Jan Van Ruysbroek: The Riches and Pity of God

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Psalm 84:11

“God’s pity, and our necessity, God’s mildness, and our longings. These four cause virtue and excellence to grow.

Now understand: when the sun sends its rays and its light into a deep valley between two high mountains, and the sun then stands in the height of the firmament, so that it can illuminate the floor and the depths of the valleys, then three things take place. The valley is given more light, and light is reflected from the mountains, and there is more heat: and it becomes more fertile than flat and even land.

And in just the same way, when a good man reflects in the depths of his being upon his littleness, and acknowledges that he has nothing and is nothing and can do nothing of his own power, he cannot remain still, nor can he advance in virtues; and when he acknowledges also that he frequently lacks virtues and good works, in this he acknowledges his poverty and his need, and so he makes a valley of humility.

And because he is then humble and in need, and because he confesses his need, he thus shows and laments his need of the riches and pity of God. So he perceives how high God is, and how low he is; and so he is a deep valley.

And Christ is a Sun of righteousness, and also of mercy, standing in the height of the firmament, that is at the right hand of His Father, and He shines into the depths of the humble heart: for Christ is altogether moved by men’s need when they humbly call on Him and lament.

Then there grow in that place two mountains, which is a twofold desire: the desire to serve and praise God in worship, and the second desire, to win virtues in excellence. These two mountains are higher than heaven, for these desires touch God immediately and call on His generous pity. Because then God’s pity cannot restrain itself but must flow, for the soul then is able to have and to receive more gifts. This is the cause of the new coming of Christ, with new virtues for the soul.

Then this valley, the humble heart, experiences three things: it is more illumined and enlightened with graces, and more warmed in charity, and made more fruitful in perfect virtues and in good works. And thus you have the reason and the manner and the works of this coming.”

Jan Van Ruysbroek (1293-1381) in The Spiritual Espousals (London: Faber and Faber, 1952) 57-58.

Like the sun shining on a field and giving it life, God shines on us, and His pity and riches burst forth in humble hearts to produce generosity and good works.

It’s a vivid word picture of how the sun helps valley coming to life. Our longings and lament are met with his favor bestowing upon us that which we cannot muster.

To grow in generosity, let us humble ourselves so that His light shines upon us. Let us learn to receive all things in charity so that virtue and generosity abound.

Or in plain terms, just like a sunny day brings life, may the compassion and grace of our Lord, like the sun, bring you to life and cause you to bear fruit for your enjoyment and rich sharing.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

“If God’s kingdom is important to you, then you need not think you have to be anything important. Rather, you should place yourself at Jesus’ feet thinking, I am a weak human being but Jesus lives. Jesus is Victor. I will give myself to Him, and I will turn everything over to Him so that nothing can rule over me but He alone.”

Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt in Action in Waiting (Walden: Plough, 1998) 6.

Who feels weak today? I do. Saturday is my day to rest. I ask God to restore me. But who feels weak for the challenges you face in life? Again, I would say that I do. You might also agree. So what should we do?

Let us give ourselves to Jesus. That’s not the kind of giving most people think about, especially in our times of weakness. We reason, “What can I offer?” That’s just it. Jesus wants us to realize we have nothing to offer.

Jesus the Victor does His best work through weak, surrendered people who give themselves fully to Him. Such is the paradoxical nature of generosity. God does not want or need anything. He wants us. I give myself to you, Jesus.

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done. Proverbs 19:17

“As humans, we like parity in relationships with others. A tit for a tat. An eye for an eye. A kiss for a kiss. At its best, our desire for parity keeps relationships healthy. We enjoy flexibility in our roles. Both parties give and take love, time, gifts, and kindnesses. Like the ocean waves, the relationship ebbs and flows naturally. At its worst parity leads to keeping accounts.

We notice that at lunch, we asked all the questions while our colleague did all the talking. We take note of when gifts and cards are given and received. We pay attention to who does more of the calling, e-mailing, and inviting. We judge people we connect with—and our relationships—against these accounts. We wonder, “What have you done for me lately?” This isn’t new of course…

In a conversation on hospitality, Jesus encouraged His followers not to invite other people in hopes of being repaid. Jesus said, “But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you” (Luke 14:13-14).

