What is your most remarkable memory of giving?
Mine would be when I was around 9 years old. I was shopping with my mother and she asked me to pick some stationary for me and some for my cousin. I purposely chose the best for me and the second-best for my cousin.
For some reason, when we got home, my mother changed her mind and switched our goods. The ones I selected for me was given to her and hers to me. Imagine my horror! I’m ashamed of my posture of giving then (although it wasn’t even my money). I was ungenerous and it shows how you can give without loving but you cannot love without giving.
The truth is, all acts of love are acts of giving. We love to our family and God by giving our time, money, a listening ear, resources, help, etc. Since the ultimate calling of every Christian is to love God and love others, it’s important to learn what the Bible says about what and how we should give.
Let’s look at some stories of giving in the Bible and learn from them.
Table of Contents
- The offering of the poor widow
- The giving of the church of Macedonia
- The parable of the Good Samaritan
- Other stories of giving
- The ultimate story of giving
- FAQ
The offering of the poor widow
The most famous Bible story of giving is the offering of the poor widow. In Mark 12, Jesus commends the giving of a poor widow.
Mark 12: 41-44: 41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (ESV)
From this passage, we learn that God doesn’t measure our gift by the amount, but by how we give. The amount of the widow’s offering is small, but yet Jesus said she gave more than all of those people combined. ALL combined. That includes normal people and the rich men that came and gave their offering. Just think about that! God’s measurement is so counter-intuitive to the world’s idea.
Verse 44 says that she gave everything she had. That offering reflects her heart for God. Because as a poor widow who had to support her family on her own, she could give only one coin and keep the other for herself. After all, she is poor and her family needs to be fed. Great justification, right? But she gave her all, showing her love and trust for God.
It is very encouraging to learn from this passage because it means that anyone can please God. Even if we’re poor, we can still give in a way that pleases God. In fact, the poor widow’s offering pleased God more than the rich people’s offering who amounts to more. So we don’t have to be a big shot to love God. We can start wherever we are. God will see it and appreciate it.
The giving of the church of Macedonia
The second story we’ll look at today is the giving of the Macedonians. Paul talks about their giving in 2 Cor 8. The context here is, Paul was collecting money to help the Christians in Jerusalem, who were very poor.
2 Cor 8:2-3 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord,
In this passage, Paul applauded the churches of Macedonia in their giving. What’s remarkable is that they are poor people. Secular history confirms that the Romans took all of their wealth when they conquered the city.
In this passage, giving according to their means alludes to the fact that as a total sum, their giving is probably not much. This confirms what we learned from the poor widow’s offering that God doesn’t care about the amount that we give, but how we give relative to what we’re blessed with.
Paul went on and said they also gave beyond their means. This means that they gave even when logic says they cannot afford to give that amount. This gift is costly to them, but yet they gave for the sake of others. So far, these two points confirm what we just learned about the poor widow.
2 Cor 8:4-5: begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. (ESV)
The Macedonians BEGGED Paul for the favor of helping other saints. When was the last time you begged for something? The last time I did this was when I begged God for my brother’s health to improve when he got Covid-19. It shows a position of an extreme desire, one that’s heart-breaking if one doesn’t get it.
Well, that’s how much the Macedonian Christians want to give. They give with an eager heart, thinking more about the needs of others above themselves. Think about that for a second. They are poor themselves, but they take it as a privilege to help others. If they can do it, how much more if we are blessed with abundance.
Further down in 2 Cor 6-11 Paul wrote that whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. God sees and remembers our giving and will bless us accordingly.
Paul later reveals the motivation behind it: they gave first to the Lord, then to the other saints. The ultimate essence of Christian giving is not the money itself, but the giving of ourselves to God. If we give our lives to God, our material giving will reflect this. This is confirmed in the gospel of John.
1 John 3:17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?
Our obedience and heart to God are the things that matter the most. God is compassionate and loving. So if we call him our Lord and we have been renewed spiritually, how can we not give generously to those in need?
The parable of the Good Samaritan
Another story of giving is in the famous story of the Good Samaritan. In the parable, Jesus points us to more principles in how we should give. This parable can be found in Luke 10:25-37.
Jesus spoke about a man who was robbed, beaten and left almost half-dead on the road. A Levite and a Priest saw him but passed him by without helping him. A Samaritan also saw him, and he bound up his wound, put him on his donkey and brought him to an inn. He then gave the innkeeper some money to take care of him.
It’s interesting that Jesus drew a contrast between a Levite & a priest with a Samaritan. As people who study God’s law, the Levite and priest should be more likely to help the victim. This shows how some people may appear religious, but ultimately their actions determine their hearts.
In contrast, Samaritans are culturally the sworn enemies of the Jews – they are hated and deemed to be worse than other gentiles. Yet, the Samaritan’s giving was moved by compassion without any regard to the cultural background of the victim. Taken further, we should love our enemies (as Samaritans are viewed as the Jews’ enemies) This is how our giving should be – indiscriminate about their backgrounds – racial, political, beliefs. They don’t matter. If you see someone in need and you can help, do it.
We also learn that the Samaritan did not wait to be asked and he gave freely without expecting any return. He helped a complete stranger, so he doesn’t know if the robbed man even has the resources to pay him back. But that didn’t stop him from taking care of him as if the victim’s his child – he put him on his donkey (and he had to walk instead) and he paid for his stay. He even told the innkeeper to spend any amount necessary to take care of him and promised to pay him back.
