Yes, it’s true. McDonald’s opened its first fast food restaurant on this day in 1955. A regular burger was 15 cents. Fifty-six years later, the same burger (well, not the ‘same’ one) is nearly $2. That said, if you are wise about saving money for the future, you are also shrewd enough to know you have to earn enough interest on that money to keep up with inflation. In a half-century, that $2 burger will be $26.
But of course you know I’m not talking about protecting your earthly interests! In God’s economy, whatever you invest in (it’s called sowing) will give you a guaranteed return of at least 30-fold (30, 60, 100 fold, Mark 4:8) which would mean that $2 “hamburger” is now worth $60. In “kingdom” economy, you will always ‘earn’ much more than you invest. “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake shall receive many times as much, and shall inherit eternal life." (Matthew 19:29) As much as the sacrifice involved of divesting yourself of earthly treasures is great, the reward of investing in God’s kingdom is greater.
People my age worry about the future—that they will run out of money before they run out of life! I think we should rather be worried that we will run out of time before we’ve finished investing!
Greg,
ReplyDeleteMuch of the illustrations Jesus would use have to do with the plant or animal kingdoms, both of which were more suitable for adapting the truths of the Kingdom of Heaven than were man's business or ceremonial or political models. When He referred to the harvest of increase and used the terms "30,60 or 100 fold" we here in our society think of multiplying by factors of 30,60 or 100. But I think Jesus was rather using the exponential factors to pull back the curtain on the magnitude of promise God gave to those who sowed the seeds of the Kingdom.
So, in place of 30 "times" read rather 2 to the 30th power, or 60th power, or even 100th power!
For example, imagine just one kernel of wheat planted into the ground that germinates and produces a stalk of wheat containing 30-50 kernels, each which could produce that many more stalks, which could eventually cover acres of ground. Imagine counting the kernels on each stalk within just one acre! That is exponential reward!
God takes our "kernels" of time and energy expended and invested for Him, and provides a harvest unimaginable! And we get this to look forward to when the rewards are passed out in heaven! And then we in turn get to joyfully cast our crowns of reward at His feet!
Stan
You are absolutely right, Stan. I am using simple math calculation, but God's math is always in exponentials! ... as you say to the 30th power!!!
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