Loving God, you provide all that is needed from day to day and show us your love and grace through your Son Jesus.  Unite our hearts with yours by the power of your Spirit, filling us with gratitude and love, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

            In a recent article in the Winnipeg Free Press (Aug. 4/20), Jen Zoratti wrote about a “money diary” that had appeared in the Toronto Star.  This diary was about a millennial woman who had lost her job and was receiving CERB.  Apparently, she had spent part of her CERB money on Botox and weed, giving rise to all sorts of pronouncements about how “selfish” and “irresponsible” she was.

         However, the other part of the story (which was the point of the article) is that she had also spent $1000 just on rent and food, was sharing a basement apartment with two other people, and was carrying a ridiculous debt load from all of her student loans.  The article suggested focusing on better jobs and better wages so that people actually have a chance to climb out of debt, rather than passing judgment on how people spend what little income they have.

         In this same article, the writer makes the following statement: “Money is a taboo subject; North Americans, especially, don’t love talking about where their money comes from or how much they make or how much debt they carry.”  Instead, it seems, people go online and read anonymous money diaries.  Is it possible that, in spite of our reluctance to discuss our own finances, we don’t mind talking about other people’s money?

         Of course, money has always been a taboo subject in the church, as well – although some have pointed out that Jesus actually talked about money quite a bit.  Paul, of course, also talks about it in his letters.  Even though money is never specifically mentioned in today’s reading, I think we get the drift.  Paul is trying to encourage the church in Corinth to be generous, just as the Macedonians have already been generous.  In fact, there is a verse from 2 Corinthians that is engraved on many offering plates: “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7).

         Just to give today’s reading some context, at the time that 2 Corinthians was written, there was a famine in Palestine, and those who were part of the church in Jerusalem were suffering because of it.  Thus, Paul had been taking up a collection in order to help the Christians in Jerusalem.  The Macedonians, apparently, had given generously, even though they didn’t have very much.  Hence, Paul is trying to convince the Corinthians to be equally generous – especially given that they seem to be better off than many of the other churches.

         The value that is being lifted up here is equality – just like when the Israelites received the manna in the wilderness.  Some gathered more, and some gathered less.  “But when they measured it with an omer, those who gathered much had nothing over, and those who gathered little had no shortage” (Ex. 16:18).  They each had as much as they needed.

         At the same time, there seem to be a couple of guiding principles that Paul points to as he encourages those who follow Jesus to be generous.  The first of these principles is that giving is to be voluntary, and not compulsory.  In fact, 2 Cor. 9 uses the words, “a voluntary gift and not…an extortion” (9:5).  One has to wonder what Paul would think of churches that require signing over ten percent of your income in order to become a member, or of nations that impose a “church tax” on all of their citizens.

         The other principle that we find in today’s reading is that giving is always on the basis of what you have, and not on the basis of what you don’t have.  When somebody has millions at their disposal and puts $1000 in the offering plate, it isn’t really a particularly generous gift.  However, it would be entirely different if somebody who is living close to the poverty line were to give $1000.  God is well aware of what we have and of what we don’t have.  What counts is not the size of the gift, but how much we had to start with.  It is also important to note that generosity is always a matter of the heart.

         Some have observed that a heart that is connected to God’s heart is naturally generous (Spill the Beans, Issue 19).  This is true because of the generosity of God.  In today’s reading, we hear about “the generous act [or grace] of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor” (2 Cor. 8:9).  Jesus’ incarnation, servant life, crucifixion, and resurrection in order to win our salvation is an incredible act of grace and generosity.  Salvation comes to us as a generous gift, and not as something that we have earned or deserve.

         Ultimately, there are many different reasons that people give, whether to the church or to other charities.  Some give reluctantly, as in, “I guess I’d better give them something.”  Others give out of guilt, as in, “I really should give more than I have been.”  Others, like the Macedonians, see giving as a privilege.  In other words, they are happy to help with what they have.  Still others give out of compassion, wanting to help those who need it the most.  And some see it more as a transaction with God.  “I give something to you.  You give something to me.”

         The kind of giving that Paul is encouraging, however, is rooted in gratitude for all that God has given us through Christ.  The book of Acts uses the phrase “glad and generous hearts” (Acts 2:46), just as the Macedonians experience “abundant joy” even in the midst of poverty.  Regardless of how much we have or don’t have, generosity flows naturally by the power of the Holy Spirit, especially when we are aware of all that God has done for us through Jesus Christ.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.

Pentecost 10 (NL summer)                        2 Corinthians 8:1-15

August 9, 2020

St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church

Pastor Lynne Hutchison