Bacon or Eggs Part 1
Scripture: Matthew 6:33; 19:16-26; Mark 12:41-44
Two weeks ago, on August 1st, I was lying in bed when the Spirit of God began to speak to me about our relationship with Him. As I listened to Him speak, I opened the notes app on my phone so I could capture what He told me. I could sum up what He told me in two words, forethought or afterthought. A forethought is a “careful thought in order to be prepared for the future.” Likewise, an afterthought is “something not thought of, said, or done originally, but added afterward.” What the Spirit was telling me is that we can determine the relationship we have with God based on whether or not He is a forethought or afterthought. On Monday morning He continued speaking to me. As He spoke to me about worship and service He told me that these two words are action words. They indicate that something is being done based on our relationship with God. What is being done is coming from the heart of the one doing it. In other words, how we choose to worship God and serve Him is a heart issue – can you say, forethought or afterthought. It cannot be regulated by other people; it can only be truly controlled by the individual person based on their heart’s desire. The title of my message this morning is “Bacon or Eggs.”
For those of you who were here on the first Sunday, you might remember me telling you the difference between the chicken and the hog that provides the bacon and eggs we eat for breakfast. The hen which lays the eggs continues to go on with her life as laying eggs is just part of her routine. Day in and day out she can produce one egg after another. This is not a big deal for her. Her life is spared because the longer she lives the more eggs she can produce. The hen is not making a sacrificial gift because laying eggs is what she does. Again, this is not a big deal for her. This is similar to the person who gives thousands of dollars to the Church or to charity annually because they have millions of dollars in the bank. To them, giving up a few thousands to charity is not a big deal.
But this is not the case with the hog. The hog remains alive until it gives its bacon. The hog’s gift is a one-time sacrificial gift that can never be undone. When he gives his bacon his life ends. You see, unlike the hen which can produce eggs daily, the hog only has one chance to provide bacon. The hog lives his “best life” until he reaches the appropriate weight for which his “best life” would be required. In order for us to have “real bacon” the hog must give up its life. I want you to think of the hog as someone who is willing to give their all to God. This person is all in and is totally and unapologetically committed to God and gives Him their best. This person thinks of the things of God first, it’s never an afterthought. You see, for this person what God wants and needs from them comes first. God is never an afterthought. He is not someone they have to remind themselves to seek His heart. And this is exactly what Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things (the things that you need in order to live) shall be added to you.” They are not giving what is left over after they have done all they want to do and now they have time for God. No, they are seeking God first so that they can give Him their best now.
So the question the Spirit asked me, which I am also asking each of you this morning, is this: “Are you giving God bacon or eggs?” To illustrate what He was asking me, He reminded me of the story of the rich young ruler in Matthew chapter nineteen. Turn with me to Matthew 19:16-30. It reads “And, behold, one came and said unto him, ‘Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?’ 17And He said unto him, ‘Why do you call Me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if you will enter into life, keep the commandments.’ 18He said unto him, ‘Which?’ Jesus said, ‘You shall do no murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness. 19Honor your father and your mother: and, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 20The young man said unto him, ‘All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?’ 21Jesus said unto him, ‘If you will be perfect, go and sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven: and come and follow Me.”’ Let’s pause here for a moment.