When the woman with the “alabaster jar of very costly ointment” anointed Jesus (Matthew 26:7), the disciples were outraged at the expense. “For this ointment could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to the poor” (Matthew 26:9). Jesus did not chastise the woman or her generous gift, instead He called it “good service” (literally a “beautiful deed”).

When Jesus spoke about retaliation (Matthew 5:38-42), He asked His followers to forget the rules that had punishment fit the crime (“an eye for an eye”). Instead, He advised a sort of reckless generosity: “Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you” (Matthew 5:42).”

Rochelle Melander in A Generous Presence: Spiritual Leadership and the Art of Coaching (Herndon: Alban Institute, 2006) 91-92.

The world sees it as reckless to give to those who cannot repay us. So, why would Jesus instruct us to do this? Might it be that we won’t figure it out until we bless those who cannot repay us that God will reward us? That He will replenish our supply?

 Too much of generosity is about giving to places that will generate a great return. Jesus is saying to give to things that can generate no return. This is what gracious and merciful generosity is all about.

This not about giving handouts that create dependencies on other humans. It’s about exhibiting generosity to build disciples who rely on God. We only figure it out when we practice reckless generosity.

All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing. Proverbs 21:26

“We as individuals, as part of the body of Christ, must challenge ourselves to give in a way that ensures that a hurting world is blessed beyond measure. We use words like grace and mercy all too glibly; we talk about experiencing these realities, but when we ourselves are in despair, we become depressed, wondering why others are not meeting our needs. The Scripture calls us, in giving money, and in giving ourselves, to live lives of such overflowing generosity that we give not from our excess but from our want.”

Ted Rivera in Reforming Mercy Ministry: A Practical Guide to Loving Your Neighbor (Downers Grove: IVP, 2014) 169.

My comments may ruffle some feathers.

We have been blessed beyond measure in Christ. Why, in turn, are we so miserly about blessing others? Furthermore, the more resources people have, the stingier they become. And, in a pandemic, things only get worse. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

What should we do and how should this situation shape our generosity?

Because of God’s grace (undeserved blessings we have received in abundance) and mercy (not getting the judgment we deserve) we should give of ourselves and resources with overflowing generosity not from excess but from our want. Is this reckless, irrational, and inappropriate? On the contrary. It reflects God’s generosity toward us.

Those who choose the way of scarcity, will never be satisfied and always crave for more. But those who give without sparing, are righteous in God’s eyes. They trust Him to look after them. He sees and is pleased. What would it look like for you to give from a place of want?

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

“Doing justice is inseparably connected to preaching grace. This is true in two ways. One way is that the gospel produces a concern for the poor. The other is that deeds of justice gain credibility for the preaching of the gospel. In other words, justification by faith leads to doing justice, and doing justice can make many seek to be justified by faith.”

Tim Keller in Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just (New York: Penguin Random House, 2010) 140.

Does your doing match your preaching? Keller rightly notes that when we do justly it draws people to the gospel of grace and vice versa.

Pause and ask yourself this question. Does my concern for the poor and my kindness toward others point people to Jesus?

Too many times, my honest answer is that I lack kindness or justice for the poor, which in turn gives a poor reflection of Jesus and the gospel to a watching world.

God, help me remember that what you require of me is to live out my faith humbly with kindness and generosity to those in need.

You must demolish completely all the places where the nations whom you are about to dispossess served their gods, on the mountain heights, on the hills, and under every leafy tree. Break down their altars, smash their pillars, burn their sacred poles with fire, and hew down the idols of their gods, and thus blot out their name from their places. You shall not worship the Lord your God in such ways. But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes as his habitation to put his name there. You shall go there. Deuteronomy 12:2-5

“[This text] explicitly commands God’s people not just to avoid idolatry but also to demolish, break down, smash, burn, hew down, and blot out the names of those idols. For us, the word idol conjures up images of primitive people offering sacrifices to crude carved images. But an idol is anything we praise, celebrate, fixate on, and look to for help that’s not the true God.

