My mother (who receives these devotions so I will speak nothing but wonderful things about her good name) raised a household of 3 very active boys and her loving husband. Super mom seemed to have a home-cooked meal on the table every night. As a child I don't think I truly appreciated how impressive of a task this truly is. She became a master at learning how to cook good, but likely more importantly she learned to cook efficiently. A lot of casseroles were involved. In this sort of household, there was no "negotiating" on what was for dinner because with 3 boys she'd never be able to get consensus. That's why leftover night was so awesome. We got to choose what we wanted. Sure, it wasn't quite as good as when it was fresh, but it was still pretty awesome.
Sometimes as Christians, I think we relegate God to leftovers, and I don't mean "table scraps". We still give God "pretty awesome" stuff. We give a lot to charity and ministry. We put a lot of time and energy into volunteering. We look at our schedules and have a lot of activities that orbit around the church. These are all good things and may even be more than many other people in the church. The question I've always pondered is whether this is really what God means when he says "firstfruits". Sure, we're giving what we'd call our "best", but is that the same thing as giving our "firsts"?
We will bring the firstfruits of our land and of every fruit tree to the Lord's house year by year. We will also bring the firstborn of our sons and our livestock, as prescribed by the law, and will bring the firstborn of our herds and flocks to the house of our God, to the priests who serve in our God's house. We will bring a loaf from our first batch of dough to the priests at the storerooms of the house of our God. We will also bring the firstfruits of our grain offerings, of every fruit tree, and of the new wine and fresh oil. [...] (Nehemiah 10:35-37a)
I would offer that "firstfruits" is not exactly the same as "bestfruits". Instead, the image of firstfruits offered in the scriptures often appears to be more of a state of mind for our priorities. The vow offered by the people of Israel wasn't to carefully inspect their produce, sons, livestock, etc and to bring the best, but to bring the first. Why is that?
This is theology according to Joseph, so take it for what it's worth. God doesn't need our offerings. With or without us, his kingdom will come and his name will be glorified (Malachi 1:10-11). This means that whether we offer our best offerings or worst offerings, God's work won't be hindered in any way. So why does God ask for offerings at all? The constant obsession with "firstfruits" seems to point us towards a God-first mindset. We first focus on devotion to God, then devotion to whatever else may exist in our lives. Getting a new job? Look for God in it first, then look at your career. Entering into a new relationship like marriage? Look for the role God plays between you and that individual, then look after everything else. Trying to plant a new church? Direct your focus towards God's work and teachings, then worry about all the administrivia and legal hurdles to be jumped.
When we look at what we have to offer God as a matter of "firstfruits" rather than "bestfruits", we can understand the ministry companions of Christ a bit better. When Matthew, a tax collector, was called by Christ, we see this interaction...
When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Now when [Jesus] heard this, he said, "It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matthew 9:11-13)
Christ did not pick the "best" society had to offer when he looked for disciples. Matthew was a cheat and a tax collector. Peter had a weak backbone. Judas was potentially a terrorist and a traitor. Christ could have picked scribes and religious experts who were far more educated, moral, and respected. Why didn't he? Christ wasn't looking for people who would be "bestfruits"; he was looking for firstfruits. These disciples were willing to drop everything they had and follow Christ; effectively making Christ the firstfruit of their lives.
This topic is a bit deeper than others I've covered and the write-up is a bit longer, but I believe this to be a profound point. There is a zealousness to the calling of God. He does not value time and objects the same way that we do and there is no doubt that the kingdom of God has little use for our gold and silver. Instead, God would rather see a creation bent towards his will and his plans. If we will keep him first, God will provide us with whatever talent, skill, or support we need. Just as God gave Gideon military strategy to compensate for his lack of troops and gave Moses an assistant to compensate for his lack of speaking skills, God will provide us whatever we need to act as agents of his love and grace even when you lack the "bestfruits" to get the job done.
We are a society obsessed with being the best, acting the best, and looking the best. When we stop to realize that it doesn't matter what's "best" in our lives, but rather what's "first" in our lives, we are free to make God first. And when God is first in our lives, I have little doubt that we'll be shocked to find out that God's best is far grander than anything we could have imagined.
DAILY PRAYER A Prayer for Better Priorities Lord, help us to keep you first in all that we do. Remind us that you are always there as we interact with new people and engage in new activities. Comfort us when we feel that our best is simply not good enough and accept our "firstfruits" for what they are. We can never give you "enough", but we can keep you first in our lives as a living sacrifice to all the amazing things to continue to do around us. In your name we pray, Amen.
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