“The Extraordinary Privilege of Giving – God’s Way”
Matthew 5:42
What is the message of Jesus all about? What is it that Jesus really wants us to know and understand from what He teaches?
In the most basic sense, He wants us to know and understand what it means to no longer be a lost and condemned child of the world and instead to be a rescued, unshackled child of Heaven – one who has been “deliver(ed) out of this present evil world” (Galatians 1:4).
Those two natures are about as unalike and contradictory as you can get. When Paul says, “And do not be conformed to this world” in Romans 12:2, he is admonishing us that everything about how we think and feel and act is to be inconsistent with the agenda and the motivation and the purpose of the world. In 1 John 2:15, the Apostle John further warns us, “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
Pretty strong words…pretty heavy implications. Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is giving us our marching orders, as it were. He is explaining to us what our code of conduct is to be – from the motivations of our heart to the outward way that we interact with everyone around us.
Already we have walked through some life-altering teachings. We have seen already that the deepest purpose of every true child of God is to be a living demonstration of the character and heart of Jesus Christ. We have seen that our natural tendencies are in direct opposition to the predisposition that a Christ-follower is to have in their outlook on and approach to life and to the world.
The fundamental difference that Jesus has consistently obliged us to live out is that we are not our own, and neither is any material thing in our possession. We are the title-holders of nothing – as such, our obligations are to the true owner and possessor, who is none other than Almighty God.
Last time, we closely examined the reality that we have no right or claim apart from our relationship with Jesus Christ. We have responsibilities, we have duties, we have obligations, but no rights. God has promised rewards to us, but even those are not of ourselves but are given through our Resurrected Lord.
As we discovered last time, the words of the Lord Jesus Christ clearly teach us what the true standard of attitude and behavior are for the Christian in respect to our rights, our possessions and our responsibilities. Let’s review them:
1) The Christian will never seek retaliation for or be resentful of any insult, no matter who it comes from, and no matter how calculated or treacherous.
2) The Christian will never demand any rights, legal or otherwise, from any authority. We may graciously ask, but – if denied – our response is quiet and calm and our appeal is then to Almighty God, the final Authority and Judge of all.
3) The Christian will never deliberate over their right to live and do as they like, but will live in cheerful anticipation of serving others in unexpected and Christ-like ways, looking forward to fulfilling their duty to help others.
Ours is to be a life of self-sacrifice and service to others, not a life characterized by being selfish and self-serving. We are to not to be preoccupied with the right and wrong of others, but on the principles of conduct that declare our citizenship in heaven.
Just as Jesus went to the cross in self-sacrificing grace, so are we to live our lives in self-sacrificial service to Him through our service to others.
That is the standard of heaven, and that is the standard for all of us who call ourselves by the name of Him who died for all.
Tonight, we will look more deeply into “The Extraordinary Privilege of Giving – God’s Way”.
Let’s look at our text:
“Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.”
Many times, I have heard people say, “I really love to give!” And, by the standards of the world, they probably do. But, do any of us “love” to give according to the standards of God? Let’s see.
The word “give” here means to deliver, to grant, to yield to another”. In the context of what we have learned so far, it is easy to see the heart behind the action. What is the requirement for us to deliver what we have to someone else, to grant or present to another person what is in our possession, to yield the control of what we have to that someone else? Simply that they ask.
When we look back into the record of the decrees of God chronicled for us in the Old Testament, we see a beautiful heart underlying those commands. They are not command to hurt or harm or restrict us; instead they are given to preserve, to protect, and to improve life.
In Deuteronomy 15:7-11, we can readily see that love is what is to underlie lending and giving – love for another, not love of self or love of things.
The New American Standard translates it this way:
7 "If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; 8 but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks. 9 Beware, lest there is a base thought in your heart, saying, ’The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,’ and your eye is hostile toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he may cry to the LORD against you, and it will be a sin in you. 10 You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings. 11 For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, ’You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.’
The New Living Translation:
7 "But if there are any poor people in your towns when you arrive in the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them. 8 Instead, be generous and lend them whatever they need. 9 Do not be mean-spirited and refuse someone a loan because the year of release is close at hand. If you refuse to make the loan and the needy person cries out to the LORD, you will be considered guilty of sin. 10 Give freely without begrudging it, and the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do. 11 There will always be some among you who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share your resources freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need.
The Living Bible:
7 "But if, when you arrive in the land the Lord will give you, there are any among you who are poor, you must not shut your heart or hand against them; 8 you must lend them as much as they need. 9 Beware! Don’t refuse a loan because the year of debt cancellation is close at hand! If you refuse to make the loan and the needy man cries out to the Lord, it will be counted against you as a sin. 10 You must lend him what he needs, and don’t moan about it either! For the Lord will prosper you in everything you do because of this! 11 There will always be some among you who are poor; that is why this commandment is necessary. You must lend to them liberally.
In the teaching of Jesus recorded in Matthew 5, we have Jesus reminding His listeners that they are to give as God gives. In the passage in Deuteronomy, God is instructing the Israelites on how they are to treat one another when they enter and take possession of a land that is being given to them. It is totally unreasonable for anyone to refuse to give as they have been given to. From the Christian perspective, this is even more true. We are not only His called-out ones, we have the nature and character of Christ living in us – He MUST live through us.
The Rabbis had taught the Jews for generation upon generation that there were five principles of godly giving, and they really are the same for us today.
