The Character of Giving

The Role

Some actors play a role so well we forget their real name. One of my favorite TV series is The Wire in which a young Idris Elba plays a drug kingpin by the name of Stringer Bell. Mr. Bell is cutthroat beyond measure. He does not mind stepping on family in effort to put another brick in his empire. I imagine there are movies that have actors that played roles that really almost made us hate them in real life. If you’ve seen Why Did I Get Married, you probably still hate Gavin for making Shiela drive up that moutain in the snow.

As Christians we aren’t acting, I’m not encouraging anyone to buy into hypocritcal behavior. Nonetheless I will say there are some character traits that we must have if we are going to truly walk the walk as Christians.

The First Step is Love

If you’ve listen to Jesus, the first step is love. Loving those that are hard to love. Your enemies! Before you say Bro. Ford I didn’t sign up for that understand what God has done for us.

This isn’t just unconditional love for the people that get on your nerves understand that the root word for enemy means to hate.

Romans 11:28 “Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.”

I can’t even fathom doing good to those who hate me without unconditional love. When I love my enemy I can speak in an encouraging way when someone uses words to cause injury or harm unto me.

If I can love I can give:

There is nothing you can do to get me out of character with Jesus.

I’m only doing what Jesus did at a higher level. They may talk about me, they talked about the Lord. Understand the application for a text like this with those who came before us. These principles in Luke 6 were directly attached to the Civil Rights Movement as it pertained to non-violent activism. When my ancestors sat at lunch counters and were verbally and physically abused, attacked by dogs and sprayed by water hoses. This text was the motivation. When my mission is greater than your discouragement there’s nothing you can do that will get me out of character!

It’s About Going the Extra Mile

Walking with Jesus is about giving and forgiving; let us not stop there because we must pray for them.

We are praying that God change their heart! The best way to conquer an enemy is to make them a friend. It’s easy to love someone that loves you back! It’s easy to be nice to someone who is nice to you. It’s easy to give to someone who gives to you.

I’m doing this because of what Jesus did for me, it’s not transactional. I’m not doing this because I’m hoping to get something in return. I’m doing this because I am a representative of Jesus!

Matthew 5:41 “And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.”

1 Corinthians 11:1 “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.”

Jesus states in this text, “therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful”.

There is no extra credit for doing what you are supposed to be doing! We should be the frontrunning example of giving, kindness and hospitality.

An Applied Standard

What we must understand is the measure that we use to judge others is the measurement that God will use to judge us. From a negative perspective Jesus says we should not judge or condemn. Truth be told if we focus on forgiving and giving generously we will not have time to judge and condemn.

Be careful around people who complain, judge and condemn constantly without holding themselves accountable.

To drive this point home further we are warned against judgmentalism directly after we hear how merciful God has been to us.

Let’s compare: The enemy has the power to curse you, mistreat you, strike your cheek, and take your coat. These are all actions that will never bring joy to one’s life.

As a follower of Christ we are asked to love, do good bless, pray, turn away, and let go. We are asked to be merciful we are asked to forgive. The power is on this positive side these acts have the ability to change the world!

Imagine you met someone who did not like you and they had a terminal illness in which they would die very soon would you not pray for them? Would not your heart open at the expense of this incurable sickness even if they were filled with hate. I need us to understand that hate is a terminal sickness that can become incurable in it’s final stages because we know that the price of sin is death!

How did Jesus treat enemies and sinners. He ate with them, He invited them to be disciples, He wanted to give them an opportunity to repent.

Loving your enemies is no easy task but it is a divine gift from God to love those who try to put you to shame.

There are two marks, both of which are one and the same thing, that manifest the difference between spiritual and human love: Human love cannot tolerate the dissolution of a fellowship that has become false for the sake of genuine fellowship, and human love cannot love an enemy, that is, one who seriously and stubbornly resists it. Both spring from the same source: human love is by its very nature desire—desire for human community. So long as it can satisfy this desire in some way, it will not give it up, even for the sake of truth, even for the sake of genuine love for others. But where it can no longer expect its desire to be fulfilled, there it stops short—namely, in the face of an enemy. There it turns into hatred, contempt, and calumny. (Bonhoeffer)

There’s Abudance in Love

Jesus uses this analogy to describe a generous employer paying those who work in his field. This boss scoops grain into a measuring jar and as it gets to the top he shakes it to make more room and then packs it down and puts more until it’s running over.

God’s love responds to us in this way. If we were to recieve the true measure of consequence we deserve none of us could handle it.

When we give generously, when we forgive without stipulation we allow God’s power to work in our lives and the lives of those who hurt us! God has give us more than we could ever ask for! We ask for forgiveness, He grants it. We asked for love, He sent Jesus. We ask for a way out of no way, God makes a way!

Conclusion

Long ago, a poor woman from the slums of London was invited to go with a group of people for a holiday at the ocean. She had never seen the ocean before, and when she saw it, she burst into tears. Those around her thought it was strange that she should cry when such a lovely holiday had been given her. “Why in the world are you crying?” they asked. Pointing to the ocean she answered, “This is the only thing I have ever seen that there was enough of.” God has oceans of mercy. There is enough of it—and God delights to show his mercy and compassion

Think on these things if the power of God is one that can push us in directions of growth if He is overflowing with mercy and love, we should be able to show it to our worst enemy!