Giving out of Love

For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor…

In the name of the Father…

I’ve never met him, but I’ve heard stories how Christi’s dad would pick out a card at the store, hand it to Christi’s mom and say, “Here is a card I would get for you.” / Christi and I have a running joke. Something doesn’t quite work out and one of us will say, “Well, it’s the thought that counts.” Then we will both laugh and the other will say, “It’s the gift!” Gift-giving, especially thoughtful gifts, plays a special role in most families.

There are gifts and there are gifts from the heart. There’s the Father’s Day tie… that never gets worn. I did not receive one of those, by the way. All my Father’s Day gifts were thoughtful, especially the pillow that my youngest made me. I’ve watched him make all sorts of things for other people. But this he made for me. And I love it. Over the years, my boys have given me several handmade gifts, many of them I still possess.

There are fewer things in the world that illustrate God’s love more… than a gift born out of love. They are reflections of the Father’s selfless gift of his Son. This is exactly what Paul is getting at in this Second Corinthians passage as he talks about giving.

Did you know that there are more Bible verses about money and wealth than any other single topic? Few areas of our life expose what we hold sacred more than money. An unhealthy relationship can cause tremendous heartache. But a gift… especially a thoughtful gift from someone we love… has a way of softening and opening up our hearts.

Most people are able to give out of love. So then, why is it difficult to discuss money within the church? In some churches talking money is taboo… except, of course, for the fall pledge drive when you are expecting it. Other churches are centered all around giving. You’ve heard stories of passing the plate one more time because we didn’t raise enough.

What does God think about our giving? Does the Bible present the obligation to give… and to give a certain amount? How should we respond to our opportunity to give? Paul gives some clarification that is both helpful and a little challenging. His answer is that our giving ought to be motivated by love and gratitude for what Christ has done for us.

Paul writes this letter during his third missionary journey throughout what is now Turkey and Greece. There has been a famine in Israel, and the Churches there are in need. Leaders have asked Paul to spread the news and ask for help. Here, Paul is reminding the Corinthians of a promise of support they made during his previous visit to Corinth.

Paul had the Apostolic authority to turn the screws. He could simply tell them what to give. It would have been a whole lot easier had Jesus said, “You want to make it into heaven? Believe in me and give at least 10%.” At least, we would know! But that’s not at all what he said. Nor is that what is going on here.

I’ve said before that the law is so much easier to live by. The law is black and white. Living by grace is… well… gray. It’s easier to be told what to do than to have to figure out what is right. Paul could have set giving expectations for all believers until Jesus returns. Instead, he says, “I would rather test the earnestness of your love.”

One clearest expectations given to Christians, after “Repent and believe,”… is to love. Love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. And even though, as our Confession states, we do not do either of those very well… If there is a true north that helps us find our way and answers how we should walk as a believer… it’s the law of love.

If there is a theology of giving, this is it. It’s not out of our good works. We do not give to get. Yes, the Bible commands us to give; but the Christian call to give is not out of duty or command. Paul wants them to have the opportunity to give out of a place of love.

Paul addresses love in his previous letter. In chapter 13 of First Corinthians, he says, “If I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” He also says, “If I give away everything I own… and do not have love, I receive no benefit.” Love is to be the over-arching principle that governs all of our actions, especially giving. The question isn’t what percentage you are giving to the Lord and his work. The question is, are you serving and giving out of love.

If this sounds like a high standard, it is. Paul points to Jesus; “Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” In that generous act of Jesus Christ, He laid aside everything that we might have everything. Though Paul does not command, he points to the example of sacrificial giving. The gift he was reminding them to give was to be a loving response to Christ who has given all for them.

God very well could have provided another way. He could have made it rain gold and silver on those who were in need. But that is not how God works. By design, God works through people. It was God’s intention to support the churches in Israel through them. And in the same way, his method for providing for this church is through you and me. We have been giving much by Jesus. God wants to work through you and me for the sake of St. Gabriel’s.

Not only are we his means of supporting the church, but Paul talks about giving according to a person’s means. Probably everyone here has heard about the concept of the tithe. In the Old Testament, God’s people were expected to give a percentage of the best of their increase. That’s not what this message is about. In fact, Paul is talking about a gift over and above what they were already giving to support the Church at Corinth.

Again, this is not about fulfilling a legalistic standard of giving. If anything, since the coming of Christ, now everything is His and belongs to him. God, through Paul, is not asking people to be destitute. God is asking whether our giving reflects the sacrificial love that Christ has shown each of us? Are you giving anywhere near your ability to give?

Again… God is up to a lot here at St. Gabriel’s. We are growing. Ministries are starting up. And we are making plans for the future.

Several of you have asked to be better informed, and we are working on that. In August, we will have a mid-year Church meeting to discuss where we are at with the church finances among other things.

We stepped out in faith this year with our budget. We accepted the call to go beyond simply keeping the lights on, and we approved a “Faith Budget.” God has been good. There have been a few surprising gifts in response to that faith.

If you have made a pledge to the church, thank you. That is God’s work in you and in your heart to give out of love. There are those who give sacrificially outside of the pledge. There are those who give what someone recently described as a tip to God. And there are those who come to church regularly and do not give at all.

What would happen if we all gave in response to the amazing gift of Christ’s love…? There is so much that can be done for the mission of Christ when his people are motivated by love.

There are gifts… and there are gifts from the heart. The most powerful gift ever given is the gift of God’s own Son.

God has blessed each one of us tremendously. We have been redeemed and restored to the family of God for all eternity.

We can never repay God for what he has done. And we are not supposed to try. But we can respond out of love as by reflecting the character of a loving and giving God.

And when his people are motivated by love, God can transform the world.