2 Corinthians 9:6-15 ; Luke21:1-4
I remember an autumn Sunday from many years ago when I sat in the pews of my church, and the pastor stepped into the pulpit. It was the custom at that time for the pastor to make the announcements of the church right before the sermon. He began with an announcement about the budget. At that time in my life I paid zero attention to budget matters, but apparently there were some financial difficulties, budget shortfall, if you can imagine such a thing. I only half listened, but at some point I noticed that his announcement was running really long.
About 20 minutes later he stopped talking. He acknowledged rather sheepishly that he had spent too much time on the announcements and would forgo his sermon rather than make us suffer through another 20 minutes of him talking. The congregation laughed, he wrapped up with a prayer, and that was that. But you know what? I always suspected that it was intentional. His message that day, disguised in an announcement, was about giving. Our message today, on this Stewardship Sunday, is also about giving. But I won’t be so subtle; I will tell you up front. And I do so with gratitude to those who have taught me how important it is to speak freely about giving.
There is an old story about two men marooned on a deserted island in the middle of the ocean. One of them is frantic, filled with despair. The other is relaxed. He says, “Hey don’t worry. I know my church will find us. I haven’t paid my pledge yet.”
There are plenty of funny stories about the church and money – the idea being that the church is too fixated on money. Some people think the church talks about money way too much. But I disagree. I think we probably don’t talk about money enough in the church. Given that the Bible has well over 2,000 verses about money, given that Jesus raised the issue more than any other subject except the kingdom of God, given that money is one of the most important aspects of our lives and how we use it reflects our priorities and our values, I would say, no, we don’t talk about money enough.
We are afraid we will embarrass one another or infringe on someone’s privacy by talking about money. We are afraid of offending one another by asking too much. We have tacitly agreed to leave the subject of money off the table, as though it had nothing to do with our spiritual lives.
There is a story about a Sunday school teacher who asks her class of 8-year-olds, “Who would give a million dollars to our missionaries?” and all the children cried, “I would!” Then she asked, “Would you give a thousand dollars?” and they all said, “Yes!” “How about a hundred dollars?” “Yes! Yes!” “Would you give just one dollar to the missionaries?” Again, they cried out yes – except for Johnnie, who suddenly put his hand over his pocket. The teach looked at him and asked, “Johnnie, why didn’t you say yes?” Johnnie said, “Well … I HAVE a dollar.”
We have a harder time talking about money is because it touches us where we live. But may I say that the gospel is meant to touch us deeply, in all aspects of where and how and why we live. We see this so clearly in the story of the widow’s mite.
Jesus is with his disciples in the temple in Jerusalem, and he watches the wealthy giving their gifts to the treasury. Impressive amounts, perhaps. But then he watches a poor widow putting in her two pennies, which were worth almost nothing. Yet “this poor widow has put in more than all of them,” Jesus says, for she has given all she had.
I have read that those pennies she put in the treasury were worth 1/64 of a daily wage at the time. I tried to work out what that means. If we say a work day is 8 hours, then this is 7 ½ minutes’ worth of work. Not much, and yet, we are told, it is all she has. That is how little this widow has.
The story reminds me of a vacation Kim and I took to Mexico City about 30 years ago. It was a time when the Mexican economy was in ruins. The peso was practically worthless. And it was this fact that made the vacation possible for us. We didn’t have much money at the time, but the very favorable exchange rate allowed us to live like royalty for a few days, staying in the nicest hotels, eating in the best restaurants. It was lovely! But we were surrounded by poverty. Everywhere we went, there were women sitting in the streets, head down, hand raised in a begging posture. There were swarms of young children wandering through the city sidewalks selling chiclets for something like 5 pesos, which was literally worth a fraction of a U.S. penny. We bought their chiclets and gave them handfuls of coins. We watched their faces light up as if they had won the lottery. It made us feel good. But we knew it cost us absolutely nothing.
Kim and I were the wealthy ones who strode into the temple and gave to the treasury enough to impress but not so much that it would hurt, not one little bit.
The important question is, are we willing to sacrifice for the sake of the gospel?
We hear in the letter to the Corinthians that the one who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Paul reminds them that God supplies the seed to the sower, and that they will be enriched in every way for their generosity. Paul, too, like Jesus, lifts up those who have given generously, even through their affliction and their poverty. And for them the grace of God, the blessings of God, will be granted in abundance. But do not be left with the impression that this is a system of rewards for our good behavior.
The point Paul is making is that the act of giving generously is the evidence of God’s grace in one’s life – grace that is always given freely. What does that say, then, about a refusal to give generously? This is why Christian giving is said to reveal the spiritual condition of our hearts. Refusal to give, reluctance to give, may be a sign of spiritual ill health. Spiritually healthy Christians reflect the generosity of God who is always giving.
Paul writes to the Corinthian church that they must give as they have made up their minds to give, “not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” It may feel a stretch to imagine giving until it hurts and being cheerful about it, but the important point is that our giving to God is a free act. The sacrifice we make is a free act of giving up something good for the sake of something of far greater worth.
Each of you must give as you have made up your mind to give. God gives us the freedom of this choice. This year our stewardship team has challenged each member to consider increasing your pledge by 10%. Some of you recall that last year the stewardship team also asked you to consider increasing your pledge by 10% and you may be raising your eyebrows at the idea that they would again ask you to make an increase. Where is the limit, you might ask.
Of course, the answer to that question is between you and God. We are simply being asked by our stewardship team to consider the possibility. Do you have room in your life to give more? Some of you will say no, because you are already giving sacrificially. Others will pray and search themselves, coming to the realization that they can increase their giving, that there is room for more – possibly even more than 10%.
Last year, when the stewardship team asked us to consider making a 10% increase in our giving, Kim and I decided that we could, so we did. This year, we considered the request and decided that we could once again increase our pledge by 10%. I tell you this so you will know that I would not ask you to do anything that I am not willing to do. There may very well come a time when we will have to say no. That we will have to make a smaller increase or even no increase. But we will ask the question: what has God enabled us to give?
Again, God gives you the freedom to decide. No one should feel pressured or guilted into doing more than they feel able to do. As Paul wrote, each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Are you getting tired of that phrase yet?
For a slight variation on this verse from Paul’s letter, listen to these words from The Message: “I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.”
Today we are invited to bring our pledges for the coming year and dedicate them to God. We pledge our funds not just to support the church budget but to delight in the giving. Out of gratitude for the life that we have in Jesus Christ, and the Spirit who invites us into that life more deeply every day. Out of love for the world that needs our ministry of compassion now more than ever.
Let us give thanks to God for God’s indescribable gift and let us give with glad hearts.
