Generosity Isn’t Always About Money

2 Corinthians 8:7-15

Perhaps you remember a few weeks ago, we heard Paul criticize super apostles, who were full of glitzy showmanship. No surprise, in return, some criticized Paul’s more reserved leadership of the Corinthian church. There were theological differences apparently and ugly exchanges. Even in his beloved Corinthian congregation, a few questioned Paul’s leadership. His response was to work for healing by countering the attacks with love, admitting his weakness, and pointing out how human weakness shows God’s strength, for God is willing to use even Paul to spread the wonderous news of divine love displayed through Jesus Christ.

In the section of the letter we hear today, Paul asks the people to step out of their comfort zone, as he did in dealing with those who criticized him. He depended on the strength of God to lead him; now he asks the Corinthians to depend on their faith to make good on their year-old pledge of financial assistance for the people of the church in Jerusalem. Such an offering would be especially difficult since they were Gentile Christians being asked to support Jewish Christians who didn’t have much respect for Paul or the non-Jewish branch of the church. But Gentile Christians were comparatively well-off and Jerusalem Jewish Christians were poor. If the church is “one in Christ,” those with plenty must share with any who are struggling. Paul is making a theological claim about their offering, equating their giving with a spiritual act. Just as Christ’s self-giving sacrifice on the cross was an expression of divine love, so is the sacrificial ministry of the Corinthians for the Jerusalem church. Listen for his theological claims. From the 8th chapter of Paul’s second letter to the believers in Corinth, listen for the Word of God.

Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking. I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others. For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something— now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—not according to what one does not have. I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. As it is written, “The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.”

 We know Christian generosity concerns money. When people are in need, Christians are expected to respond with financial assistance. Many a stewardship sermon has been preached about how monetary giving shows our commitment to Jesus Christ. In the first century, Paul asked the Corinthian Christians to respond to the poverty which existed in the congregation of what we might call “the mother church” in Jerusalem. This was the place where the remaining inner circle of Jesus’ companions were still “treasured elders.” Paul called the Corinthians to give generously regardless of how the Jerusalem church felt about Paul and his ministry to non-Jewish believers like the Corinthians. He explained, if Christ loves the Jerusalem Christians, then they are our sibling in Christ, so we need to share whatever extra we have to ease their need.

Such guidance continues today. Several St. Andrew folks have asked how we can purchase food and supplies to assist the people in Gaza. Our denomination has established a fund and information on giving to it is in the Midweek Update. We who have more than enough are called to be generous with those who do not have enough.

But it isn’t just in far away places. Our generosity also includes financially assisting the 40,000 children in our immediate area who live with food insecurity, made worse when school is out for the summer and when Florida opted out of a federal food program, so these families have no additional assistance, and children have no free lunch program until school starts again in the fall. The most recent official report said the food insecurity rate in Florida for 2021 was over 10% of the population. So, we support All Faiths Food Bank as generously as we can. By the way, the Giving Page on our website has an easy link to donate to All Faiths any time (sarasotaucc.org). When the world is plagued with so much need, we know Christian generosity is about money.

But we also know generosity is more than money. Giving money is not the only solution to the world’s problems. A person can have a stack of 20-dollar bills, but if there is no food on the grocery shelf, no gas in the pump, no safe place to sleep, a family is in a tough place. There are times resources just are not available. And sometimes there are resources, but people just don’t have much extra money to share. So, we Christians have to stop and ask ourselves what we do have. What do we have that can make someone’s life easier? Look at the little girl on the front of the bulletin. What she had was something to drink – water or some blue juice – which she is happily sharing with these two people who seem very intent on receiving it.

We focus on giving because we believe Jesus gave everything to be with us. So we ask, “What do people need?” And “What do we have?” A report was shared a few years ago of a group of Israeli women who learned that Palestinian women were being mistreated as they went through checkpoints. Not only were their parcels searched, they were searched. We can imagine the power occupying forces have and the powerlessness women may feel. The Israeli women had no financial control of the checkpoint; they could not change the guards, even though they too were Israelis. All they had were their bodies, so they stood at the checkpoint, day after day, to be witnesses, to remind the soldiers of the personhood of the Palestinian women, to make sure they were not inappropriately touched, and to call the soldiers to their better selves. Of course, the behavior improved. The Israeli women only had their bodies, so they gave what they had. Those Jewish women understood what Christians are also taught, that sometimes generosity is more than money.

So we too share the wealth. We figure out what we have and then we share whatever it is. So, St. Andrew, what wealth do we have?

Here’s an easy answer. We have open, extravagant-welcome, worship every Sunday followed by a delightful fellowship brunch. And what else do we have? We have a free movie offered every other month. We have beautiful grounds where neighbors are free to walk their dogs, play with their children, and park their cars when their street is being repaved. We have a sign that affirms all people and promises respect from the congregation. We have a fully accessible Fellowship Hall, with a great kitchen, where, because we have a terrific front office church administrator whose helpfulness and welcome is unmatched anywhere, ten Al Anon and AA meetings are held each week, as well as several other support groups and neighborhood gatherings. St. Andrew has an amazing number of gifts that allow us to share the wealth.

But let’s go back to the first thing I mentioned. We have open, extravagant-welcome, worship every Sunday. I think this is the most important wealth we can share. I say this not just because I am your pastor. I say it because I am a Christian. Our specific St. Andrew’s welcoming Christian worship is our most precious gift to share. We welcome people to experience God’s love in this place with us. In the face of so many people’s being rejected by the church, for each of us to be able to say to every person we meet, “Because God accepts each person, you will not be rejected here!” is huge.

I served a church once where a social worker stopped by to see if he could bring a client to worship, because at a recent attempt at another church, as they left worship, an usher handed him a note asking him not to return because his client was disruptive. Imagine, someone being asked not to return to worship. Seriously. That would not happen at St. Andrew. A chaplain once commented, we give what we have out of gratitude to God and love for our brothers and sisters…because “if they live in need while we know abundance, the entire body [of Christ] is wounded.”[1] If someone doesn’t know God loves and accepts them when we live every Sunday with that abundance, the entire body of Christ is wounded.

Next Sunday we celebrate Open and Affirming Sunday. We will wear our rainbow colors and celebrate our decision to welcome all people, especially without regard to sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. I imagine you know someone, perhaps many someones, who have been wounded by the church because of who they love or who they accept or who they are. They deserve to have the love of Jesus Christ splashed all over them at St. Andrew. Don’t they? Our amazing administrator made cards to invite those folks to worship next Sunday. Let’s each take some to give out this week, as part of our figuring out how not to be selfish. Let’s figure out how to be boldly generous with what we have at St. Andrew. Friends, let us share the wealth.

[1] John McFadden, Pastoral Perspective,” Feasting on the Word, (Westminster John Knox, 2009) Yr B, vol 3, 186.