Generosity

 For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned?
1 Corinthians 9:9 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.9.9.ESV

Yhe Mosaic law was written in an agricultural context, which can seem alien if we're in an urban context. Paul here shows though how we can apply seemingly agrarian laws to an urban, or even universal setting. For the record, God is concerned about animal welfare.

Although God is concerned for animal welfare, as a surface reading of this law would attest, He's more concerned about the welfare of us humans, made in His likeness. So we can take a principle about caring for oxen, and apply it to ourselves. If Christ worked for us, is it too much for Him to ask of our worship?

We can apply this verse to the principle of giving to the work of the gospel. Those who labour to make the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ known are worthy of renumeration by those who get ministered to. It's only right that we should support gospel workers.

The Corinthian church, despite being relatively wealthy, was being stingy with Paul and his mission team. So he had to write this to encourage them to some gospel generosity. Judging by 2 Corinthians, they must have heeded his exhortation.

'God, forbid that we should be stingy with the most wonderful message in the world- the good news of salvation in Christ. Help us to be generous with it, and with those who share it. In His name we pray, amen'

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