Christian Charity

Proverbs 19:17 (NIV) "Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done." Luke 6:38 ... "give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38 In verse 38, Jesus calls us simply to “give.” Surely we are to give of our financial means. But generosity should be the mark of a Christian beyond sharing of wealth. We give by forgiving. We give by helping. We give by opening our hearts and homes to others. We give by using our gifts for the sake of the Christian community. We give by sharing with others all that God has so richly given to us. Thus, we become conduits for the blessings of God, those through whom God gives to others. According to Jesus, there are rich rewards for a generous life. Not only do others benefit from our giving, but so do we. “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap” (6:38). Here, Jesus employs an image from common life in his day. Picture a woman wishing to carry grain to her kitchen. She might put it in her “lap,” a large pocket in the front of her garment. In order to get as much as possible into her lap, the woman would shake the grain so that it might settle. Jesus says that if we give, we will receive back not only what we have given, but far more. This may mean that we will receive the same sort of substance we have given away. When we love, we may be loved in return. When we give financially, we may be blessed with additional income. But even if what we receive is not the same in kind as what we give, nevertheless, we will receive generously from the hand of God. Thus, we give, not only because it is right to give, and not only as a response to God’s giving to us. We also give because a generous life is the best sort of life there is, one in which we are blessed even beyond the amount we bless others. As we share our stuff, our talents, our gifts, and our love, we receive the joy of a full life well lived.