1 Corinthians 9:6-10

 ⁶ Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living? ⁷ Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? ⁸ Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? ⁹ For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? ¹⁰ Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.

History

History tells that Japanese army conquered and occupied the Philippines for several years, and some of their victims could be your relatives or neighbors.

Now, if you were praying for opportunity to be involved in mission and you prayed, “Lord, I will go wherever you want me to be involved in missions!” And the Lord answered, “Ok! Go to Japan and tell them about the gospel!” Will you gladly pack your things and fly out to Japan? Do you sense any concern of sharing about the gift of eternal life to group of people you cannot love?

By human effort, it is challenging to share the grace and love of God to nationalities or people that we cannot appreciate. The Lord told Prophet Jonah to go and preach repentance to the great city of Nineveh. Jonah did not like the Ninevites, so he travelled to the opposite direction. The Lord sent storm; Jonah was thrown into the sea. Grudgingly, Jonah went and preached repentance. The Ninevites repented and fasted. God relented on sending calamity to Nineveh.

After preaching, Jonah went outside the city of Nineveh; he made a shelter and waited what may happen. The Lord made a leafy plant grew up as screen protection for Jonah from the sun and Jonah was very happy about the plant. But the next day, God provided worms that devoured the leafy plant. The next day, God caused the sun shined so hot. Jonah almost fainted, and he wanted to die.

Together, let us reflect on what the Lord said in Jonah 4:10-11, ¹⁰“You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. ¹¹ And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

Naturally, we are most concerned of our love ones, relatives, friends and people who care for us. But God is concerned about the salvation of all people. But when the Holy Spirit empowers and inspires us, we can also be concerned of strangers we may not personally know. Everyone is called for mission purposes.

You may have been called to international missions if not domestic mission but pray earnestly until you hear from the Lord of harvest which people group he prepared for you to reach out. And don’t forget to pray for relatives and friends.

Together let us reflect on what the Lord mandated in Acts 1:8, ⁸You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Today, we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. It reminds that Christ will return anytime sooner. And right before Christ returned to heaven, he mandated us to tell others our personal experience of how he transformed our lives. In short, we testify; we witness for him, and share his gift of salvation to others.

If you’ve tried to share the gospel of Christ to your friend and relatives but so far no success yet, it’s possible that you were called to international missions. The Lord has prepared specific people groups or nations for us to reach out. He has also prepared for things we need, so we don’t have to worry about provision. Do you strongly believe that? The Lord God takes care and tends to our needs.

1.  Tend

⁶ Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living? ⁷ Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? 

When Apostle Paul mentioned the right not to work for a living, what did he imply? Indirectly, this rhetorical statement justifies the right of ministry workers to be compensated so that they won’t be bothered much about their provisions or food. The last command of Christ before he returned to heaven is for all believers to go and make disciples, baptize and teach them to obey all his commands.

When we respond to fulltime ministry of making disciple, financial support comes into consideration. Who would take care or tend to our practical needs? The Lord tends to our needs when we serve him fulltime or not. Fulltime ministry workers may choose not to work in secular job for a living. So, how does the Lord sustain them? How does God tend to their practical needs? Do you have ideas?

How do you interpret what is declared in Ephesians 1:22-23, ²²God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Jesus Christ had been given all authority in heaven and on earth, and that includes authority to dispense and allocate provision for ministry workers. Christ is the head of the church; the church is the body of Christ. If the church is the body of Christ, Christ himself will mobilize his body—the church; he assigned church leaders to appropriately designate provision for ministry workers.

The church of Corinth has problem of division; they were not united which leader to follow; they supported Apollos and other preachers among them.

Maybe, when Corinthians who were loyal to Apostle Paul suggested that they should also send financial support to his mission team, it caused confusion in the Corinthian church. Those who did not personally know Paul disagreed.

To illustrate that it is appropriate to support ministry workers, Apostle Paul cited the portions of vineyard harvesters, shares of shepherds and expenses of soldiers. Similarly, the Lord of lords and King of kings provides for his army.

Whether we like it or not, we engage in spiritual warfare, as we share the gospel of Christ. Spiritual warfare is obvious when confusion disturbs the church.

Most preachers teach about living by faith. But then, if preachers ask the church for increase of salary, is it contradictory to his sermon? What do you think?

It’s self-serving to preach about provision or salary of ministry workers. It is challenging to talk about salary; pray for preachers to be selfless and not selfish!

The Resurrection of Christ reminds us that our actions and behaviors will be judged one day. On the Judgment Day, the Righteous Judge separates all the righteous from the rest of humanity to live with God in heaven for all eternity.

