Do we believe it’s possible to live a generous life? Do we believe it’s important to live a generous life? Do we believe it’s necessary to live a generous life? We’ve spent the last four weeks reflecting on how to live generously in every respect of discipleship as United Methodists—our prayers, our witness, our presence and our service. We come this morning to reflect on perhaps the most important aspect of our generosity—our gifts. How we live with our gifts (our money) forms the basis for the generosity we demonstrate in every area of our lives. After all, Jesus said in Matthew’s gospel that “where your treasure is, there will be your heart also” (Matt. 6:21 NIV). Jesus made that statement in his famous “Sermon on the Mount” as recorded in Matthew’s gospel. The text we read this morning comes from Luke’s account of the “Sermon on the Plain.”
There is much in common between these two sermons of Jesus. In both, Jesus turns the disciple’s lives upside down as he offers an alternative “measure” by which one can and should live his/her life. I use the word “measure” because it’s the word Jesus used as he summed up, in Luke’s gospel, the meaning and purpose of a Kingdom-centered life. The “measure” Jesus was referring to was a picture his hearers would be familiar with. Jesus said if we give that he will give to us in “good measure.” Good measure pressed down draws on what happened in the marketplace in those days. The grain seller would place grain in a container. Then he would shake the container to get the grain to level out so that he could put more grain in the measure. That is how God measures for the generous and those who give. Jesus adds, in fact, the cup will run over, so much so that it lands in the “lap” of the giver.
In the first century, a person’s garment was designed such that the hem of the outer cloak could be rolled up and tucked into the belt to create a pouch to carry more items than could be held in one’s hands. Remember when you were a kid and you were playing with your Hotwheels? You wanted to play with all of them, but you weren’t blessed to have one of those little nice carrying cases like you saw in the JCPenny Christmas catalog, so what did you do? You rolled up the bottom of your shirt and stated putting all those little cars in the pouch you created. My grandmother had a garden every year. I still remember vividly how sometimes she’d go out to the garden and she’d find peas or butter beans ready that she hadn’t anticipated being ready. Rather than going back to the shed for a bucket, she’d roll up her apron and create a pouch and go down the row filling that pouch with peas or butter beans. She’d especially do that with tomatoes. That’s the picture Jesus is painting with the image of the overflow of God’s grace pouring out into the lap of the disciple who lives a generous life.
We attach a generous life to money, and rightfully so, but Jesus, in the context of his message in Luke attaches it to every area of life. Hear the words of Jesus that precede verse 38:
27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also.30 Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. 31 Do to others as you would like them to do to you.
32 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! 34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.
35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.
37 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. 38 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. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” (Luke 6: 27 – 38 NLT)
Jesus is laying the foundation for the primary Kingdom principle of love. This is a call to love others with an exceptional love, and God promises that those who respond to the challenges of life with mercy and compassion will receive from God’s hand—not necessarily those things the world sees as valuable, but real blessings that come from God’s hand. To the one who forgives comes great forgiveness. To the one who gives come more gifts that we can even imagine. That’s how God measures generosity. Generosity is love in action!
Exemplifying love in a hostile world is challenging. It cannot be done apart from the Holy Spirit. The world is used to dealing with people either on the basis of power, utility or equal exchange. Generosity is not in vogue, but it is the most Christ-like characteristic disciples exhibit. We don’t experience the same challenges the first disciples experienced, but as I survey the landscape in the United States as we head into the Presidential election next week, having endured the attacks and almost pure vitriol expressed, I’m not sure that the body of Christ doesn’t need to heed this advice more than ever. I have a hard time seeing the overflowing generosity of love in the way we communicate with those who possess different values from our own. We have to be different from the world. We must hold to our convictions as those who follow Christ while at the same time communicating compassion, mercy and grace for everyone—especially those who differ with us. We will likely be misunderstood, but that does not give us the right to be insensitive or harbor misunderstanding towards them.
I don’t want us to miss the connection between God’s blessing and our ability to love and give generously. Because of God’s blessing to us and our appreciation for him, we are able to love. Because He gave, we can give. Because we know the joy of receiving from Him, we are motivated to give to others. What Jesus asks for in his sermon we apply to others because he has applied it to us. We live generous lives because we have been shown great generosity.
Let us never misunderstand this passage of scripture as a means of increasing our own lot in life—we never give so we can get more in return. That’s the essence of the world’s standard, and that’s exactly what Jesus was warning against. If we love only those who can love us back, that’s a self-centered love. If we do good only to those who can return the favor, that’s a self-centered love, and if we lend only to those who we expect to fully repay us, well, Jesus says, that’s a self-centered love.
In its January 25, l988 issue, TIME magazine provided an insight on selfishness and sharing. Speaking about the introduction of the videocassette recorder, the article said, “The company had made a crucial mistake. While at first Sony kept its Beta technology mostly to itself, JVC, the Japanese inventor of the VHS (format), shared its secret with a raft of other firms. As a result, the market was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the VHS machines being produced.”
This drastically undercut Sony's market share. The first year, Sony lost 40 percent of the market, and by 1987 it controlled only 10 percent. Sony eventually had to jump on the VHS bandwagon, and while now it’s almost impossible to find a VHS machine, that episode demonstrates that even in a cut-throat business, generosity has its rewards. If it’s true in business, how much more is that principle true in the Kingdom?
Let me circle back to where we started when we talk about generosity—our money. Generosity doesn’t begin when I give in the offering plate on Sunday. I say offering plate, but it may not be too much longer the offering plate goes the way of the VCR. We have on-line giving, giving through the FUMC app and giving via electronic transfer (you can set that up with Sue Anderson in the financial office). We’re working now on developing giving by text. Be looking for that after the first of the year. Even with all those ways of giving of our resources, I’ll say again that generosity doesn’t begin when I give in the offering plate. Generosity begins when I give myself to Christ. Our financial generosity simply reflects the level to which we’ve given ourselves to Christ.
Let me see if I can demonstrate how important this idea as a disciple. A concordance is a book that shows where different words and ideas are located throughout the Bible. When one looks up “believing” in a concordance, we find it 272 times in the Bible. “Prayer/praying” is found 371 times, “love/loving,” 714 times, and “give/giver/giving” is found 2,162 times! There are three times more instances of give than love, seven times more than prayer and eight times more than believing. I think that demonstrates the importance God places on the concept of giving.
Our giving enables FUMC to sustain ministries that are transformative in our congregation, community and in God’s creation. We’ve heard snapshots each week of only four of the ministries our generosity supports. We simply don’t have time to cover every area of engagement we have at FUMC. We support Christian Community Ministries and the ULM Wesley Foundation. We support Centenary College, Dillard University and the Board of Higher Education and Ministry that raises up pastors and lay people who serve as lay ministers. Two of our very own interns, Blake Marchbank and Joey Gardunio are on that path even today. And, Rev. Chris Winterman has enjoyed the benefit of our generosity over the past two years as he’s worked at completing seminary as he lives out his calling.
We mustn’t forget that our generosity provides opportunities for our children and students to develop their faith through ministries specifically targeted for their ages, and our generosity provides opportunity for life-changing worship experiences week in and week out at FUMC. And, I believe that FUMC, Monroe has one of the greatest congregational care ministries in our Annual Conference. Our generosity supports each of these ministries, but also extends around the world as we join with other United Methodists around the globe to plant new churches, support missionaries and spread the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ so that others experience new life, new hope and new beginnings in Jesus Christ.
So, I challenge each of us to renew our commitment to Christ by consecrating our commitments this morning. As we sing this closing hymn, please bring your commitment card and offer it to Christ as an offering of yourself as we prepare to move into 2017.
