Such a beautiful passage about giving. I know the church gets a bad rap at times from people who don’t understand the discipline of giving. I’ve heard people complain that all churches do is ask for money. I feel sad for those people who haven’t encountered Jesus in a way that has touched their heart to overflowing. Only then does giving seem like it is something we WANT do and not something we HAVE to do.
Paul’s words here are very helpful. When we see giving as a “privilege,” we are starting to understand. Paul starts out by using an example of the people in Macedonia. They must be going through some difficult times, yet they are giving way more than they can afford. They have the joy of the Lord overflowing, and this is resulting in their “rich” generosity. Paul says, “their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.”
Continue reading “2 Corinthians 8:1-15 – The Gift of Giving”
Jesus continues teaching in today’s reading. In Luke, this teaching is referred to as the “Sermon on the Plain.” Matthew’s gospel has a much longer version known as the “Sermon on the Mount.” They could very well be the same account. The teachings are certainly something everyone should hear, and Jesus would have likely taught it more than once.
