Daniel Waterland: The real value and measures for generosity in charitable contributions

“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.

“So, what needs to happen in your heart and mind if you’re not generous, if you tend to be afraid of sharing your possessions with others?

If you feel afraid of giving generously, you need to consider how much God has loved you, you who have nothing to bring to him to deserve his generosity. His love is so complete for you that he has adopted you as his own child. As this Gospel truth-once you were destitute, but now you have been made whole-becomes more of a reality to you, the more you’ll want to alleviate the burdens of others with the resources you’ve been given.”

Corey Jackson in “Sharing our Possessions” blogpost on June 21, 2011.

…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control… Galatians 5:22-23 (NRSV)

“God has been unceasing and extravagant in his gifts to us…We are given the fruit of the Spirit to give out of love rather than out of pride or guilt.”

Howard Freeman, “God’s Generous Gift of the Spirit” in The Redeemer Report, a publication of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, May 2010.

“One of the greatest gifts we can give others is ourselves.”

Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) in Bread for the Journey entry for April 14 (SanFrancisco: Harper, 1997).