A rich young ruler approaches Jesus and asks Him what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. If you consider how this question was asked you will see that in this young ruler’s mind he could “earn” a spot in heaven by doing something – and he wanted to know what that “something” was. He wanted the cliff notes version of the manual that held the keys to eternal life so that he would follow those directions and “inherit” it. He’s like so many in the Church today who want a step by step guide that tells them what to do versus depending on the Holy Spirit to guide them as they place the Word of God in their hearts. Developing a relationship with God is not required. Knowing and understanding God’s heart is not required. New Light, when you think about it, this is a life that is really no different than living under the Law of Moses. What Jesus tells the rich young ruler is this: “….if you will enter into life, keep the commandments…..You shall do no murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness. Honor your father and your mother: and, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus tells him to follow the commandments and then He lists a few of them as a reference point. Jesus tells him not to kill, commit adultery, steal, or lie. He also tells him to honor his father and mother and love his neighbor as himself. All of these things the rich young ruler could do without spending too much time thinking about it. You see, these things could be considered as giving eggs. The rich young ruler would have known what he would have to do in regards to these things under the Law. If he did any of these things all he would have to do is offer the appropriate sacrifice – something he could do without having to change. Now imagine how the rich young ruler felt when Jesus lists all of these “eggs” which he was already donating – what he was already doing. But then Jesus did the unthinkable – He asked for bacon! When the rich young ruler confirmed proudly that he had been doing these things and asked if there was anything else he lacked, Jesus asked for the bacon. Jesus told the man, “If you will be perfect, go and sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven: and come and follow Me.” The gospel of Mark adds a detail that is significant. In chapter 10 the first part of verse 21 says “Then Jesus, looking at him, LOVED HIM …” This is our Saviour New Light. He loved the rich young ruler even though he refused to give up his lifestyle and follow Jesus. Now you may be thinking, Pastor, it seems like what Jesus was asking of him was not really fair. Hold that thought because we will address that in a few minutes. Remember what I said about the hen giving up her eggs without little resistance as she could always produce more, but for the hog to provide bacon he had to give up his life? Well, all the things Jesus had listed previously were things that the rich man was already doing. However, the rich man sensed that it was not enough which led to him questioning Jesus about what else was needed. When Jesus told him to sell everything he had and follow Him – that was too much to ask. New Light, Jesus will always ask us to step out of comfort zones and trust Him to catch us. He’s calling us to live by faith. Let’s continue reading.
“22But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. 23Then said Jesus unto His disciples, ‘Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” The rich young ruler went away sorrowful because he was not willing to give up things to follow Jesus. He was not willing to give Jesus his all. He was not willing to give up his bacon! Jesus wanted the rich young ruler to understand where his heart was. Do you remember what Jesus said in The Sermon on the Mount about treasures? Let’s read verses 19-21 of Matthew chapter six. 19Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Now here’s the verse) 20For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21) The rich young ruler had everything someone could want and he had no desires to give them up to follow Jesus. I am sure that he would have done anything else to inherit eternal life as long as it did not involve him giving away everything that he owned. No, he wanted to serve Jesus in his comfort zone. He wanted to give Jesus of his plenteous supply of fresh eggs which he could continue to produce. You see, when we believe that whatever we give Jesus should be okay with Him, we are giving Him eggs. Jesus wants our bacon! He wants us to give up our lives for Him! When Jesus said it was hard for a rich man to enter heaven, even one who was keeping all of the statutes of the Law, the disciples were both amazed and concerned. Let’s continue reading.
“25When His disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, ‘Who then can be saved?’ 26But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, ‘With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”’ The disciples begin to wonder who could be saved if a rich man obeying the statutes of the Law couldn’t. The same mentality exists today that existed back then. The rich and famous get what they want and exceptions are always made for them. Laws are tweaked to assist them and some laws, in reality, don’t seem to apply to them. This is what the disciples were thinking about the rich young ruler who was following the Law. Surely if anyone was worthy it was him. But Jesus let it be known that it wasn’t that simple. He said it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needed than for a rich man to enter heaven. Why? Because even though the rich man was obeying the Law, which could not save him, his heart was still aligned to his riches. He was not dependent upon God – but only his possessions. So when Jesus asked him to give them up, he couldn’t. Don’t you love what else Jesus said? Jesus said with God all things were possible. God is willing to keep the door open so even a rich man who was not willing to give up his riches to follow Jesus could still change his mind and do so. Don’t we serve a mighty loving God? Let’s finish out this text as there are a couple of other points I want you to see.
Once Jesus tells the disciples that all things are possible with God, Peter raises a question. “27Then answered Peter and said unto Him, ‘Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed You; what shall we have therefore?’ (Remember I told you to hold the thought that perhaps Jesus was not really unfair? Here comes the answer.) 28And Jesus said unto them, ‘Verily I say unto you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of His glory, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone that has forsaken houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 30But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” Peter wanted to know what they would receive since they had forsaken all to follow Jesus. Jesus told him that they would sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. But then He said something else. He said that everyone that forsakes family and anything else that would be placed before Him, would receive much more with their eternal life. Jesus was giving life for life. Jesus proved this when He freely gave up of His bacon so that we could live. The disciples believed that the young rich man would go to the front of the line because he was rich and was following the statutes of the Law. His following the Law was simply giving God eggs. It did not cost him anything. But Jesus asked for his life. Jesus wanted him to forsake all and follow Him. This would require a major sacrifice on his part, one that he was not willing to give. This would require a life change for him and he was not willing to make that change. He was fine giving God eggs, but he was not at the point where he was willing to give God bacon. I want to share one addition story with you before I close and we will continue the message on next Sunday.
