Is the worker worthy of his hire?

Something my wife said this morning reminded me of the following true story, which serves to answer the question, “Should you perform as a clown at any ministry event?”

Roughly six months ago, my wife received a telephone call from a person in Madison, Wisconsin (at that time, about a two-hour drive from our house), who wanted us to appear at a children’s outreach that his church was going to have.   My wife dutifully took down the information, and asked the gentleman if the church would be willing to pay our expenses, since it would be a four-hour round trip.   The man surprised her by answering, No, they would not pay a penny for anything.   He expected us to drive for two hours, perform for two hours, and drive back home for two hours for nothing financial.

Would you have performed at that church?

I don’t do clown ministry for the money – I frankly make a lot more (financially) by performing at children’s’ birthday parties.   However, ministry is the reason that my wife and I clown – to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.   As a result of that, we clown wherever we can, whenever we can, for ministry.   Unlike clowning for secular events, we don’t charge a set fee – we ask the church or group to pray, and we’ll take any gift that’s offered.   Very often, we do clown for free, or for next to nothing.   But this situation was different.

There is a Biblical precept, that the workman is worthy of his hire (Matthew 10:10), and in ancient Israel the Hebrews were prohibited from muzzling the ox that treads the corn (Deuteronomy 25:4).  In other words, as the ox does the work, he is allowed to eat of the fruit of his labors.   This person effectively wanted to muzzle the ox, and that bothered me – what other things might they be doing that I wouldn’t want to be associated with, or take part of?

To make a point, in that same time frame we volunteered at two local churches for free, as well as at a function for the American Cancer Society (both of our mothers are cancer survivors) – so it truly wasn’t the money.   It was a problem that I perceived with the heart of the people putting on the event – and I declined to perform there.   I felt something in my spirit that told me not to go, and so I didn’t.
What would you have done?   Tell me (and everyone else) in the Comments section below.

Updated May 8, 2022