John 17:6-19

John 17:6-19 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Jesus is talking about the disciples in a way that brings stewardship to mind.  This being fall, many churches are in stewardship drives, which people often hear as a plea for money.  And while churches need money to operate, God doesn't need your money -- Let's not pretend that God has been running a fundraising campaign to build the Kingdom of God and is waiting for the funding to hit the goal before returning to earth in all God's glory, although the idea of God having one of those heavenly thermometers to measure funds received is pretty amusing to me.  We have stewardship campaigns because the Gospels remind us that what we have is not truly ours, and faithful discipleship requires us to give back out of which we have been given.  Scripture calls us to give the firstfruits to God, which requires going out on a limb, because giving out of the first fruits means you don't necessarily know how much will come in afterwards.
  Jesus cared for the disciples because they belonged to God.  We care for our lives and our money and our gifts because they belong to God.  We use them well, because we know that we will be coming to God one day -- and what sort of legacy will we leave behind?  Will it be one of generosity, of gifts held loosely and freely shared, or will it be one of hands afraid to let go of what we have out of fear that we might not have enough?
  It's hard for me to give -- I'm consistently hearing the whispering doubts that I'll have enough, and so I hold on to what I have because I think I can build security for myself, that I can build my own kingdom to protect me from what lurks in the dark.
  In reality, as Jesus says, I am not of the world.  You are not of the world.  Your final home is not here, so do not attempt to build your own kingdom here.  Invest in God's Kingdom, one that relies on generosity and trusts the King, and in doing so, we will discover that we are investing in an eternal home.