Giving
Jesus demands the giving of our lives toward his work. He told parables as stories with central points to illustrate such. Here is a brief look at a couple Jesus' parables that you are invited to read. The first is the story of the loving father, prodigal son, and elder brother. It illustrates the unceasing love of God in the character of the father in this parable. For that read Luke 15:11-30. And the second one is the parable of the 'good Samaritan'. Here, the star representing God's love is the 'good Samaritan. For that read Luke 10:25-37.
And there are other places where Jesus is more direct such as the following:
"He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life?'" (Mark 8:34-37, italics added).
With Jesus's stories and sayings Jesus calls us to be a giving people as the Father gave to his sons and as the Good Samaritan gave to the stranger. So when individuals join the UMC they state their life in these words:
"I promise to support the UMC with my prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness."
So as individuals unite with Christ through the UMC the invitation goes out to give their all. After all, Jesus after observing the rich giving large amounts to God he commented not about them but about a poor widow who put in what is valued today to be about two pennies. About her he said, "She has given more than all the rest because she has given her all".
And there are other places where Jesus is more direct such as the following:
"He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life?'" (Mark 8:34-37, italics added).
With Jesus's stories and sayings Jesus calls us to be a giving people as the Father gave to his sons and as the Good Samaritan gave to the stranger. So when individuals join the UMC they state their life in these words:
"I promise to support the UMC with my prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness."
So as individuals unite with Christ through the UMC the invitation goes out to give their all. After all, Jesus after observing the rich giving large amounts to God he commented not about them but about a poor widow who put in what is valued today to be about two pennies. About her he said, "She has given more than all the rest because she has given her all".