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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