Biscuits,Gravy & Deer Sausage

(1 Corinthians 13:3 KJV) And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Some things seem to be more difficult to explain than other things. This scripture happens to be one of those things that takes some doing to explain. For example, what would motivate one to give all they had to feed the poor, and then offer their body to be burned―if love was not the motivating force?

I can understand why one would give out of their abundance if they were going to receive personal glory for it like the Pharisees did. However, it is difficult for me to understand why a person would give all they had to the poor and become poor themselves without a God-kind of love. Since mankind is basically selfish and self-centered, then how can one actually do what this scripture suggests without love?

Perhaps Paul’s extreme example had nothing to do with what we give, but with who we are. Love is a heart issue and giving is the outworking of that love. This scripture indicates that when one gives out of love they will profit from their benevolence. However, when one is truly giving out of love, they do not think about what they will receive in return, even though the law of God says that they will receive a benefit.

Several years ago my wife and I owned a ranch in South Texas. We would usually go to the ranch and spend a day or so two or three times a month and check on the cattle. Our ranch house was back off the road and set behind a little hill which we loved because it made it very private.

Whenever we were at the ranch on Saturday mornings our tradition was to have biscuits, gravy and deer sausage for breakfast. I realize that for all the dieters and weight watchers that would not have been considered a healthy breakfast, but for the rest of us it was a grand slam.

We had a friend who owned a ranch a couple of miles away. Every time we were at our ranch on a Saturday morning he would always show up for breakfast. He would walk in our front door and say the same thing every time. He would say “Oh, I did not know you were having breakfast.” I would always respond, “Come on in and have breakfast with us.” His response was always, “You should not be eating that kind of food because it is not healthy for you.”

As we were going through our little routine he would be pulling out the chair and setting down at the breakfast table. Without any further ado he would start grabbing the biscuits, gravy and deer sausage and filling his plate.

After breakfast as we were getting up from the table he would always grab the last biscuit and start sopping the remaining gravy out of the bowl before leaving and going back home

As I look back I think I learned something from my friend while he was scarfing down my biscuits, gravy and deer sausage. I learned that giving him my breakfast “profiteth me nothing” because it was not done out of love...he just showed up.

Perhaps this scripture is not as hard to explain as I first thought.

Father,

Help us not to be bound by trivial things that can only feed our bodies when a deeper opportunity is at hand to satisfy our spirit. Thank you for these little reminders of our value system. Help us Lord!

Amen