“Christians, let us leave the government of the world till the King comes; let us leave the civilizing of the world to be the incidental effect of the presence there of the Gospel of Christ, and let us give our time, our strength, our money, our days to the mission distinctively committed to the Church, namely, to make the Lord Jesus Christ known to every creature!”
C.I. Scofield (1843-1921), the conclusion to his passionate message: The Biggest Failure in the Church Age.
Read more“All the needy who are possessed by that grievous malady, [the love of money], though they have no wealth of their own on which they may bestow worship as its due, pay awe-struck homage to that of their neighbors, and come at early dawn to the houses of those who have abundance of it as though they were the grandest temples, there to make their prayers and beg for blessing from the masters as though they were gods. To such [God] says elsewhere “Ye shall not follow idols and ye shall not make molten gods,” thus teaching them in a figure that it is not fitting to assign divine honors to wealth.” Cf. 1 Tim 6:10.
Philo of Alexandria (20 BCE-50 CE), Jewish Biblical Philosopher in Special Laws I.24.3. LCL.
Read more“Who is the greedy person? It’s him, who doesn’t content himself with what he has. And who [is] the thief? He who steals what belongs to others. And you think that you are not greedy, and that you do not rob others? What had been granted to you so that you might care for others, you claim for yourself.
He who strips a man of his clothes is to be called a thief. Is not he who, when he is able, fails to clothe the naked, worthy of no other title? The bread which you do not use is the bread of the hungry; the garment hanging in your wardrobe is the garment of him who is naked; the shoes that you do not wear are the shoes of the one who is barefoot; the money that you keep locked away is the money of the poor; the acts of charity you do not perform are so many injustices that you commit.”
Cf. Matt. 25:31-46; Eph. 4:28; Heb. 13:5; Jam. 2:16; 1 Jn. 3:17-18.
Basil the Great (330-379), Bishop of Caesarea in On Avarices.
Read more“God created the earth, the beauty of the heavens, the well ordered change of hours, the sun’s heat and the cold (He does not need these things), and works continuously for man’s well being as an invisible provider, a timely sower and a wonderful irrigator…
[God] bountifully provides food for man by nourishing the vine and giving drink in due season to all types of animals. He also provides woolen skins for protection and covering our feet. You can see that God is the Creator of these benefits by giving nourishment and drink to the hungry and by clothing the naked as we have already said…God is thus the source of generosity and rich provider for our necessities.Scripture teaches us to zealously imitate the Lord and Creator insofar as mortal beings can emulate his blessedness and immortality. However, we show contempt towards everything by appropriating them for our own enjoyment; we choose them for our own end and selfishly store them up.
We have no concern for the misfortunate nor care for the poor. What a miserable attitude! A man sees someone else without food and lacks incentive for giving him nourishment. Such a person does not provide for others nor is he concerned about his security; rather, he allows this tender plant to pitifully dry up from lack of water. Instead, he is well off and does not give it the needy…
Let each of us take pains to our assist neighbor…”
Gregory of Nyssa (335-394) from his treatise On Almsgiving.
Read more“Posthumous charities are the very essence of selfishness, when bequeathed by those who, when alive, would part with nothing…and those who, when dying, impoverish their relations, by leaving their fortunes to be expended in masses for themselves, have been shrewdly said to leave their own souls to their heirs.”
Charles Caleb Colton (1780-1832) was an English cleric and author of Lacon of Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those Who Think (1820) reprinted by Kessinger Publishing, LLC (2004). CCCXLI, 145.
Read more“Never acquire for yourself anything that you might hesitate to give to your brother if he ask you for it, for thus you might be found a transgressor of God’s command. If anyone asks, give to him, and if anyone wants to borrow from you, do not turn away from him.” (cf. Luke 6:30)
Abbot Agatho as recounted by Thomas Merton in The Wisdom of the Desert (New York: New Directions, 1970) 47.
Read more“Abbot Anastasius had a book on very fine parchment which was worth eighteen pence, and had in it both Old and New Testaments in full. Once a certain brother came to visit him, and seeing the book made off with it.
So that day when Abbot Anastasius went to read his book, and found that it was gone, he realized that the brother had taken it. But he did not send after him to inquire about it for fear that the brother might add perjury to theft.
Well, the brother went down into the nearby city in order to sell the book. And the price he asked was sixteen pence. The buyer said: Give me that book that I may found out whether it is worth that much.
With that, the buyer took the book to the holy Anastasius and said: Father, take a look at this book, please, and tell me whether you think I ought to buy it for sixteen pence. Is it worth that much?
Abbot Anastasius said: Yes, it is a fine book, it is worth that much. So the buyer went back to the brother and said: Here is your money. I showed the book to Abbot Anastasius and he said it is a fine book and is worth at least sixteen pence.
But the brother asked: Was that all he said? Did he make any other remarks? No, said the buyer, he did not say another word. Well, said the brother, I have changed my mind and I don’t want to sell the book after all.
Then he hastened to Abbot Anastasius and begged him with tears to take back his book, but the Abbot would not accept it, saying: Go in peace, brother, I make you a present of it. But the brother said: If you do not take it back I shall never have any peace. After that the brother dwelt with Abbot Anastasius for the rest of his life.”
Abbot Anastasius’ story as recounted by Thomas Merton in The Wisdom of the Desert (New York: New Directions, 1970) 30-31.
Read more“I will try this day to live a simple, sincere, and serene life; repelling promptly every thought of discontent, anxiety, discouragement, impurity, and self-seeking; cultivating cheerfulness, magnanimity, charity and the habit of holy silence; exercising economy in expenditure, generosity in giving, carefulness in conversation, diligence in appointed service, fidelity to every trust, and a child-like trust in God.
In particular, I will try to be faithful in those habits of prayer, work, study, physical exercise, eating, and sleep, which I believe the Holy Spirit has shown me to be right.
And as I cannot in my own strength do this, nor even with a hope of success attempt it, I look to thee, O Lord God my Father, in Jesus my Savior, and ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
“A Morning Resolve” reprinted and distributed in 2013 by Tom Assmus. From Prayers for All Occasions compiled by Francis John Moore (Forward Movement Publications 1964) 17-18, and adapted from original work of John H. Vincent in The Expositor 1914 edition, 16:640.
Read more“Lazarus sometimes makes his way to our door step. We toss him a coin and go on our way. We give our charities but we do not give ourselves.” (Cf. Luke 16:19-31)
Albert Edward Day (1884-1973) as quoted by Jeff Haanen in Christianity Today “This is Our City” article on 1.15.13: “Pay-What-You-Can Restaurants Dish Up Dignity in Denver”
Read more“Trusting God with our money feels different at forty than it did at fourteen. But that discipline is a lifetime measure of our confidence in God. Generosity makes our faith bigger in every stage of life.”
Andy Stanley in Deep and Wide: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to Attend (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012) 147.
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