Have You Heard Of Charity?! No...Not The Girl From Down The Road...
The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8, RSVCE)
This intro quote comes from Saint Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians. Back in his days, there was no social security system that supported you when you had to go through economic hardships. As a relatively new religious phenomenon, Christian sects had a hard time being accepted by their pagan neighbors. Without being accepted into society, they could not expect any help from their fellow citizens. This means that it was more important than ever to be a community where every member could rely on each other in times of need. But, of course, this statement was not just purely economic teaching. It was rooted in the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ himself.
For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. (Matthew 25:29, RSVCE)
When Jesus taught the parable of the talents, he emphasized that it is important to magnify what you have been given. If you have been given much, you are expected to use your talents. As part of Jesus' social teachings, that means that when you are in a stable situation, it is your responsibility to help the unlucky ones who are not as stable as you are.
It would be considered a theft on our part if we didn't give to someone in greater need than we are. [...] For it is in giving that we receive. (St Francis of Assisi)
Of course, giving should not be an act that we do but secretly despise doing it. It should be born from an inner desire to help others. Remember, one of the two great commandments of Jesus is "love your neighbor as yourself". This is also why Paul instructed the Corinthians to not be reluctant because God loves a cheerful giver. And whoever gives freely will receive God's blessings, like we can see in Jesus' parable of the talents. But here comes a warning: Do not be charitable for the sake of the reward! This is one of the many points of critique that Jesus had toward the Pharisees. They wanted to be seen while giving alms or during fasting periods.
He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. (Proverbs 19:17, RSVCE)
From my own experience, I can assure you that true joy comes from giving, not receiving. Sure, the latest PlayStation under the Christmas tree might make you happy, but true joy has a way deeper dimension than just happiness. Especially when giving to someone in need means sacrificing something, the Lord will not forget what we have done. And let us not forget what the Lord himself has done. He has sacrificed his life for all of us. He only had that one life, and he wasn't even that old. He easily could have lived another 40 years, but he decided that we would need that gift more. By being charitable, we can participate in this gracious deed. By being charitable, we can be a little bit more like the Messiah, one deed at a time.
Comments
Post a Comment