"A Handful of Peanuts"

A sermon preached by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp at Edgemont Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) based on II Corinthians 9:8-15.

A heard a rather amusing story the other day of a tour bus driver who was driving a bus load of senior citizens down the highway when he was tapped on his shoulder by an elderly lady. She offered him a handful of peanuts, which he gratefully munched up. After about 15 minutes later, she tapped him on his shoulder again and she handed him another handful of peanuts. She repeated this gesture about five more times. Finally, when she was about to hand him another batch, he asked her; “Why don’t you eat the peanuts yourself?" "Because,” she said, “we don’t have any teeth and we can't chew them.” The puzzled bus driver asked, "Well, why do you buy them then?" The elderly lady replied, "Because we just love the chocolate around them." You can rest assured that the peanuts you received did not have chocolate on them
I am sure most of you have been wondering why you received a handful of peanuts prior to the service. Jason asked me how long I was planning to preach if I needed to provide a snack during worship. As much as I am sure you’re tempted to do so, these peanuts are not meant to be snack during worship.
Someone once said that the difference between a teacher in the Western World and a Rabbi in the Eastern World is, the teacher in the West will tell you a story whereas the Rabbi will show you a story. And so, these peanuts are meant to be a reminder of a story that I am going to share with you in just a few minutes.
As we look to our Scripture Lesson this morning, I think it is important to keep in mind, that on Paul’s third missionary journey he had raised an offering to relieve the poverty of the Christians living in Jerusalem and to demonstrate the unity that existed between the Jewish and Gentile churches. In the previous chapter - chapter 8 of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, Paul encourages the Corinthians to participate in this offering and he explains how it will be administered.
Keep in mind, the primary reason that Paul addressed this topic here was because some in the church were questioning Paul’s motives. Evidently, they were suggesting that Paul was lining his pockets, so to speak, with contributions earmarked for the poor believers in Jerusalem. Consequently the Christians in Corinth, despite their announced willingness to help, had not donated to the cause.
And so, taking a pen in hand, Paul defended his integrity and using the churches in Macedonia as his example, Paul gave the Corinthians a wonderful summary of why and how believers ought to give.
Twice in chapter 9, Paul speaks of the generosity of the one who gives and he uses the Greek word; haplotes, which is derived from the Greek word haplous, meaning “single” or “simple.” Thus haplotes expresses “simplicity” and generosity”. Combining these two notions together, the word denotes “glad and gracious giving.” Paul is the only New Testament writer who uses this word. Normally he uses it to describe the way certain believers give themselves wholeheartedly and completely to others. It denotes the idea of giving oneself and one’s gifts wholeheartedly to God and to others - not withholding anything. If only we could learn to give in such away.
I love the words of verse 7; “…for God loves a cheerful giver.” The word “cheerful” here is the Greek word hilaros, which is where we get our English word “hilarious.” God loves a hilarious giver.” For such giving, Paul tells us, produces thanksgiving.
Perhaps some of you have heard of Amedeo Obici the Italian immigrant who came to the United States in March of 1889 at the age of 12. Obici was born in the northern region of Italy, what is known as the Treviso province. Amedeo’s father died when was seven years old. And in 1889, his mother's brother, Vittorio Sartori, who had emigrated to the United States earlier, invited Amedeo to come to the United States and live with him and his family in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Seeing the wonderful opportunity this was for her son, Amedeo’s mother, boarded him on a boat bound for the United States. Amedeo was unable to speak English and so, his mother had written his destination on a piece of paper and fastened it to his coat. Before seeing him off, she gave him a handful of peanuts for the journey, which carefully he tucked them away in his pocket.
Upon arriving in New York at Brooklyn’s Bush Terminal, he boarded a train to Scranton. However, en route, he was misdirected and got off in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The people in the train station took him to a local fruit store owned by Enrico Musante and his daughter, Louise whom Amedeo would later marry in 1916. While the Musante’s worked to contact Amedeo's uncle in Scranton, Amedeo stayed with them. He finally made it to Scranton, but later returned to Wilkes-Barre where he attended classes in the evening to learn English and worked in the Musante’s fruit store. Influenced by this experience, he soon built his own roaster from spare parts and operated a pushcart business selling roasted peanuts - peanuts that he had harvested from those his mother had given him.
Who could have guessed that this little boy, coming to American with only the clothes on his back and a handful of peanuts would grow up to be the founder of Planters Peanuts. Obici founded the company in 1906. In 1913, he built a new processing plant in the heart of peanut farming territory in Suffolk, Virginia. In 1924, Amedeo and Louise Obici moved to Virginia from Scranton and purchased a 253 acre farm in Suffolk where they lived out the rest of their life. The generosity of the Obici’s to their adopted community and his workers left an lasting imprint in Suffolk and the surrounding community. To this day, when visiting Suffolk, along route 460 you will see the Louise Obici Memorial Hospital.
Like those peanuts in the hands of Amedeo, so God has placed within our hands, gifts. But it is up to us as to how we are going to use those gifts. You see, we can do one of three things with the gifts God has given us. Just as Amedeo could have done one of three things with the peanuts his mother had given him. He could have consumed those peanuts and enjoyed them; and then they would be gone and soon he would be hungry again. In the same way, we can use our gifts only for ourselves - we can use them selfishly. Or, Amedeo could have taken those peanuts and saved them. They could have been a reminder of his home in Italy and his mother. But pretty soon those peanuts would have rotted and wasted away. And in the same way, we can allow our gifts to go unused. Never apply them - never use them for the good of God’s kingdom and the good of others. Instead, Amedeo chose to plant those peanuts and was able to reap a harvest. He was able to take that handful of peanuts and in turn feed others. What are you doing with the peanuts - the gifts God has placed in your hands? Or, better yet, what will you do with the time and talents God has given you?