Turn with me to Mark chapter twelve and we will begin reading at verse forty-one. This is the story of a widow who, in my opinion, gave bacon. Mark 12:41-44 says, “And Jesus sat opposite the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. 42And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. 43And He called unto Him His disciples, and said unto them, ‘Verily I say unto you, that this poor widow has cast more in than all they who have cast into the treasury. 44For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her poverty did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” Now before Jesus witnessed this widow giving her offering, He had just given a warning to the disciples about the scribes and their attitudes. He said they loved to stroll in the streets with their long robes and being greeted in the marketplace. They loved the best seats in the synagogues and the best places at the feasts. Then He said they devoured widow’s houses. This specific reference is to how the scribes took control of the property of widows. The scribes and Pharisees taught the people that, in order for God to meet their needs, they had to give all they could to the temple treasury. Today, we say “Have a need? Sow a seed.” The message is clear: the only way to receive from God is by paying Him first. What they did was use their influence to get the widows to give their homes to the temple and then they in turn used it for themselves. Sound familiar? There are many ministries that influence widows and others to make their ministries the beneficiaries of their life insurance policies and/or be included in their wills. This is what the scribes were doing at that time so Jesus gave a warning about them and the condemnation they would receive.
After He gave this warning about the scribes, He sat and watched as people came forth and gave donations into the treasury. Verse forty-one says that “….many that were rich cast in much.” So those who had money gave large donations. Then came the widow. According to the gospel of Luke, this particular widow had worked hard for her money and she did not have much. When she came to the treasury, she gave two mites which was all that she had. Her two mites were the smallest of copper coins worth about one-fifth of a cent. In other words, she gave less than our penny and Jesus said what she gave was more than any of the rich folks. Why you ask? Because she gave her all. Jesus said that the rich gave of their abundance. Can you say they gave some eggs? Just like the hen, they gave of their abundance and had plenty more to spare. The widow, however, had nothing more to give. She gave her all. She gave bacon!
I want you to see that Jesus did not blame or despise the gifts (or the givers) which the rich made when they cast in their large amounts of money. They were doing what was right – giving to the support of the temple ministries or as a substitute for their required sacrifices. They were giving towards what was regarded as the work of God. However, there was nothing in the offering of the rich which called for the special praise bestowed on the widow. Now some would blame the widow for giving all she had versus keeping some for her bills because they would say that would have been the smart thing to do. However, I want you to see why Jesus recognized her and called attention to her gift specifically. In the eyes of Jesus her gift was right; and it was commended for this very reason - that she had cast in all that she had. Do you remember the story of the incident in the house of Simon when Mary broke the alabaster box, and poured the ointment on her Savior's head? If you read the story in Mark chapter fourteen, you will find that some of the disciples murmured against her saying that it was a foolish impulse and could have been sold for three hundred pence and given to the poor. They implied that what she had done was waste the ointment. Now I want you to see how Jesus replied to them. “And Jesus said, ‘Let her alone; why trouble you her? She has wrought a good work for Me. 7For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you will you may do them good: but Me you have not always. 8She has done what she could: she has come beforehand to anoint My body for burying. 9Verily I say unto you, wherever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she has done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.” (Mark 14:6-9) In His reply Jesus taught them that nothing given to God was wasted; that the aroma of such an offering went beyond the world of sense. On both occasions our Lord commended what others blamed. In these two examples it could be said that they both gave bacon. However, Jesus told the disciples that they would always have the poor with them and they could do good (give eggs) for them at any time they pleased but they would not always have Him with them. The widow gave her all. Only Jesus knew her situation and He shared it with the disciples as an example of what’s important to Him – not the amount of the gift, but the heart in which it was given. One final point that I want to make on this story, if you hear someone teach that you should give your bill money to the Church in order to be blessed and they based it on this story, do not believe it. Yes this widow was poor and she gave her all, but this story, as told in Scripture, cannot be used to establish a doctrine that Jesus requires you to not pay your bills so that you can give to the Church. Jesus requires us to be financially wise in how we handle our money and I will leave it at that.
I want to leave you with this thought for the week: “Are you giving God bacon or eggs?” When you look at your worship and your service; your attitude towards spending time with Him; and your thoughts/beliefs about how you live before Him; are you giving Him bacon or eggs? I will continue this message next week.
Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
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