Seconds

Every fall I drive out towards Lancaster county to visit the orchards. There is one particular farm I go to to pick up bushels of "seconds"--slightly imperfect tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, pears, apples, peaches that I get at a significant discount because they are not show-worthy. But I end up using them to make stews and jams and stuff anyway, so looks and bruises aren't that big a deal to me.

I have to be careful that this acceptance of "second-fruits" doesn't spill into my relationship with the Lord.  Seconds are okay for me and my purposes, but as I read through Scripture, it seems apparent that we should not adopt such a disposition towards God. God doesn't want leftovers or seconds--whether with our time, talent, or treasure--nor should we make it our practice to offer God such things. These are just a few passages from the Old and New Testament that came to mind as I reflected on giving God the best:


Without Blemish

Exodus 12:5: "The lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats."


Choicest Cut

Genesis 4:4: "In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the ground, while Abel, for his part, brought the fatty portion of the firstlings of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor."


First Fruits

Deuteronomy 26:1-2: "When you have come into the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you as a heritage, and have taken possession and settled in it, you shall take some first fruits of the various products of the soil which you harvest from the land the LORD, your God, is giving you; put them in a basket and go to the place which the LORD, your God, will choose as the dwelling place for his name."


Clean and New

Matthew 27:59: "Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it in clean linen and laid it in his new tomb that he had hewn in the rock."


Costly Extravagance

Matthew 26:6-9: "Now when Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster jar of costly perfumed oil, and poured it on his head while he was reclining at table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant and said, "Why this waste? It could have been sold for much, and the money given to the poor."



I'll admit God's economy is not natural for me. I was raised to eschew risk; money was to be carefully cultivated, controlled, and used wisely and prudently. When my mom cooked, it was always "just enough" for the five of us, and some leftovers. My dad would say, "too much of anything is no good," which was wise in many ways, but also belied a kind of measured control. Generosity towards others was, unfortunately, not something we grew up with either.

But God seems reckless by comparison. He doesn't give "just enough"--He fills our cup to overflowing (Ps 23:5) and just keeps pouring. He doesn't meet out blessings and graces like a stingy penny-pincher. He wants us to have life, and life abundant (Jn 10:10). He commends a woman who breaks an alabaster jar full of costly perfume to anoint him. The disciples are thinking practically (sell it and give the proceeds to the poor, that would be better!). Joseph of Arimathea did not use a burial linen picked up from Good Will to wrap Jesus' body or a leftover family tomb--everything was new and reserved for him. God's people are called not to offer leftover scraps from the fields, but first-fruits, first-cuts, unblemished animals for the sacrifice. God deserves the best, because He did not spare what was of most value to Him for us--His only begotten Son.

God is not stingy with us. Let's remember not to be stingy with God.