed, (and) praise God that you can bear (His) name” (1 Peter 4:16). What if no matter our financial status or resources, we couldn’t help but to “give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver’ (2 Corinthians 9:7)? What if we loved like Jesus (“love each other just as much as I have loved you” John 13:34)? Could we then be another Macedonia?
