(Part 1)
“While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins. “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”-Luke 21:1-4
Generosity is showing a readiness to give more of something than is necessary or expected. However, it goes far beyond just giving. Generosity is a reflection of God’s character, a tool for bringing honor and glory to God, and a way to point people to Christ.
Generosity has far more to do with the condition of our heart than it does the abundance of our bank accounts. That is precisely what Jesus is teaching us in Luke 21:1-4. Jesus is well aware of our giving and whether our giving was shared out of our abundance or out of our need. Jesus was careful not to associate generosity with abundance. Instead Jesus gauges generosity based not on what we have to give from, but rather what we have to give up.
The rich, obviously, gave more numerically, however they only gave a tiny portion of their surplus. They were not going to miss a meal or have to adjust their monthly budget to make room for their gift. The widow, by comparison, gave far less, but she gave everything that she had. There was no safety net. Giving, knowing that you will have to give something else up to give it takes courage.
The Apostle Paul recognized this in 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 as he recounts the generosity of the churches in Macedonia:
“Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.
The church were being tested by many troubles. Many of them were just trying to put food on the table and provide a roof over their family’s head. They were very poor Living paycheck to paycheck at best.
Yet, they gave not only what they could afford, but the scripture says they gave far more. How often do we base our giving on what we can afford? Some may argue, Well, isn’t that being a good steward? Certainly, but how many things have we obligated ourselves too that have crippled our ability to be generous?
When was the last time any of us actually sat down and said, if we give up “this” and “that” for the next month we can give towards the need of another? Here is what made them stand out to Paul. No one had to tell them to do it. They did it of their own free will. According to Paul, they did more than was even hoped. That kind of giving did not come easy.
How many know that it cost them something? There were things that they had to give up, in order to participate in the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. What does generosity look like? It’s people in need giving generously to bless others in need.
Pastor Scott Burr
Dayspring Community Church
No comments:
Post a Comment