Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Luke 6:30
“Give to everyone that asks thee, and do not refuse, for the Father’s will is that we give to all from the gifts we have received. Blessed is he that gives according to the mandate; for he is innocent. Woe to him who receives; for if any man receive alms under pressure of need he is innocent; but he who receives it without need shall be tried as to why he took and for what, and being in prison he shall be examined as to his deeds, and “he shall not come out thence until he pay the last farthing.” But concerning this it was also said, “Let thine alms sweat into thine hands until thou knowest to whom thou art giving.”
Didache, is an early Christian work a.k.a. “The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles” that was viewed as canon by some thus it is included in the Apostolic Fathers. (late first or early second century). Click to find this excerpt at 1.5-6 or read it in its entirety.
The focus of my Daily Meditations for the foreseeable future will shift from quotes from the post-Reformation enlightenment period to the early church in the first 3-4 centuries. Today’s post goes back to the very beginning to look at the teachings of the 12 Apostles.
Didache is viewed by many as the early church discipleship manual. Read it. It only takes a few minutes. What I noticed in my fresh reading of it was that the word “give” is mentioned 27 times. Interestingly, it’s the most repeated verb in the Didache.
Who we are, our being as followers of Christ, should first and foremost propel us to give. It’s a mandate. Notice that Didache quotes Jesus. That tells us that the disciples took this mandate from Jesus seriously. It was not optional.
And consider another early church expression: “Let thine alms sweat into thine hands until thou knowest to whom thou art giving.” What a word picture! Don’t let the money stay comfortably with you so it gets where God wants it to go.
Today there are people praying for needs to be met. We have a few of our own. If you have needs, lift them to the Father. Let’s trust Him together. For those who have more than they need, well, “Let thine alms sweat into thine hands until thou knowest to whom thou art giving.”