What I’m learning (theoretically) about generosity from Jesus

There's an anxious feeling, a sense of dread, that wells up inside of me almost every time someone calls to request financial assistance from our church.  I hear the voice on the other end of the line, “My electricity is going to be disconnected… I’m about to be evicted… I need money for a bus ticket.”  I’ve heard lots of stories from lots of people.  Same anxious feeling almost every time.

One reason (besides the fact that I don’t like to be bothered) is that I want to be sure the request is legit; that the person is actually in need or really “deserves” help.  I feel the respo

nsibility to be a good manager of God’s money. 

You may have an opinion.  Maybe you take a more liberal perspective.  “You should help people, no questions asked.” Maybe you’re more on the conservative end of the spectrum.  “You should just tell the person to go out and get a job!”

By the way, if you hold to a completely naturalistic understanding of the universe, I think you should endorse the later of these two perspectives.  It only makes sense, right?  Survival of the fittest.  If you can’t pay your bills, buy food, make your way in this world you simply die and make more room and resources for the rest of us.

Interesting thing.  In my experience, the “get a job or die” philosophy is endorsed more by those who believe in a sovereign creator.  In fact, some of the most religious people I’ve ever met enthusiastically quote passages from the Bible like, “God helps those who help themselves.”  (Which is not actually in the Bible but it is quoted none the less.)  And the verse from Paul’s second letter to the church in Thessalonica, “if any would not work, neither should he eat.”

Strangely enough, some of the most generous people I know – or know of – don’t believe in God.  I guess, as a pastor, I would argue that they actually do believe in God, just subconsciously.

But I digress.  What, if anything, can we learn about generosity from Jesus? 

I wonder if Jesus felt the same angst that I feel when someone asked him for help.  What did Jesus teach about generosity?  How did he interact with people who were “takers?”

Coincidently I was reading in Luke chapter six this morning.  This passage is sometimes called the sermon on the plain.  It is a record of some of Jesus’ core teaching.  In verses 34-35 Jesus says…

“And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?  Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full.  But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” 

Apparently the “Most High” gives to “wicked” people and I give to people who “deserve” it.

All four gospels record one of Jesus’ most impressive miracles, the feeding of the multitude – five thousand men plus women and children.  After a long day of crowd control, the disciples encouraged Jesus to send the multitude away so they could get themselves something to eat.  Instead Jesus tells the disciples that they should feed the crowd.  The disciples seem to feel the need to educate Jesus on the finer points of economics and food distribution ministry.  “That would take eight months of a man’s wages.” (Mark 6:37) 

Jesus is undaunted.  He takes what can be found, a boy’s lunch consisting of five biscuits and two sardines.  He blesses and breaks the food, gives it to the disciples who, in turn, distribute it to the people.  You probably know the story.  At the end of the day everyone is full and the disciples have a basket of leftovers apiece.

Here’s the point.  You know that in a crowd that size lots of other people had food besides that one kid.  If I had been Jesus I would have laid a heavy guilt trip on everybody there.  I would have stood that little guy up in front of everybody and preached to them until they coughed up the goods.  But apparently Jesus wasn’t interested in making sure everyone was doing their fair share.  He was only interested in taking what that one little boy had and multiplying it.  Oddly enough he didn’t have the disciples search the people before they gave them food to make sure they weren’t holding out.  Evidently he had no interest in making sure everyone “deserved” his generosity.

So that brings us to the death of Jesus on a cross outside of the city of Jerusalem.  As Jesus was dying he looked into a sea of faces that were ungrateful and wicked, unapologetic and undeserving and he asked his Father to be generous, to give.  He asked God to give forgiveness to those who didn’t deserve it.  Our faith tradition teaches that all of humanity was/is in that crowd of “undeserving” sinners.

I still think that I need to be a good manager of God’s money.  That means I’m still going to have the same anxious feeling when people call requesting assistance.  Fortunately, I have the help of other people who want to be both generous and careful.  Maybe we can all be humble enough to admit that we need to keep learning about generosity from Jesus.