Christ the King of kings and Lord of lords declared in Matthew 25:34-40:

^34”Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?”

⁴⁰ The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Christians are brothers and sisters in the family of God; we are children of God; we’re brothers and sisters of Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

The Lord meticulously records all generosities to brothers, sisters of Christ. It is right and proper in the eyes of God to be generous to brothers and sisters in Christ; it includes financial supports for ministry workers. Support for ministry workers is biblical, and Apostle Paul cited the case of oxen treading out grain.

2.  Tread

⁸ Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? ⁹ For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 

The church of Corinth may have been confused and cannot decide to send financial support to the mission team of Apostle Paul or not. Those who did not know him personally wanted proof about the apostleship of Paul. As Apostle of Christ, Paul justified his authority and also his right of compensation for his work among the Corinthians. As biblical proof to his argument, he cited the command in the Scripture: “Do not to muzzle an ox while it is treading out grain.”

Apostle Paul implied that an ox needs food to sustain its endurance while treading out the grain. The owner of the oxen should know that very well. If the owner of the oxen is concerned of the practical provision for his animal, certainly, the Lord is much more concerned of the practical provisions for ministry workers. This question, “Is it about oxen that God is concerned?” implies that God is also concerned how the harvest is to fairly allocated and impartially appropriated.

Let’s learn how David exemplified fair and impartial distribution of supply.

 Plunder

The Amalekite raiders took as hostage the families of David and his men. David and his men tracked down and pursued the Amalekite raiders. But, 200 of David’s men were so tired; they left them behind to take care of their supplies. David and the rest of his men defeated the Amalekite raiders and returned home.

It narrated in 1 Samuel 30:21-25, ²¹ Then David came to the 200 men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Valley. They came out to meet David and the men with him. As David and his men approached, he asked them how they were. ²² But all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, “Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go.” ²³ David replied, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. ²⁴ Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.” ²⁵ David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this.

Like Amalekite raiders and troublemakers among David’s followers, bad elements in the society may confuse and disturb us. What we can do about it?

God made David powerful, prosperous and popular; but before that, David was very quick to acknowledge the Lord for his victories. His reverent fear of the Lord helped him become expert in all his battles. Reflect on what he declared in Psalm 144:1-2, ¹Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. ² He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.

David testified that the Lord trained him for war. We may not necessarily go to war, but somehow, there’s war, famine and earthquakes. These calamities are practical signs of the end of the world; that Christ returns sooner. Until then, pray that the Lord of harvest sends workers in his vineyard, just as the owner of the field sends workers who may plow the field or thresh the grain.

3.  Thresh

¹⁰ Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. 

It is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Apostle Paul indirectly stated or rhetorically declared that God is concerned more about participants in his ministry than the oxen treading grain.

With modern technology, farmers can purchase and use advance methodologies instead of oxen, but operators of their machineries have to be paid for their labor. And payment comes from the revenues of the harvest. In short, farm workers who may plow, plant, harvest, thresh the grain or separate the grain from chaff, should be appropriately compensated for their effort. What do you think?

Has the Lord of harvest prepared proper compensation for his harvesters? Together, let us learn from the instruction of Christ to the disciples he sent out on a mission. He stated in Luke 10:3-12, ³ Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. ⁴ Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. ⁵ When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 

⁶ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. ⁷ Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. ⁸ When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. ⁹ Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 

¹⁰ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ ¹² I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

Christ warned against anyone who ignores his gospel; but only believers who have his Holy Spirit can realize it and listen to it. The Holy Spirit guarantees believers in Jesus Christ to enter heaven and avoid eternal torture in hell.

When Christ instructed the disciples not to take purse, bag or sandals, did he test them if they can trust him that he has already prepared for provision that they needed? Take note that Christ encouraged the disciples to eat and drink whatever is given to them, and he added that workers deserve their wages.

Let’s reflect on what it declares in 1 Timothy 5:17-18, ¹⁷ The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. ¹⁸ For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”

The term double honor may pertain to honor given here on earth and in heaven. It can be practical and spiritual honor for anyone who preach and teach the word of God. Preachers are messengers of the Lord. When we share the gospel of Christ to others, we preach, teach and we are messengers of God.

Pray for divine opportunity for you to share the free gift of salvation in Christ to others. We celebrate the Resurrection of Christ and expect that Christ returns and resurrects us all believers and takes us into his heaven.

While we wait for his return, make sure that you actively participate in the ministry that the Lord has called you to be involved with. Pray for wisdom and inspiration of the Holy Spirit for you to identify the ministry God prepared for you.

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