Generosity

Generosity

2 Corinthians 9:6-11

            Generosity!  It’s a hard sell.  We want people to be generous to us, but sometimes we find it difficult to let generosity flow the other way. 

            Then, of course, there’s the problem of who to be generous to.  It’s easy for us to be generous to those we know; more difficult to be generous to those we don’t know; more difficult still to be generous to those who don’t share our religious beliefs or world view.

            Paul raises the issue of a collection “for the saints.”  This is known as the Jerusalem collection, because its main purpose was to relieve the suffering of the Christians residing in that city.  Things were not easy for them.  Caught between the Jewish leaders and the Roman oppressors, they found it difficult to support themselves; so as Paul moved through the cities where Christianity had gained a foothold he collected what money he could to take or send to the city where this new religion had its beginning.

            For a more complete background, turn to the beginning of the previous chapter.  That’s where Paul begins to talk about generosity.  Notice how he uses flattery, telling the Corinthian Christians how much he respects their generous spirit.  Of course, he’s not above chiding them as well.  He even sets up a competition, bragging about the generosity of other churches.  We might say he does whatever is necessary “that by all means I might reach everyone” (to paraphrase a famous line from another of his letters).

            Perhaps I was a bit hard on today’s Christians in the second paragraph.  We do try to be generous, but we also want to be sure our money is really going to places where people will be helped.  We’ve heard about scams even among charities, and we don’t want to give to one of them. 

Many of us are as generous with our time as we are with our money—or perhaps even more so.  I know people who barely have enough money to live on, who give of their time and energy willingly, gladly helping out in any way they can.

            Here’s something to remember: “Generosity consists not in the sum given, but the manner in which it is bestowed.”  A willing spirit doubles the impact of the gift, while a miserly, penny pinching attitude makes it less effective.  The value of our gift increases with the openness of our hands and our hearts.

            Helen Sterret asks an interesting question, one that has great significance as we look forward to the events of Holy Week: “When the woman poured the perfume on Jesus’ feet, was it an act of extravagance, or an act of selflessness?”  Take a moment to ponder.  This woman gave extravagantly, no doubt.  We know that she wasn’t among the rich elite of the town.  Her gift came from a generous spirit, but it came even more from selflessness, for she gave not simply from her hear and her pocket, but from her heart.  That perfume might have been a gift from someone who cared deeply from her.  Perhaps it was all she had of her mother, or another woman who had meant something to her; yet she not only gave it away, but poured it out as an offering.

            Sterret asks another question: “What are we hoarding that we might be able to share with someone else?”  It’s easy to write a check.  That takes no effort and very little thought.  We might even write a sizable check, one that would seem very generous; but are we giving selflessly?  Or are we still hoarding something that could be valuable to someone?  What “jar of perfume” are we holding on to that we ought to give selflessly?

            John Wesley said, “Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can.”  Great business advice.  But the giving means nothing if it isn’t given from a selfless heart full of love.