Behaving Generously

Over the next few weeks, through the season of Lent and into Easter, we will be studying Luke’s gospel. The word gospel means, “good news”, and it tells us the good news of who Jesus is, what he did and taught, and how he is already now, transforming us.

The good news of Jesus Christ is for the present as well as for the future. Often, when we think of the work Jesus did on the cross, we speak, rightly, about its significance for the future. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. There’s a sense of a future everlasting life with Jesus.

There’s a future aspect to

Last week, we looked at the importance of walking in step with the Spirit, of doing what God created us to do, through the presence of Christ in us, the hope of glory. What this means is, Christ is at work in us right now, through the holy spirit, raising us to this new everlasting life.

The everlasting life is a life that is marked by doing things God’s way, not according to the old way of doing things, according to our sinful natures. The sinful nature desires things for the self. It is predominantly self-focussed. But God doesn’t leave humanity without his grace. God gives grace to all so that we see very selfless, very loving people, whether they are Christians or not.

But the difference for those who are in Christ, for those who belong to Jesus, who have trusted in him for their salvation, is that now we can choose to live differently. We are no longer slaves to the old way of thinking, the old way that was marked with self interest.

Jesus says, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” In the book of Genesis, we have the history of Jacob’s children laid out for us. One of his sons, Joseph, was hated by his brothers, so they plotted at first to kill him. But when they saw an opportunity to make some money off him, they sold him into slavery instead. This sent Joseph on a path that led to eventually being the second most important person in all of Egypt. When famine hit the land, Joseph’s brothers were forced to go to Egypt for food.

When Joseph saw his brothers, he showed love to them. Even though they meant it for evil, God intended it for good, so that many would be saved. Joseph loved his enemies, his brothers. Jesus tells us to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us, to return curses with blessing, prayers for mistreatment.

Now, we don’t live in a society that was as harsh as the one Jesus lived in. But there will be times when people will sin against you, they won’t treat you the way you want to be treated. You yourself will be guilty of not treating others the way you want to be treated.

But if you go through life only loving those who love, you still are living for yourself, you are loving others because they love you. You get something out of it. If that had been God’s economy, Jesus would never have come. Jesus wouldn’t have died for you, or for me. says “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God’s economy is to love first. God loves without guarantee of receiving love in return. God’s love is what transforms us, makes us more like Christ. We love, because God first loved us (). The love we now love looks like God’s love, it is sacrificial and it is not dependent upon a favourable response.

When Jesus refers to sinners in this passage, he’s referring to our tendency to look down on others who are not “righteous” like us. How do we view others? How do we view those who do not believe as we do? Do we withhold our love, our goods, our respect and honour? Do we only show these things to those who can show them back to us?

How many times have you chosen not to give some spare change to someone who asks? Perhaps your reasoning, as I have used to justify myself when I haven’t given is, “I don’t have change. I will only enable this person’s poor behaviour. I will only do harm instead of good. The person is just going to waste the money anyway.”

Here’s the thing, we must be totally honest here. Who are we to judge what a person will or will not do with the change? I’ve seen and heard of social experiments where someone gave money to a homeless person who in turn used the money to help out someone else. I’ve heard that a homeless person gave what he had to another person, or shared a meal with them. Will some take it and misuse it? Absolutely. Is that a reason not to give?

Let me answer that question by asking this question: Do you believe that everything you have is from God, God’s gift to you? Have you ever wasted the gifts God has given you? Have you ever blown a paycheque? Have you ever said to God, “I’ll do this, that or the other thing.” and then fail to do it? Has God ever withheld his mercy from you? Has he ever said, “Sorry, Paul, that’s too much, I can’t forgive you anymore?”

If we, who admittedly have squandered God’s grace, God’s provisions, keep expecting God to give to us, without expecting a return on his investment, why can’t we be as generous to others? If we trust that God will provide for all our needs, why can’t we look after the needs of others?

Here’s the thing. Many of you have given, do give. Many of you serve incredibly, at Streets Alive, at the Soup Kitchen, in countries around the world, and in our own neighbourhoods. You do. Some of you have given beyond your means. And God has provided for you.

But let’s be honest, others of us can do more. Others of us need to be reminded of God’s economy here. We can’t out give God.

It’s easy for us to hear Jesus’ words and think money, and to an extent, it is true. We have much, we can give much. But we have something far, far greater than money.

Peter and John went up to the temple to pray. A man, disabled from birth was begging at the temple. When he saw them he asked for money. Peter and John both looked straight at him—most people would have ignored him altogether, but the looked at him, acknolweldged him, saw him for who he was. “Look at us!” Peter said, “Silver or God I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Peter took him by his right hand, helped him to his feet, and God healed him immediately.

We can do all kinds of good things. We can give money, we can feed people, we can teach budgeting. Those are external signs of an inward reality. People are spiritually dead, spiritually disabled. We have to give them Christ. I know we do, I know our deacons do, and I am so, so grateful for our deacons, and our elders who give Christ to others.

But when we give as the Lord gives, we have to give credit to Christ. We can say things like, “I was homeless, but now I have a home in heaven with Jesus Christ, can I tell you about him? I was lost, but now I’m found in Jesus Christ. I know what it is like to be hungry, what it is like to have to use a food bank, but in Jesus, I really, truly have everything.”

In Jesus, we really, truly do have everything. We have received Christ this morning through the celebration of Lord’s Supper. We have been spiritually fed at His table.

The week lies before us. Let us pray that God will open our eyes to see those whom we can help, those who need to hear about Jesus. Let us have the mind of Christ our Saviour, let us let it rule in our hearts each day. So that it is Christ himself in us, controlling what we say and do, that we triumph in his power, that comfort sorrowful and sick, as we look to Jesus as we go along the way. Amen.