One: Giving is not to be refused.
“Be careful not to refuse charity, for everyone who refuses charity is put in the same category as idolaters.” The Rabbis taught that here as in obedience to all of God’s laws, the principle of sow-and-reap may well become evident to the man who refuses to give. The day may well come when he himself has to beg for mercy and for help – perhaps even from those to whom he refused to give.
Two: The gift must be suitable and appropriate for the person receiving the gift.
Deuteronomy 15:8 ends with this injunction: “generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks.” This means more that the bare sufficiency to keep a man alive. He is to be given enough that he might live above mere existence. Think for a moment about your own level of comfort right now. Do you really have any lack? Before you answer, realize that, if you have a permanent home, eat every day and have a steady income, you are wealthier than 80% of the world’s population. If you never have to go to bed hungry, you jump up above 86%. (There are 6.39 billion people in the world. Only 1.3 billion live in industrialized countries like the United States (0.9 billion), and in developing countries like the Baltic states (0.4 billion). That leaves 5.09 billion people who live in very poor conditions. In fact, 1.2 billion people make an income of less than $1 per day.) Godly giving is not just about removing destitution; it is about removing the humiliation and shame that comes with it.
On the same hand, our gift must be suitable for the person in need. It is not at all fitting to hand a $20.00 bill to someone who is intoxicated or apparently on drugs. Their judgment is grossly inhibited, and it is not what they really need. The gift must fit the need, not just the desire. It must be a true benefit, not just something to appease our conscience or get rid of them.
Three: Giving is to be carried out lovingly, privately and secretly (see also Matthew 6:2-4).
There was a place in the Temple where people could come secretly to leave their gifts. No one knew who left what. The gifts were then given in secret to bankrupt and insolvent families in need. Families were provided homes without charge or record, fields or vineyards were given to provide an income and sustenance, even dowries were provided to families whose daughters would not be able to be married otherwise. A godly Jew would be repulsed by any gift that was given for the sake of personal prestige, self- aggrandizement, or even for publicity.
Four: The manner of giving must be appropriate to the character and temperament of the one receiving the gift.
If a man was in need but his self-esteem would not allow him to ask for a gift, the giver was to approach him and ask, “May I loan you what you need? You may repay me when you can.” The loan was never to be called in – in fact, it was not really a loan at all, but a gift. This way, the man’s self-respect was not thrashed even further. If a man had resources but was too miserly to use them, he was to be given what was needed, but then it was to be paid back from the man’s estate when he died. The manner of the giving was to be as loving and beneficial to the receiver as the gift itself.
Five: All giving is both an obligation and a privilege since all giving is nothing less than giving to God.
Giving to someone in real and actual need is not a matter of choice, it is a matter of must; refusing to give is refusing God. Let’s read the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:31-46, when He speaks of the day when He will separate the inheritors of the kingdom from those who are cursed forever. We must never forget His words, “to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even to the least of them, you did it to Me (verse 40)”, and “to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me” (verse 45).
Are we saying that Jesus is commanding us to be indiscriminate and undiscerning in our giving? Not at all. It is quite clear that the effect of our giving on the one receiving the gift must be considered well. Giving can never inconsistent with the balance of our obligations under the whole counsel of God. We have God-ordained obligations to our families, and we have no obligation or privilege to enable a person in laziness, slothfulness and continuing in disobedience to what they know is right before God.
Let me give a case-in-point as an illustration. Suppose a man has been penalized by the courts for driving without a license. He has fines to pay, and they are compounding interest every month. Now, suppose that man goes out and spends money on a car and begins driving it, and he does not buy insurance. At that point, he is living in downright disobedience to God. He has an obligation to pay his fines, to obey the ruling of the court and refrain from driving, and insurance is a mandatory requirement under the laws (Hand over to everyone what is due them, Romans 13:8). If he gets stopped by the police, arrested, his car impounded and then calls me for help, what shall I do so that my response is in keeping with the will of God?
Some would say, “Give him what he needs to get out of jail, support him by speaking up for him when he goes to court, maybe even help pay his fines.” And, they would say that that is the truly “Christian thing to do.” I have to disagree.
By following that course of action, I am taking resources God has provided me and giving them to someone who is going to use those resources for the sole purpose of continuing along a path of life that is sinful, disobedient, willful, self-serving and a really lousy witness. Co-signing that kind of attitude and behavior is a disservice to the individual and dishonoring to God.
I will visit the man in jail, I will pray with him, I will pray for him, I will ask others to pray for him, and I will give godly counsel and guidance if he asks me for it. I will not fund his rebellion. I will not allow him to come and stay with my family and me and provide a “base of operations” for him to continue his life of gross disobedience.
If he repents and seeks to turn his life around and make restitution for his wrongs, seeking to live a life that honors God and His ideals, then I am obligated according to what Jesus is teaching to give what aid I can without expectation of repayment and without laying any shame to this man. Remember, the obligation is to give what meets the real need, not necessarily what is desired.
How do you know? Well, if you are in doubt, ask God. James 1:5 promises “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
Jesus’ teaching here is on individual giving to individuals. It is not about tithing, it is not about offerings; it is about meeting a person where they live and sharing the sweet love of Jesus in a very real and practical way. That is Christ-like giving. “Not as the world gives,” as He says in John 14:27. The standard of Heaven is higher and more personal, and more costly. Yet, the rewards are greater than anything the world has to offer.
