2 Corinthians 8:7-15
Mark 5:21-43
“Both Hands for God”
As I told the children this morning, we might want to think about our two hands as one for reaching up to God for help, and the other for reaching out to care for and help others.
In our Gospel reading this morning, we heard two interwoven stories about people reaching up to Jesus for help. An important leader in the synagogue pleads for Jesus’ help because his daughter is about to die. And a poor, sick woman comes up behind Jesus in the crowd, and literally reaches out to touch his clothes, trusting that he will be able to heal her.
The reading from Paul’s 2nd letter to the Corinthians is about the other hand… the one we are called to use to reach out to others with the love, care, and practical assistance that others may need, and we may be able to provide.
Paul notes that the Corinthian Christians excel in many things… in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in eagerness and love… and he also wants them to excel in generosity. He is asking them to provide financial support for another church that is struggling with poverty. He is inviting them to give … Read more »