Jesus says we cannot serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24). We’re told that greed is idolatry (Colossians 3:5), like lust is adultery. The New Testament recognizes a figurative sort of high places, where Christ’s people worship false gods instead of the one true God. Like Israel’s kings, we have the responsibility to topple all the idols in our own lives in order to give Jesus full Lordship. The fact that they didn’t use their power and authority to remove the high places and worship God alone should be a sobering reminder to us.

When the apostle John wrote to Christ-followers near the end of the first century, most had nothing to do with carved idols. Still, his final words to them in the letter of 1 John were, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (5:21). The New Living Translation captures the meaning this way: “Keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.”

Randy Alcorn in What Are the “High Places” in the Old Testament, and How Does That Apply to Us Today? Eternal Perspective Ministries blog post 14 November 2018.

GTP is hosting a webinar on 28 August 2020 on “Succession Planning for Sustainability” and as part of it, I am offering a biblical perspective on the role of the board and the responsibilities of the CEO.

When it comes to the work of the CEO, like those who lead God’s people in the Old Testament, we have to trust God with our whole heart and tear down the “high places” that contain idols to other gods.

The biblical command it not to avoid them but destroy what can tempt us to misplace our trust. No wonder Jesus told us to store up treasures in heaven rather than on earth. As Alcorn says elsewhere, “My heart always goes where I put God’s money.”

This means that individuals as well as CEOs must avoid stockpiling money as it does not sustain us. God sustains us. Our role is to put to work what He supplies obediently. Are you? For more insight, join us on the webinar.

And here’s a prayer that Alcorn prays for each of us linked to this idea: May God give us His grace to recognize the idols in our lives, and, by turning to Christ alone and exalting Him, throw them to the ground where they belong.

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Matthew 18:21

“Peter accepted that if someone sins against us and then later asks forgiveness, we should grant the request willingly. But Peter also reasoned that there must be some reasonable limit to how many times we are expected to forgive. Peter must have suspected that Jesus would probably be expecting a particularly generous amount of mercy from His disciples, so he guessed high…

The point is not that we ought to forgive someone up to 490 times. Jesus is obviously using hyperbole. So, if you are keeping a tally of how many times you have forgiven your spouse, stop. Jesus’ point is that we ought to forgive an unlimited number of times.

You can imagine that if you were to tell your children they ought to be willing to forgive an unlimited number of times, they would no doubt respond, “But what about in cases where the offense is really bad?” Jesus anticipated this objection and shared a parable to answer it. The parable of the unforgiving servant…

With this parable. Jesus was teaching that whatever someone has done to offend us always pales in comparison to what we have done to offend God. The Christian who will not forgive is like a guy who will not forgive a few-thousand-dollar debt when he has himself been forgiven billions.”

Chris Brauns in Unpacking Forgiveness: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008) 120-123

As I mine the topic of compassion I keep seeing generosity connected with mercy and forgiveness. So, I turned to the Gospels to see how generous Jesus wants us to show mercy and forgiven. Brauns added some good insights too.

The way to grow in generosity with mercy and forgiveness is to keep in the front of our minds the reality of “what we have done to offend God.” His mercy and forgiveness are incalcuable and should inspire us to be merciful and forgiving.

Likewise, when we keep in mind the generosity and grace that has been lavished on us, it transforms our relationship with money and possessions and causes us to generous in our living, giving, serving,  loving, and our forgiving.

Christ has forgiven us billions and showered on us the priceless gift of life. Let’s be known for our forgiveness and generosity in return. In hard times like we find ourselves, it will cause our light to shine for Him.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23

“This most familiar and most beloved psalm invites us to a rich play of imagery. The predominant metaphor of the psalm is, of course, God as shepherd. Although some scholars believe that the metaphor of shepherd is carried through the entire psalm, it seems more plausible to us that the latter part of the psalm the imagery shifts from God as shepherd to God as generous host and giver of hospitality…

The tools of the shepherd (rod and staff) give comfort and assurance by providing strength and protection for the vulnerable sheep. The protective God feeds the trusting subject, even in a hostile environment. Oil may be used as a healing ointment for wounds that are acquired on the dangerous paths. The subject experiences luxurious extravagance in a context of threat, danger, and death. On all counts, this generous, trustworthy portrayal of God is more than a match for every threat and every adversity…

The traveler arrives at a safe destination, which turns out to be “the house of the Lord”; that is, the Jerusalem temple. In retrospect, the psalmist is able to recognize that “goodness and fidelity” have been “in pursuit of him”; this remarkable verb suggests that the subject thought he was being pursued by dangers and threats but in fact it was the providential goodness of God that was what had been following him and chasing after him.”

