Lessons From
Animals--"Stray" part 2
"When you are harvesting in
your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave
it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your
God may bless you in all the work of your hands."
Deuteronomy
24:19
My parents have a new cat! Well, maybe. That
is to say, my parents have been adopted by a new cat. A
cat that moved in, no less, while they weren't even home! Some
explanation is in order.
My parents had been on vacation, and asked
others to feed their cats while they were gone. This generally
consists of leaving food for the cats outside in the backyard.
Unfortunately, such a task leaves open the possibility that
others--strays, neighbors, raccoons--will take it upon themselves to
eat as well. And so it was that my parents found themselves adopted
by a new cat upon their return. A cat that, truth be told, my parents
probably would rather not be adopted by. For my parents, two cats are
already enough. Their lives would be just fine if this newcomer were
to go on his way.
I first met "Tiger" (hey, if
they aren't going to name him, I will!) on a visit to
see my folks. I woke up in the morning to hear a cat meowing out in
the backyard, and I immediately knew it wasn't either of my parents'
two cats. My father told me (with what I swear was a suppressed
smile) about this odd cat who had taken residence in the bushes, and
was helping himself to the food. I went to the backyard, expecting
the same reception I receive from many strays: panic, and a bolt to
escape. To my utter surprise, though, this cat came
running--running--up to me. Even more, when I sat down,
he not only jumped on my lap, but even jumped up onto my
shoulders!
He really is a handsome cat, and clearly
once belonged to a loving family. After all, cats do not naturally
embrace strangers the way he did. Yet his friendliness left me a bit
sad for him; that he was now living in my parents' backyard tells me
that he had either lost his family, or been abandoned by his family.
Furthermore, the desperation of his attention-seeking--crying in the
backyard of strangers, leaping onto the lap and shoulders of another
stranger--tells me that he was (perhaps literally) starving for
attention. Even more sad was to see Tiger try to fellowship with my
parents' cats Fe and Kreme, who wanted nothing to do with him. He
really was in need.
Did you know that, in the Old Testament, God
makes provisions for those who are in need? We touched this in the
last article. One of the most poignant examples for me, though, is
Deuteronomy 14:28 - 29--
"At the end of every three
years, bring all the tithes of that year's
produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have
no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the
fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat
and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in
all the work of your hands."
Now, a tithe is essentially that which
belongs to God. Numbers-wise, it is ten percent of our income. And
remember that in the context of Deuteronomy, God is talking to
farmers. They aren't people who get a paycheck every month, and then
tithe out of that; they tithe their crop--ten percent of their crop
goes to God. But in this passage, God says: "Every three years, don't
give it to Me--take it downtown and give it to those who are in
need." Amazing! God tells us to take what rightfully belongs
to Him, and instead give it to those who are need. What an incredible
passage and command.
Come to think of it, why don't we do this
anymore? That's a good question, and there is an answer to it. Anyone
who has read through the Old Testament knows that there are a lot of
things we don't do anymore. And the reason for that--basically--is
that sometimes things change. And sometimes, God is the one who
changes them. For example, in Leviticus you'll find several
commandments about offering sacrifices and rituals for seeking
forgiveness; but when Jesus came, He died as a once-for-all
sacrifice--which meant that most of those Leviticus sacrifices were
no longer necessary. Some of the other laws changed because
circumstances changed.
But one thing that doesn't change is God's
heart. And God has a heart for those who are in need. 2
Corinthians 9:11 tells us, "You will be made rich in every way
so that you can be generous on every occasion
" We
see that God is generous to us, so that we can be generous to
others.
But maybe you're like me--always more than
willing to give to a stray cat (they're so cute!), but stray humans
are another matter. I'm sure we have all had times when our lives
would be just fine if this "newcomer in need" were to simply go on
his way. There's concern about safety, or whether we want to open
ourselves up to a relationship with others, albeit briefly (or,
perhaps the fear is that this new relationship won't be
brief). Well, remember that God has a heart for those who are in
need--and it breaks God's heart when we don't. Remember also 2
Corinthians 5:20, which tells us that we are Christ's
representatives, as though He were making His appeal
through us. We are called to share in Christ's work,
which is multi-faceted, but which undeniably includes taking care of
those who are need: feeding the hungry, sheltering the cold, and
watching over those who rely on you to live. It is here
that we indeed find God's heart.
In Christ,
--Pastor Dan
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Stray Part 1
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Grace
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Last modified date: January 1, 2018