Mark 8:31-38
How can I give? Lenten Preaching Series II

Continuing with our Lent preaching series of “how to”, today we look at the question of, How can I give? Last Sunday we looked at the question of, How do I pray? Let me remind you that the “how to” of prayer is not so much about technique or a formula, but that it is more about our attitude and the need to be in communion with God. Just like the example of a prayerful life that comes from Jesus himself, the understanding and example of Christian giving also comes from Jesus’ life.

So let me ask you, what is the first thing that comes to mind when someone asks you about Christian giving? For me, as I imagine for most of you, the first thing that comes to mind when talking about Christian giving is, money. Tithing to the church, giving money to some causes we care about, and maybe giving away things from our home that we no longer need, these are the things that we first think of when it comes to the whole understanding of giving. If Christian giving were all about giving away money and some of our material things, it would be the easiest thing. In fact, even the giving away of money, material things and even time and talent often gets understood in terms of earthly economics. We give something to God hoping that God will bless us in return with interests. Let us remind ourselves that our relationship with God is not an economic transaction.

At the core of Christian giving is the understanding of a God who gave the ultimate so that we can have life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17). God did not give his only Son so that we can give 10 % of our money to God. Nor did God give us his Son so that we can set aside a certain portion of our time and talent for him. Jesus did not walk that difficult road of suffering to the Cross so that we can become more altruistic. Jesus surrendered his life to that road of great suffering, rejection, betrayal, and ultimately death so that we can have life, and not just any life, but a transformed and holy life.

Jesus did not come preaching the good news of power, wealth, and influence. Instead, he gathered his disciples and the crowd around him and said to them, “if any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.” and He goes on to say, “For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?” The complete surrender or offering of us to God is what counts as true giving to God.

In Psalm 51, King David is filled with remorse for having sinned against God, and he knows fully well that he does not deserve God’s forgiveness, which was given to him anyway when he confessed before God of his sins. David’s immediate human instinct is to offer God a great sacrifice from all the wealth, power and influence he has, but in his admirable humility he realizes that there is really nothing on earth that he could repay God with. This realization of God’s total ownership of all his creation is what leads him to write, “For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt-offering, you would not be pleased. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” 

In denying ourselves we offer God our broken spirit, and it is only in denying ourselves that we can begin to loosen that unhealthy attachment we have to wealth, power and influence. And if we do answer that difficult call to follow Jesus we are saying yes for our hearts to be broken and to be atoned. However, that call from Christ is not just to take up our cross and suffer for the sake of suffering.  Taking up our cross makes sense only when we follow Christ, because it is Christ alone who brought redemption for us at the cross.  It is in taking up our cross and following Christ that we see Jesus bringing healing, forgiveness and restoration not only to us, but also to the Samaritan woman, to the lepers, to the blind and to all that were outcasts. It is in following Christ that we realize that giving is not about what we can get in return, or not even about how much we can give, rather it is about a poor widows’ complete devotion to God that was nothing less than giving up of life itself. Following Christ opens up our vision to the same hope, purpose and life he saw and brought into all the broken-ness we walk through.  And it is in following Christ that his words and deeds of eternal life come most clearly to us. 

That life of forgiveness, hope and transformation is what should guide our giving. Since we can never have enough to repay God with, all we can do is offer ourselves to God. Everything else that we manage to give, including money, time, and talents are really not ours, but God’s gifts for us to be stewards of.

May God continue to speak in our hearts to give our lives to Him daily. May we learn to humble ourselves before God this Lent so that we may realize that all our gifts come from Him and that we give back to Him only that which are His. Amen.