The 6^th Sunday after Pentecost | 30 June 2024 | 2 Corinthians 8:7–15 | Evan McClanahan |

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. ⁸I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others. ⁹For 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. ¹⁰And 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— ¹¹now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. ¹²For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—not according to what one does not have. ¹³I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between ¹⁴your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. ¹⁵As it is written, “The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.”

Giving with Joy

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

The first church I served had a “stewardship season.” The normally-appointed texts in the lectionary were set aside for four weeks in the Fall as it was time to talk about next year’s budget. So we talked about our mission and we talked about tithing and we talked about generosity.

You may notice that we don’t have a stewardship season. We have a budget, but we don’t even take pledges. If we created a budget only out of what people pledge, we have to cut the budget in half, so we just go on what we received the year before and hope for a little growth. The Lord has blessed us with generous members that have allowed for a surplus in recent years and we use our building as a revenue-generating asset to relieve the pressure of constant building expenses.

But even though we don’t have a stewardship season where you can be sure that you’ll hear about the necessity of tithing for four weeks straight, I have said that stewardship should be talked about when it comes up in our regularly-proscribed lessons. Even then, I may choose a different lesson because, well, I don’t like talking about money even more than you like hearing about it.

But I will confess with joy that it gets easier and easier to talk about as I get older. Or really, as the Spirit helps me mature and care less and less about worldly things. For stewardship really is a part of genuine Christian faith. It’s not even an “extra.” It’s inescapable and intrinsic to it. To be a follower of Christ is – at least! – to look for ways you can use your resources to build up God’s Kingdom, resources that we summarize in our prayer as “time, talent, and treasure.” Indeed, if we are not looking for ways to be a good steward of what God has given us, something is wrong with our faith.

Our burden as Christians is not that, from time to time, we have to part with some of what God has given us, but that we cannot part with more! Oh, that God would bless us with even more resources that we could give away! That really should be our attitude as we grow in holiness. Money and things can become a burden to us. They distract us. Require our attention and time. It’s a cliche but it is true that “we don’t own possessions as much as they own us.”

So, looking at Paul’s writing in 2 Corinthians, and given that I probably haven’t given a stewardship sermon in many years, let me lay out some basic principles.

First, I do not believe the 10% tithe applies to Christians. At least not as law. The tithe was a temple tax and the temple no longer exists. When Jesus speaks to the tithe he does not denounce it – how could he, the temple still existed! – but he seems critical of those who focus on tithing everything down to the last herb, but neglect the weightier matters of the law.

When Paul talks about stewardship – as he does here – he does not mention a 10% tithe, but rather he says that we are to give “according to what one has.” Tithing is surely an admirable goal and the overall average of how much Christians actually give is around 2%, a tithe would dramatically overhaul what the Church could do. But you are always free to give more than 10% and you can give less than 10%.

I also understand that we are taxed in ways and at volumes that the Israelites could not have conceived of! Our government promises to care for the indigent, so I am actually not sure to what degree we are responsible for that anymore. But time now does not permit a full treatment of that question. And because we have abandoned all semblance of biblical money – gold and silver – we are taxed at an increasing rate by the worst tax of all: inflation.

Second, there is, as Paul suggests, a “fair balance” when it comes to stewardship. The expectation is not that we empty our bank accounts, but that when we have abundance, we act like it. What we probably are not very good at is inventory. It’s easy for us to poor mouth, to not realize the abundance that we do have. Spiritually, we have everything, for Christ has shared his riches with us. Paul writes: “⁹ 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.”

So, we always start with abundance and trust. I am always amazed at how money almost magically shows up when it is needed most. God really does provide if we pursue His will and trust in Him.

Three, if you don’t enjoy giving, stop until you do. Now, I understand that is a very risky proposition to utter from the pulpit and I just gave our Treasurer a coronary. But giving is not a burden. Sure, we’d always like to have more money. But if every time you give you are thinking about everything else you could be doing with that money, then giving is not sanctifying you, but judging you. Giving is an exercise by which we learn to trust God and demonstrate our trust in God. If giving is not accomplishing that, if you hate writing that check or dropping in the cash or arranging the direct deposit, then giving is actually bad for your soul. For all that is happening is you are proving your continuing attachment to things when we should be growing in detachment.

Fourth, all of our members should give something and all should be increasing in giving. Churches and other worthy charities run on volunteer time and generous giving. If you can’t give in one way, you can give in another, and if you aren’t giving anything, then, again, there is a spiritual misunderstanding that needs to be corrected. And to allow God to demonstrate how He really and truly does provide, we should push the limit of what we think we can give.

But again, and I cannot stress this enough, giving should be a joy. It should not feel like pulling teeth, either in your own heart or from the pulpit. Christians give what they can and their only regret is that they can’t give more. I always find it very strange that the very wealthy get credit for being philanthropists, as if anything could be more fun than giving money to causes that can improve the lives of others and then the world loving you for it.

And for what it is worth, when money is given to this congregation, our Council has taken great pains to be good stewards of what we have been given. We essentially run a landlord business on the side. We have very limited staff. We shop for good prices from vendors. We are, as you all should be, frugal, but not cheap.

So, where does that leave us? Well, giving is a joy. The sacrifices are usually small. Maybe we wear clothes a bit longer, get a few more years out of the car, eat out less often, give up a few hours. And it does not preclude wise investment, trying to increase your wealth so that you have even more to give. And it also does not preclude making money via interest from the banks. Jesus gave us permission for that.

What is necessary, and like a tributary that feeds a much larger river, is a deeply held and felt understanding of what God has done for us. The most important inventory we can do is not of our assets, but of our souls. What is the state of our soul? Do we truly acknowledge and confess our sins and repent of them? Do we truly know what God has done for us on the cross? Are we truly grateful for every good gift God has given to us? Do we understand that some suffering this side of eternity is truly nothing in the economy of God which is measured by eternity and unimaginable riches?

If our inventory is accurate, and our minds and souls are right, then giving will be what it should be: a joy.

In the name of the Father, and of the +Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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©Evan McClanahan

pastor@flhouston.org

First Lutheran

Houston, Texas, USA