Walter Brueggemann in Psalms (NCBC; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014) 122-124.

As I journey through Psalms, like the traveler in today’s psalm, I am thankful that I lack nothing. Reflect on that reality.

We have everything we need in the Lord. He leads, guides, nourishes us, and helps us navigate hard times. Moreover, when we feel pursued by difficulty, it is really our Shepherd who is pursuing us with generosity and faithfulness (goodness and fidelity). Brueggemann urges us take solace in our faithful Shepherd who is “more than a match for every threat and every adversity” in the the storms we face in life. What challenges do you face today?

Lord, thanks for caring for me, for Your presence with me despite adversity, for pursuing me with generosity and fidelity, and for the privilege of dwelling with You. Amen.

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12

“You’ve heard of the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Jesus taught that. But Paul upgrades that to the Platinum Rule: Do unto others as Jesus has done for you: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). Those who have experienced the gospel develop an uncontrollable impulse to be generous and an insane ability to forgive.”

J.D. Greear in “You Aren’t the Good Samaritan” blog post dated 24 April 2017.

I got to spend a little time fly fishing with Sammy at park we had never visited on Wednesday evening. I shot the new header photo just before sunset just before I caught my first walleye on a fly rod.

It was small, and yes I released it. Remember, every fish I catch is a gift from God, and every fish I release is my gift to the next angler.

Regarding today’s post, I used to think that going platinum was when a musical artist sold a certain number of records. Based on this comment from Greear, brought to my attention from Daily Meditations reader Pat Warbington, our generosity and kindness goes platinum when it follows the pattern set forth by Jesus.

Whose example are you following? Most people follow cultural patterns (and most of the time they do this unknowingly).

My prayer for readers everywhere is that God would give us “an uncontrollable impulse to be generous and an insane ability to forgive” so that we look like Jesus to the watching world. But be prepared. The religious establishment may try to silence you in the process. That’s precisely what they did with Jesus.

The biggest roadblock to “the generous life” may not actually be ungenerous people. It may well be “the giving life” that gives without sacrificing because it simultaneously focuses on preservation of place and comfort in the culture.

Such people specifically ignore the radical nature of the teachings of Jesus. In particular, they rationalize disobedience with regard to storing up earthly treasures.

Remember the example of Jesus. He gave His life out of love and compassion for the world and did not have a place to lay His head.

Let’s live “platinum” because its Jesus to whom we will someday give an account.

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:1-5

“The Psalm has an intricate plan that is designed in every detail to serve its purpose. It opens and closes with the same measure, an inclusio that defines the whole as praising thanks.

The imperative “bless” introduces two lines and the beginning and four lines at the end to emphasize the psalm’s function as a rehearsal of declarations that exalt the LORD. The psalm has twenty-two lines, the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet, another clue to the poet’s attempt to be comprehensive.

In the second line there is a warning negative imperative [“forget not”] that tells how the psalm executes its purpose. The psalm is a liturgical “not forgetting” of all the LORD’s dealing; the body of the Psalm is a recollecting, remembering, reminding.”

James Luther Mays in Psalms (Interpretation: Louisville, WJKP, 2011) 326.

On this Saturday, wherever you area, take time to “forget not” God’s many blessings to you by cultivating an attitude of gratitude. Grateful hearts nurture rich generosity.

Perhaps follow the example of David, the psalmist, and go through the alphabet? Try it. Think of something you are thankful for with each letter. In English, go from A to Z.

Start and end your practice with praise. This psalm touched me from the start as it says He heals all our diseases, redeems our life from the pit, and crowns us with love and compassion. That sums up 2020 for me.

What are you grateful for today?