Fairly Honest Joe

The story is told about a man who died in Los Angeles who was a pretty decent fellow. He had been a bartender, and helped many people with a small loan or meal. His friends began calling him "Honest Joe". He objected because he said that the name put too much of a strain upon him. He insisted that he was only fairly honest.

And so, they called him, "Fairly honest Joe". But when a person is only "fairly honest", he is not really honest at all! How can we be sure when that honesty will run out?

We have gotten the idea that we can be fairly Christian in our living. We have no intention of going too far, or going all the way. No one else knows, nor neither do they, whether they will behave like Christians or not. They may end up acting like pagans. In one moment, they give generously, but on other occasions, they may shock their friends with meanness and selfishness.

They have acquired just enough religion to be miserable, and not enough to be triumphantly generous. What a refreshing breeze was this man Zacchaeus, who when confronted by the Lord said, "Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and I'll restore any injustice four‑fold." (Luke 19:8)

Paul, in speaking to the Church at Corinth said, "First they gave themselves to the Lord"...and then "their abundance of joy...overflowed in a wealth of liberality...for they gave according to their means." (II Cor. 8:5,2,3)

Anything less than this, it would seem, is really segmentalized Christianity. The story is told about a man who saw a blind beggar, and said to his Quaker friend, "I really feel for him." The man asked, "Friend, hast thou felt for him in thy purse?" We can't really be just "fairly" Christian. It is a contradiction in terms. Our Lord calls us to go all the way.