Feed God on the Sacred Portion – Deut 26:1-15
What magic is in giving? People are naturally attached to material things: the earnings, produce and profits, the jackpot, even unexpected gifts! To remember the Giver is impossible without letting go of some of the ‘strongholds’ of material goodies. A discipline of giving is therefore indispensable for a person that would maintain a relationship with the Giver.
Interesting how God eats his portion – through the priest. How else would the teller of the testimony story be sure God is listening? The mandated priest not only eats on God’s behalf but also hears and listens, comforts and prays for the worshipper. The passage shows additional acceptable worship methodology: giving to the needy – the Levites (church ministers of all categories), strangers, orphans, and widows.
When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce in the third year, which is the year of tithing, giving it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your towns and be filled, then you shall say before the LORD your God, 'I have removed the sacred portion out of my house...’ (Deut 26:12-13)
That’s how God eats his portion of your produce. While all children could belong to this vulnerable group, there are those who are even more vulnerable due to various circumstances like losing parents, abusive situations in polygamous homes, poverty, and the like. What kind of children were brought to Jesus for blessing? Sometimes people push away rather than welcoming and giving support to these vulnerable people! Those who had the care of them believed that Christ’s blessing would do their souls good; therefore they brought them to him. Consider the justifications for the disciples’ action (hindering the children): the children did not need healing, they were too early for teaching, so why disturb the Master?
As the boy Jesus astonished the scholars in the Temple when he was twelve years old, children and other seemilngly vulnerable people surprise many as they reveal what they know; adults’ expectations of orphan children’s value and needs are sometimes lower than what the reality shows. God not only reveals great value in these persons, but has also reserved the sacred portion of your profits for them. The great high priest now demands the new sacred portion – yourself – love all God’s people totally, give yourself to the Lord; then He and assures us of continual fellowship (Rom 12:1-2).
God bless you.