The Samaritan teaches us to help others indiscriminately, generously and giving without expecting any return.
Other stories of giving
Aside from these 3 stories, the Bible records many more stories of giving:
- A Shunammite woman fed Elisha and later provided a room for Elisha to lodge whenever he passed Shunem. She provided for Elisha as a way to give to God (2 Kings 4:8-10). She was blessed with a child and her child was then resurrected by Elisha.
- Jesus’ early followers Mary Magdalene and some other women provided for Jesus and the apostles out of their own pocket (Luke 8:1-3).
- Cornelius the centurion was recorded as a man who feared God, prayed continuously to God and give alms generously. His prayers and alms ascended as a memorial to God and he became the first gentile to be baptized (Acts 10).
- Zaccheus the chief tax collector gave half of his wealth to the poor and restored those he cheated fourfold. His giving reflects his repentance (Luke 19).
- The early churches shared their resources so that nobody in the Church was in need. Barnabas sold his land and used the proceeds to meet the needs of others (Acts 4).
- In the following chapter, we learn how NOT to give through the story of Ananias and Saphira, who deceived the church by saying they’ve given the whole proceeds of their property sale while keeping half for themselves (Acts 5).
- Before Jesus’ capture, Mary Magdalene anointed Jesus with very expensive perfume and Jesus said this action was her memorial and it will be remembered as long as the gospel lives (Matthew 6:6-13)
- Joseph of Arimathea provided his own tomb for Jesus after the crucifixion (Matthew 27:57-60). Nicodemus supplied expensive spices for the burial (John 19:39).
The ultimate story of giving
From these stories and records of generosity, the Bible presents us with principles of giving: generously, to everyone, self sacrificially, according and beyond our means, without expecting any return.
God models these principles through his ultimate gift: his son’s death on the Cross for our salvation.
2 Cor 8:9: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
Jesus came down from his Heavenly throne and had to take a form of a baby born on a manger, suffered and died on the Cross so that we can be saved. He was sinless, but he was made to bear the wrath of God so we can be righteous and blameless in front of God.
2 Cor 5:21: For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (ESV)
As we go about our day, let’s remember that we love others because God first loved us (1 John 4:19). May we reflect Christ in our giving and in our daily life.
FAQ
What does the Bible say about giving to those in need?
Giving to the needy is also viewed as the purest form of worship to God (James 1:27). Proverbs 19:17 says: whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. (ESV)
God isn’t pleased with those who have the resources but refuse to help others in need. Proverbs 21:13 states that whoever doesn’t help the poor will call out and not be answered.
The Bible also states that those that say they have faith but don’t help other in need has a dead faith (James 2:14-17)
What does Jesus say about giving money?
What does the Bible say about helping others and not bragging?
The Bible explicitly says that in helping others, we should not brag. God loves those who give in secret. The expression used in the Bible is that when we give, don’t let our right hand know what the left hand is doing. Matthew 6 further says that boastful giving that expects praise from men will not be rewarded by God.
The Bible has a strong statement to the boastful givers: those that announce their giving are compared to hypocrites.
How can I be a blessing to others?
We can bless others by sharing any of our resources with our friends. They come in many forms: money, time, energy, a listening ear, prayer, a helping hand that meet others’ needs. In any form, the key is to be generous in our giving and putting others’ needs above our own.
What are the benefits of giving in the Bible?
Giving to the poor is viewed as lending to God and God will repay the giver for his deed (Proverbs 19:17). God promises to reward generous people (Proverbs 11:25). Further, our portion in giving will determine the portion we receive (Luke 6:38).
Giving will also make us happy (Proverbs 22:9).
Giving to the orphans and the needy honors and pleases God. The Bible say that giving is the purest form of worship (James 1:27) and that giving is like amassing treasures in Heaven that never runs out (Luke 12:33)
Our giving and the good things that we have done will also bless others and cause them to be grateful to God (Matthew 5:17) .
What does the bible say about generosity?
Generosity is applauded in the Bible and will be repaid by God. The Bible says that our reward from God will be proportionate to what we give. We reap what we sow and that’s why it’s important to be generous to others. Giving is an extremely important part of a Christian’s life in the Bible. Helping the poor is viewed as lending to God which will be repaid in the future.
God tells us to give because generosity is also stated as a way for us to bless others so that in turn, they can thank God.
What are the biblical principles of giving?
The Bible teaches us to give in secret, without attracting any attention to ourselves. We’re also called to give generously and our portion of giving will determine the portion of our blessings.
Through the stories of giving in the Bible above, we learn that God cares not about how much we give in amount, but how we give. We are called to give according to our measure and giving beyond our measure (more than we can afford) is applauded in the Bible.
The Bible teaches us through the story of a poor widow that a small amount of offering can please God more than a big amount if it’s given with the right heart and motivation. We are also taught to give to everyone, including those with different backgrounds from us (even enemies) and without expecting any return. This is taught through the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
Sources:
https://www.cdfcapital.org/generous-people-bible/
https://lifewaygenerosity.com/2019/12/10/11-bible-givers-you-will-want-to-meet/
https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/smith_chuck/c2000_Mar/Mar_012.cfm?a=969041
https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Mar/Mar-12.cfm?a=969041
https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Mar/Mar_012.cfm?a=969041
https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Luk/Luk-10.cfm?a=983030
https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Luk/Luk_010.cfm?a=983030
https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Mat/Mat-26.cfm?a=955007
