By Olatokunbo Odunuga
The idea of “that there may be food in my house” in Malachi 3: 10 seems to point to a basic fundamental intent of tithe–for the sustenance of lives,-the poor, the widows, the orphans, the aliens, etc and including the levites, because in those days, levites were not engaged in secular business, neither did they have an inheritance in the land. But for today’s average “levites”, not only are many gainfully employed and have more than enough food in their houses, but have substantial inheritance (properties) in the land and some even on the seas. And besides, in the present dispensation, all of us comprise the kingdom of priests, not a privileged few
[1 Peter 2: 9, Revelation 1: 6 ].
However, we should not forget that, no-one who is not an Israelite can lay claims to being a levite. Even our Lord Jesus Christ was of the tribe of Judah, not of Levi. Reading Matthew 23: 1, 8 in Message Bible, Living Bible or NLT is a food for thought! And incidentally, all believers are anointed in relative terms, not the preserve of a certain class of brethren [1John 2: 20, 27]. Not to lose sight of the aliens, those were non-Isrealites, to whom the warfare was extended. In the same Spirit, apart from meeting needs of the poor, the widows, etc in the Church, those outside the Church are not to be ignored in the present dispensation. I believe that is the idea philosophy behind Corporate Social Responsibility in churches.
To be candid, there is no law or suggestion in the New Testament, opposed to a believer from ceding 10% to 100% of his income, as he is led or cheerfully desires, to the Church to meet multifarious needs. Tithes were mentioned on numerous occasions in the Old Testament but after resurrection, tithe is mentioned virtually only once in Hebrews 7: 2. What puzzles me personally is the global prominence given to Malachi 3: 8-I0 over and above scriptures such as Matthew 6: 19-21, 24, Luke 12: 15, 14: 33, 16: 13.
So with these insights, how many would endorse the following typical scenario : On the internet, a pastor as posted who acquired a special brand of an exotic jeep. He was dressed in customized 3-piece suit with red carpet laid on the road before he could step into the vehicle. To the best of my knowledge, this church, because I am conversant with the ministry, does not have more than one or two branches in Lagos.
Unless such overseers are involved in extensive secular business, there might be temptation to help themselves liberally into the tithes to sustain such high tastes and ostensibly expensive life-style. It is significant that from what the financial supporters gave our Lord and the twelve apostles, our Lord did not live above the standard of his lieutenants, neither did he put up a personal mansion from the income. The Bible records that He had nowhere to lay His head. A version rendered it that He had no place He could call His own.
Usually I’m somewhat not comfortable when a pastors “motivate” peasants, so to say, struggling with meagre existence, to sow seeds unto them so that the peasants might be blessed. Amazing! And apart from tithe, some devise other means of obtaining for themselves substantial money from the flock. I heard a message by Zac Poonen, the leading elder of Christian Fellowship Church of India, where he said he generally turns down gifts from people whose standard of living are ostensibly below his. And where such insists, he collects and diverts it to the poor and needy in the Church or tactfully later give it back to the source through book gifts or other seasonal gifts. Zac Poonen’s books can be accessed via www.cfcindia.com
That man of God who had to tread on red carpet to enter his Jeep with an armed security officer in attendance most likely would be a multi-millionaire and I’m of the opinion that one cannot stack multi-millions or billions in the bank and be praying for daily bread as instructed in the Lord’s Prayer when he or she can afford daily bakery. At times I wonder how Christians who are “stinkingly” rich, and fail to invest in the Kingdom, navigate through Matthew 6: 19-21 and Luke 12 :15, which Paul and other apostles navigate through effortlessly. But I learned a lesson from Barnabas, who put the proceeds from his landed property at the disposal of the early church and most likely stood on the queue with others for daily ration. In essence, in the spirit of Luke 14: 33, our millions or billions should be at the beck of kingdom needs, so that we can then qualify to pray the Lord’s prayer without pangs of conscience
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