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the not-so-secret gazillionaire

24th December 2008

I’ve watched a few episodes recently of the UK TV series, “The Secret Millionaire.” Today, Christmas Eve, The Lifestyle Channel is running it as a marathon and I think it’s coming to free-to-air TV soon in Oz. It’s a great feel-good show: makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

On each episode a millionaire goes undercover, usually back to their roots, to find some people in need of help. For ten days the millionaire lives alongside, works alongside and volunteers alongside individuals, community groups or charities, ultimately surprising the people by revealing that he or she is, in fact, a millionaire. Of course, it wouldn’t make good TV unless the millionaire made a sizeable donation to a few worthy people at the end of the show.

I love the idea of going undercover. I’d be really bad at it though! Sure, it would help if I was a millionaire with money to burn. I’m not a millionaire but that doesn’t mean I can’t be on the lookout for people to help.

I reckon that the best secret millionaire in the history of the world is Jesus. OK, so Jesus isn’t a secret. And, Jesus is not merely a millionaire: Jesus is a gazillionaire.

Jesus came to earth as a baby, born in a little town called Bethlehem to lowly teenage parents. Jesus is God going undercover! John 1:14 (one of my favourite bible verses) says, “The Word (ie. God) became flesh and blood and moved into the neighbourhood.” And Jesus has something way better than money to offer to people in need. As General John Gowans paraphrased John 10:10: “He came to give us life in all its fullness.”

When he was on earth, many people didn’t recognise or accept Jesus. They missed out on getting to know God through the Son. They missed the fullness of life. Hold on. The same is true today. Many people today don’t recognise or accept Jesus, even if they sing carols about him! They are missing out on getting to know God through a relationship with Jesus. They are missing the fullness of life: eternal life starts now here on earth and doesn’t wait until we die.

It would be amazing to be on the receiving end of a secret millionaire but it would also be amazing to be on the giving end. You and I can be God’s agents, undercover and on the lookout for people to bless and share God’s love and the fullness of life.

On one episode of The Secret Millionaire the recipient of a donation said, “I feel like standing on the roof and saying not only God is good but people are too.” Wouldn’t it be awesome if people felt that way after encountering us sharing God’s love with them?

Sandy