Generous God, Generous People

Reading : Deuteronomy 24:10-22 ‘Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy’ v14 When you make a loan of any kind to your neighbor, do not go into their house to get what is offered to you as a pledge. Stay outside and let the neighbor to whom you are making the loan bring the pledge out to you. If the neighbor is poor, do not go to sleep with their pledge in your possession. Return their cloak by sunset so that your neighbor may sleep in it. Then they will thank you, and it will be regarded as a righteous act in the sight of the Lord your God. Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. Pay them their wages each day before sunset, because they are poor and are counting on it. Otherwise they may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin. Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; eac

Reading : Psalm 24:1-10 ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it’ v1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,     the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas     and established it on the waters. Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?     Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,     who does not trust in an idol     or swear by a false god.[a] They will receive blessing from the Lord     and vindication from God their Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him,     who seek your face, God of Jacob.[b][c] Lift up your heads, you gates;     be lifted up, you ancient doors,     that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory?     The Lord strong and mighty,     the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, you gates;     lift them up, you ancient doors,     that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory?  

Reading : Malachi 3:8-10 ‘Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me!’ v8 “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. This always sounds harsh. Are we really robbing God? Should we really be putting God to the test? Yet that is what Malachi says. If we know what God has called us to give and, in an ungenerous spirit, we seek to keep it to ourselves then we are robbing God. The practice of giving a tenth to God, which would also benefit others, was long established in the Old Testament. Some commentators say that if we seek to withhold from God what is his, then it will disappear any

Reading : 2 Corinthians 8:1-15  ‘see that you also excel in this grace of giving.’ v7 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you[a]—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. I am not commanding you, but I want to test the

Reading : Matthew 23:1-23 ‘you give a tenth… but you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness.’ v23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others. “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Fa

Reading : Deuteronomy 14:22-29 ‘set apart a tithe’ v22 Be sure to set aside a tenth  of all that your fields produce each year.   Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine  and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the  Lord  your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name,  so that you may learn  to revere the  Lord  your God always.   But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the  Lord  your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the  Lord  will choose to put his Name is so far away), then exchange  your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the  Lord  your God will choose.   Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink,  or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the  Lord  your God and rejoice.   And do not neglect the Levites  living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inhe

Reading : 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 ‘On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income’ v2 Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me. For Christians seeking to develop their discipleship, the act of disciplined giving is part of our normal worshipping life. Paul instructs all in the church in Corinth, regardless of their affluence to take part in the regular and systematic setting aside of money for the work of God. Many people are now paid on a monthly basis but the principle still stands of setting aside a pro

Reading : Proverbs 3:5-12 ‘Honour the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops’ v9 Trust in the  Lord  with all your heart      and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him,      and he will make your paths  straight. [ a ]      fear the  Lord  and shun evil. This will bring health to your body      and nourishment to your bones.      with the firstfruits  of all your crops; then your barns will be filled  to overflowing,      and your vats will brim over with new wine.      and do not resent his rebuke, because the  Lord  disciplines those he loves,      as a father the son he delights in. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Honor the  Lord  with your wealth, My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,     and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves,     as a father the son he delights in. No doubt this is a passage that many people will have encountered on more than one occ

Reading : Mark 12:41-44 ‘but she, out of her poverty, put in everything - all she had to live on.’ v44 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put  and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.   But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said,  “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.   They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” Size matters? Well no, it was not the size of the gift that was noted. It was the totality of it. The widow gave everything she had. We will often hear in church circles of the ‘widow’s mite’ meaning someone who might be on a low income and can only afford to give a few pounds. But Jesus was looking at the whole gift. If you read the preceding paragraph it condemns the Pharisees who

Reading: 1 Timothy 6: 6-10, 17-19 ‘the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith’ v10 (NRSV) But godliness with contentment  is great gain.   For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.   But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.   Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap  and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.   For the love of money  is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith  and pierced themselves with many griefs. Command those who are rich  in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth,  which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God,  who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds,  and to be generous and willing to share.   In this way th

Reading : 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 ‘Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.’ v6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;     their righteousness endures forever.” Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is

Reading : Matthew 6: 19-24 ‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’ v21 19  “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,  where moths and vermin destroy,  and where thieves break in and steal.   20  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,  where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.   21  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22  “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, [ a ]  your whole body will be full of light.   23  But if your eyes are unhealthy, [ b ]  your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24  “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. This is a passage that is unambiguously about money. What’s the point of saving up everything and not using it? It is