Archives by: Gary Hoag

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. James 5:1-3

“Unused wealth does the kingdom no good and condemns those who refuse to use it for God…We live in the last days and have done so since Pentecost (cf. Acts 2:17). Christ can return at any point. Where is our treasure? Are we laying it up on earth so that we might live in comfort, planning for a long life here (see cf. Luke 12:31-21), or do we focus more on amassing treasure in heaven with God, being merely grateful for the blessings he has given us here and now? The condemnation is not for owning wealth per se, but for hoarding rather than using it for kingdom purposes…Our view of eternity will affect how we live today.”

Craig L. Blomberg and Mariam J. Kamell in James: Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008) 221-222.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Acts 2:42-45

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. Acts 4:32-35

“The sharing of possessions among the early believers, according to these passages from Acts, was on the same level of importance as the preaching of the apostles, the breaking of bread, prayers and the worship of God. But such sharing was not simply a renunciation of one’s worldly possessions. Nor was it merely a generous act to help those in need. While both of these are true and necessary, the larger purpose for relinquishing wealth and possessions was so that authentic community in Christ would become a reality.”

Drew Smith in Radical Generosity: Normal for Christian Community blogpost at ethicsdaily.com on 11 June 2010.
 

“What more could you be told than You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Lk 10:27; Mk 12:31)? So what is well-being for you must be well-being for your friend. As regards the friend’s clothing, Whoever has two shirts, should share with the one who has none; as regards the friend’s food, and whoever has food should do likewise (Luke 3:11). You’re fed, you feed; you’re clothed, you clothe.”

Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, (354-430) Sermon 299D.3, trans. Daniel Doyle and Edmund Hill (New York: New City Press, 2007).

Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet. Acts 4:36-37

“When he humbly places the proceeds at the apostles’ feet, he forgoes the usual social benefit of praise and public honor. In effect, his donation is a private contribution to the common purse. With this narrative, Luke encourages others with wealth and status in the church to cross social barriers and benefit those in need.”

David G. Peterson in Acts of the Apostles (Pillar New Testament Commentary; Grand Rapids: Eerdman’s, 2009) 207.

“When we give to God, we give Him what is His; and when we give to the poor we merely redistribute God’s wealth.”

J. Duncan M. Derrett in Law in the New Testament (London: Darton, Longman & Todd, 2005) 74.

Lord Jesus,

You came to show us that the meaning of life consists in giving.

You told us that those who cling too tightly to what they have, without thought of You or others, end up losing everything.

You offered us new values by which to measure the worth of a person’s life.

Help us to realize it is not temporal success, or riches, or fame that gives life meaning. Rather, it is the service rendered to You and others that brings fulfillment and makes our lives worthwhile.

May all our service help build the kingdom of God, and may our obedience bring true freedom, our generosity increase love, our sacrifices bear much fruit, and our death lead to eternal life.

Amen.

Thomas P. Scholler, “Stewardship Prayer for Generosity” in Called by Christ, Gifted by the Spirit: An Invitation to Christian Stewardship. 2nd edition. Archdiocese of Detroit.

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? Luke 16:10-11

“Possession are a responsibility. Their use is a test of character, values and stewardship. The one who is faithful in little is also faithful in much. So also the other way around…Handling wealth is a preparatory lesson for other responsibilities before God.”

Darrell Bock in Luke (The new IVP New Testament Commentary Series; Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 1994) 266-267.

“Feasting grows out of a sense of God’s abundance and generosity. Because feasting is in the first place a blessing of God, who is the source of food and all life and sustenance, it is an acknowledgement of God’s bounty and generosity. The banquet of the kingdom is about abundance…an exuberant recognition of God’s mammoth surplus of love and goodness…

One of the reasons we may have trouble feasting is because our human economy is premised on scarcity. We hoard for fear of not having enough…but God is is a God of abundance. Does a sense of scarcity or abundance dominate our emotional as well as economic imagination? 

This abundance and generosity is particularly visible in the fact that all are invite to Jesus banquet. The feast is set for all but the blind, the poor, and the lame are those who accept the invitation first (Luke 14:12; cf. Deut 10:17-19). The feast that Jesus imagines is the feast of a gift economy where absolutely all are included.”

L. Shannon Jung in Sharing Food: Christian Practices for Enjoyment (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2006) 63-64.

“An annual stewardship “check up” is a great way to stay in shape as a good steward. Questions for this checkup might include: How is God’s grace present in your life? How is God blessing you? How are you responding? How are you taking responsibility for the ways in which you live your life? In what ways are you going beyond yourself in service? How have you experienced God’s presence as you served others this year? In what ways will you challenge yourself this coming year to reach out to someone in need? How are you offering yourself in generous response to the lavish gift of Christ’s love?”

Leisa Anslinger and Victoria Shepp in Forming Generous Hearts: Stewardship Planning for Lifelong Faith Formation (New London, CT: Twenty Third Publications) 103-104.

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek You; I thirst for You, my whole being longs for You, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and Your glory. Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You. Psalm 63:1-3

“The God of the universe looks for those who would be with Him. The Lord longs for His children to take time to experience His tender loving presence. Almighty God is not needy, but wants His creation to come before Him in humble dependence. He knows prayer is what’s best for those He bought with His son’s blood. Generosity toward God in daily doses of solitude and communion are the wisest gift. Our presence gratifies God.

Like an earthly father revels in the joy of being close to his precious child, so our heavenly Father smiles to see us—His children—sit next to Him. The grace of God is not garnered with a drive-by life. Rather, when we park our lives in His presence and turn off the engine of our activity, we activate His perspective in our heart and mind. We invest in intimacy with our heavenly Father in order to fulfill His agenda in our daily calendar.”

Boyd Bailey from Wisdom Hunters daily email for 15 May 2012.