February 28, 2017
Tuesday, Week Eight, Year I
In a generous spirit.. in a spirit of joy...
Most religions include some kind of
conscious giving to God. This can take the form of ritual sacrifices or of
explicitly religious support of the poor or of what we recognize as “God’s
work,” regardless of who is doing it. But Sirach
35:1-12 says the first of all gifts is to “keep the law.” This is a “great
oblation.” We make it when we “observe
the commandments,” do “works of
charity… give alms… refrain from evil… and avoid injustice.”
We have to give something. “Appear not before the Lord empty-handed.”
But what gives value to the gift is the attitude of the giver. What God sees in
our hands is the expression of our heart. We can’t “buy God.” “Offer no bribes, these he does not accept.” God
does not want our gifts but our giving; that is, he wants us. And he wants us
loving, because when we love we are like God, which is what we were created to
be.
That is why the attitude with which we
give counts more than the content. Gifts to God are measured by virtue, not
volume. “The just one’s sacrifice is most
pleasing….” This doesn’t mean we can’t please God when, as sinners, we do
what we can. It means that giving is an act of relationship. If we don’t give
with a sincere desire to be in the right relationship with God (and with others)
our giving is pleasing to no one. We should remember that to ”have mercy” means
to “come to the aid of another out of a sense of relationship.” Christian giving is not condescension; it is an act
of recognition: we recognize God as
God and Father, our brother as our brother, our sister as our sister. Christian
giving is always supporting our family.
We have to give like God: “in a generous spirit… in a spirit of joy….
Give to the Most High as he has given to you, generously, according to your
means.” God gives All. All he is, and all he has made he offers to us. And
he asks for all in return. “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” This is what Jesus
recognized and praised in the “widow’s mite”:
Truly I tell
you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the
treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out
of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.[1]
All. “Sin” is mentioned in the Bible 367
times. “All” appears 4491 times. (”Love” 491 times). Jesus demanded all for
All:
The kingdom of
heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and… in joy goes
and sells all and buys that field.” None of you can become my disciple if you
do not give up all your possessions.[2]
We can’t outgive God. “For the Lord is one who always repays, and
he will give back to you sevenfold,” that is, in perfect measure.[3] Jesus said the
same:
“Give, and it
will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running
over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure
you get back.”
The measure is proportional, not equal.
God’s measure is exponentially higher than ours. People who trust in God’s
generosity will discover how great it is. To
the upright I will show the saving power of God.
Meditation:
What am I giving to
God? Do I give in the same spirit God does?
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