Lev. 1:9 Ascending in offering

When you worship, its all about God and not people. Same way when you give a sacrifice, heaven takes it as its all about you and not the victim. Its actually you that supposed to be burn on the altar. No sheep, goat or a cow has born to die. Its only because of you its throat is cut and the whole body is cut into pieces and burnt.

Actual sacrifice that God pleases in, is obedience. This is what we learn from Samuel the prophet. "To obey is better than sacrifice". 1 Sam. 15:22. Hebrew word for the burnt offering is olah. Literally Olah doesnt mean burnt offerings. Its actual sense is "ascending". 

There was a man who said to Jesus that he obeys all commandments from childhood. Mk.10.20. Yes, that pleases God better than any sacrifice. Yet Jesus found that he has been obeying without a sacrificial heart. This man did not understood the element of ascending in sacrifice. He got to sell his riches and give to the poor. Then what? Then what happens is that he will get riches in heaven. His sacrifice will ascend to heaven. Its like water evaporates to sky and takes the same form again. Whatever the riches you give to the poor will ascend to heaven and takes the same form again. You will get the riches in heaven.

Burning a sacrifice on the altar without understanding what is ascending to heaven, doesn't yield fruit.  Though we talked about this rich man here, the word in Lk. 6:38 "Give and it shall be given unto you." is actually spoken to the poor people. Compare this verse with the verse 20 in the same chapter which says, "Blessed are you who are poor..." When he was saying "give.." he was talking to the poor people there.

Luke 21:1-6 What is she that you are mindful of her?

They are rich. They are giving. They are offerings they give. Their richness appears in what they give. A woman came. It seems nothing is in her hand. No bag, no box. Almost sounded empty. She dropped two coins. She also a widow.

"she dropped only two coins?" disciples said to themselves. Jesus said, "she had only two coins". Disciples are watching the same thing that Jesus was watching. They are not watching the same way that Jesus was watching. 

"What is she that our Lord is mindful of her?", disciples thought. They went to Jesus and said, "come Lord. See these valuable stones. How beautiful the temple was built because of the offerings". 

Yes her offering cannot buy a single stone there. Its all because of the big offerings the rich people gave. They know how to buy their credits in the church. 

Jesus said, "yes. Let them build. But it won't stay. The day is coming that each stone will be removed." What is a gift if he did not take it?

Let the disciples mindful of granite, even now. Jesus is mindful of granny. Her husband died but she never chose a way for coins. She brought everything she had. She emptied herself. She emptied and made a way that the Lord would come and fill. She did not use it for a bribe. She love the Lord so she gave ALL that she has. Disciples gave their attention to the temple and she pulled the attention of the Lord of the temple. They said she has nothing but she got every thing that Jesus is mindful of her.

Boasting (book of James)

James talks four times about boasting. In two of them he was positive and in two of them, he was negative.

Positive 

1. Rich in his lowness and poor in his highness. 1:9

2. Kindness boasts over judgment. 2:13

Negative 

1. If you are jealous do not boast 3:14

2. Now you are boasting in your great things and this boasting is not good. 4:16

He had a habit of addressing them again and again while he was talking to them.

1. Brothers 1:2, 2:1, 14, 3:1, 10, 12; 4:11, 5:7, 9,10,12,19

2. Dear brothers. 1:16,19; 2:5, 

3. Other names like-
          a. Fornicators, 4:4, 

          b. Double minded 4:8

          c. Those who talk to each other about profit of business.

          d. Rich people

Though he tells us in 3rd chapter, how can we bless and curse with one tongue, he started to call them fornicators and two minded etc. He was not cursing but addressing a separate group.