Friday, May 9, 2014

Do We Sometimes Have More Than One Motive For Helping The Needy?

I have a friend with a large house on the Jersey Shore, and a 45-foot boat on which he invites friends to go fishing.  He mentioned the other day how his cleaning lady had asked him for some help to pay the medical bills of a sick mother.  The mother has no medical insurance, and she had already been in the hospital for three weeks.  My friend said he was glad to help.  "My cleaning lady has so little and I have so much," he said.  He gave her $300.

My friend said he realized that his gift would cover only a small portion of the hospital bill, and now he felt guilty that he had not given more.   But, he said, at first he was not inclined to give her anything, and then guilt induced him to give the $300.

There was no spontaneous generosity here.  He seems not to have been moved by compassion.

What kind of love do you think God requires?  Showing mercy is commanded both by Jesus and often in Scripture.  But shouldn't it be initiated by a willing heart, and not just be in response to a command?  What is the right way to respond to the mercy of God which we have received as his grace ---- a huge benefit we receive but have not earned?

One way to look at it is to ask, "How selfish are we if we eat steak and drive two cars, while many in the rest of the world are starving?" This may create great emotional conflicts in the hearts of some Christians who hear such questions.  We may feel guilty!  However, all sorts of defense mechanisms are quickly engaged.  "Can I help it if I was born in this rich country?"  "How will it help anyone if I stop driving two cars?" "Don't I have the right to enjoy the fruits of my labor?"  Soon, with an anxious weariness, we  turn away from books or speakers who simply make us feel guilty toward the needy.

True mercy is spontaneous ---- it is an expansive love which comes from an awareness of the grace of God.  The deeper the awareness of this free grace of God, the more generous we might (hopefully) become.  One measure of a Christian may be whether he or she loves to give.  How regularly are we aware of God's gift of grace to us?  Is it something we want to repay by passing something like it along to others?

To put it another way, think of showing mercy to the needy as our "sacrifice of praise" for God's gift of grace to us.  It truly is a "sacrifice" on our part, because whatever we give ---- be it money or our supportive time, for example ---- we have given it away freely, and we do not have it any more.  The risen Lord of our salvation is not here bodily for us to anoint his feet, so instead we have the opportunity to help the needy as a "sacrifice" to show our love and honor for Christ.

Why is generosity a mark of being a Christian?  Imagine a person who is deathly ill. The doctor announces to him that there is a medicine which can certainly cure him.  Without it, he has no hope.  "However," says the doctor, "it is extremely expensive.  You will have to sell your cars, even your home, to buy it.  You may not wish to spend so much."  The man turns to the doctor and says, "What do my cars mean to me now?  What good will my house be?  I must have that medicine; it is precious to me.  These other things which were so important to me before now look pale by comparison to the medicine.  They are expendable now.  Give me the medicine!"

The awareness of the grace of God (like a miracle medicine) is equally that precious to us.  Our possessions, our money, our time, all become eternally and utterly expendable.  They used to be crucial to our happiness.  They will no longer be so, as awareness increases that we have the gift of God's grace.

A sensitive social conscience and a life poured out in deeds of mercy to the needy, are the inevitable signs of a person who really understands the nature of God's grace given to us.  Guilt should not be the only motivation for helping the needy.
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These thoughts are brought to you by CPC's Adult Spiritual Development Team, hoping to encourage you to pursue some personal growth this year at CPC.
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