WiW: What a waste

From Grace Livingston Hill’s The Gold Shoe (published in 1930):

Then, one day, there arrived a delivery car from one of the big florist’s establishments in the city…

“Mercy!” said Hesba, “what a waste!”

“A waste?” said Marget starting back sharply from her first sweet breath of them with a hurt look in her eyes.

“Yes, sending all these here, with just us two. Not even a party or a funeral! Mercy! Do you know what those yellow roses cost, those with the yard long stems? I priced them the other day, just for curiosity, and they are seventeen dollars a dozen! Just think of that! I say that’s wicked! Think of the heathen!”

“The heathen?” said Margret puzzled. “What about the heathen?”

“Why, think what that might do for them!”

“What would it do for them?” asked Marget burying her face in the mass of lilacs, and wishing she might keep it there awhile and not listen to the grilling of Hesba’s questions.

“What would it do? Why feed them, and send them to school, and put decent clothes on their back, and teach them to be respectable citizens in the world.”

“Is that all?” asked Marget with her eyes half closed, looking at the flowers dreamily.

“All? What more do you want?” asked Hesba indignantly. “Isn’t that about all one needs in life?”

“I was thinking that you might be saying it would send the knowledge of the Lord Jesus to them,” said Marget, lifting a stately lily and gazing into its golden heart.

“Oh, that! Of course, that goes too. But they have to live you know. They have to have food and clothes.”

“You think that comes first?” said Marget…

It’s a story that’s been going back at least a century–well meaning religious folk interested in social justice.

Caring for the poor. Providing food and clothes and education.

Upset with the extravagance of comfortable lives.

Nothing wrong with that.

Every Christian should be interested in caring for the poor. Every Christian should consider providing food and clothing and education. Every Christian should consider whether they are using their money wisely or squandering it on comfort.

But Marget and Hesba illustrate two completely different views of wealth and ministry.

While Hesba rages at the extravagance of a gift of costly flowers, Marget fully enjoys the gift she has been given.

While Hesba concerns herself with the physical needs of people, Marget recognizes their greatest need-their need for Christ Himself.

About 15 years ago, Charles Sheldon’s then 100 year old book In His Steps reawakened the question “What would Jesus do?”

Christians and non-Christians alike asked themselves what Jesus would do and sought to follow in the steps of the man from Galilee-the man who was famous for healing, teaching, and serving.

In more recent years, the church has turned more and more towards social justice issues–and much of it appropriately. They have heard the call of Christ to lay down their lives for others. And this is good.

But self-denial is not the gospel.

Even should we follow Christ to the cross for the sake of others,
our eulogies might still proclaim “What a waste!”

Our deaths would profit the world nothing–except that by our dying we proclaim Christ crucified and resurrected.

My crucifixion cannot save the world. My death to self cannot save the world. My giving up flowers and food so that others can have food and education cannot save the world.

I cannot merely follow in His steps in that I give of myself as He gave of Himself.
To do so would only be a waste.

In order for my following to not be wasted, I must give Him just as He gave Himself.

---

Don’t forget to take a look at Barbara H’s meme “The Week in Words”, where bloggers collect quotes they’ve read throughout the week.