Archives by: Gary Hoag

Dio Chrysostom (c. 40-120) experienced the generosity of the poor Macedonians (cf. 2 Corinthians 8:1-5) after he was shipwrecked on the island of Euboea. He tells his personal story:

“Now I have not told this story idly or, as some might perhaps infer, with the desire to spin a yarn, but to present an illustration of the manner of life that I adopted at the beginning and of the life of the poor–an illustration drawn from my own experience for anyone who wishes to consider whether in words and deeds and in social intercourse the poor are at a disadvantage in comparison with the rich on account of their poverty, so far as living a seemly and natural life is concerned, or in every way have the advantage…

They [the poor] light a fire more promptly than the rich, and guide one on the way without reluctance–indeed, in such matters a sense of self-respect would compel them–and often they share what they have more readily. When you find a rich man, who will give the victim of a shipwreck his wife’s or his daughter’s purple gown or any article of clothing far cheaper than that: a mantle, for example or a tunic, though he has thousands of them, or even a cloak from one of his slaves.”

Dio Chrysostom, Orations 7.81-83, LCL edition.

“Generosity as described in Proverbs is a practice that imitates God’s pattern of giving to address the needs of others…in contrast to the human predisposition to hold, spend, and grab for oneself, generosity determines to help, share, and give to others. The practice of generosity rejects the insensitivity and greed that too often dominate people’s values, and instead, it demonstrates godly love and action to those who need it. This commitment to generosity is rewarded and blessed by God.” Cf. Proverbs 11:24-28; 28:27

Daniel J. Estes in Handbook on the Wisdom Books and Psalms (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005) 243.

“Daniel and his friends [cf. Daniel 1:6] were stewards of their exile experience on earth. They invested their time in an alien land, working for the benefit of their captors and enemies. They sought the best interests of those who provided them shelter and sustenance, and in so doing, were blessed by God.

We too are called to live as exiles in this world, keeping our eyes on heaven as our true home. As such, we can learn from Daniel’s exile lifestyle: we should humble ourselves, model forgiveness, serve others and invest in the kingdom of God.”

“Stewardship in Daniel: In Practice” notes in the NIV Stewardship Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009) 1101.

“The real value of any charitable gift is to be estimated, not by the quantity or the price of the thing given, but by the affection of the mind and generosity of heart that is seen in it…

The generosity, or liberality, of any person, in his charitable contributions, is to be measured chiefly by the proportion it bears to his circumstances, justly considered. He who gives most in proportion, and not he who gives absolutely the most, is the most charitable and generous man.”

Daniel Waterland in “The true Nature of Charity; it’s Value, Measures, and Proportions stated, from Gospel Account of the poor Widow’s Offering: Mark 12:43-44” in the Works of The Rev. Daniel Waterland (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1823) 174-175.

All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along. Galatians 2:10

“Care for the indigenous poor within the Greco-Roman world lay at the heart of Paul’s understanding of the “good news” of the early Jesus-movement (although that good news is not in any way reducible simply to care for the poor).

While the communities of Jesus-followers in Jerusalem became a specific focus of his attention from 53 through 57 CE, the collection that he undertook for them was merely one expression of an overarching principle about care for the poor that had long guided him when configuring the identity of Jesus-groups.

Even if the theological vision outstripped practical realities, care for the poor was nonetheless firmly embedded within Paul’s understanding of the internal matrices of the good news.”

Bruce Longenecker, Remember the Poor: Paul, Poverty, and the Greco-Roman World (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010) 12.

“Good which result from salvation are certainly the practice of charity and what we might call welfare support.” (Cf. 1 Timothy 6:17-19)

Frances Margaret Young, The Theology of the Pastoral Epistles (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994) 31.

“The steward’s responsibility…has at least three dimensions: he must please the master, work for the benefit of the servants, and do both by showing a responsible use of the resources entrusted to his care.”

Luke Timothy Johnson, Sharing Possessions: What Faith Demands (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2011) 151.

“God’s generosity can be seen most clearly in retrospect. Examine your life. Search to see God’s generous hand in it. Take out a pad of paper and write down the times in your life or in the lives of others close to you when God’s hand has been present. Ponder these examples.”

Charles Cloughen, Jr., Sixty-Second Stewardship Sermons (Order of St. Benedict: Collegeville, MN) 1.

“I believe one of the great lyricists of the 21st century, Switchfoot’s Jonathan Foreman, makes the brilliant observation (and rails against) that so many in the Western world ascribe to: “Success is equated with excess.” This is not the way God’s Kingdom works, yet we continue to try to make God conform to the world’s ways.

In essence, what we’ve done is crowd God out of the picture. A burning love for God is replaced with a busy church schedule. A passion to be the hands and feet of Jesus finds no room in our hearts as we tie our hands behind our backs with a mounting to-do list. We work hard to present a bountiful basket to the Lord when all he’s looking for are hands that are empty from serving.

We must move from a place where we attempt to “possess God” to a posture of allowing His Holy Spirit to inhabit us. Our souls enter a period of darkness because we have blocked any possible entry of light with clutter. We must remove those things that keep our hearts from connecting with God and our perspective must be radically changed.

God is not looking for us to bring Him something; rather, He desires for us to take something from Him—His love. For when we understand the essence of God’s love and allow its light to penetrate our hearts, the things of importance in this world fade away and our perspective is forever changed. What used to be important to us before we made room for God to pierce us in this manner becomes meaningless.”

Eric Sandras and Jason Chatraw, Mystics, Mavericks, and Miracle Workers: a 30-day journey (Boise: Ampelon, 2007) 129.

“Avarice, greed, concupiscence and so forth are all based on the mathematical truism that the more you get, the more you have. The remark of Jesus that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35) is based on the human truth that the more you give away in love, the more you are. It is not just for the sake of other people that tells us to give rather than get, but for our own sakes too.”

Frederick Buechner, Listening to your Life: Meditations with Frederick Buechner (New York: HarperCollins, 1992) reading for July 3.