BaptistWay Bible Series for August 26: Be generous with your money

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Any discussion of generosity eventually will involve a discussion of money. Perhaps the practical point of view of our society which reduces the significance of so many things to their financial impact, demands a justification of the encroachment of a policy of generosity on the pursuit of money. Nevertheless, the Bible more than answers this challenge. Featured in this lesson are two central passages which deliver the Bible’s teaching regarding wealth and the pursuit of money.

The short passage in Luke 21 delivers a famous Bible story about an impoverished widow. The woman, though marginalized by her situation, still found a way to serve and honor her Lord in a private way. The moment of the occurrence of this event is important—this was no minor, insignificant event. This occurred at the end of Jesus’ last known visit to the temple during Passion Week.

Just prior to this story, Jesus had silenced his opponents through skillful Bible teaching and penetrating insight. He followed the last objection with a final appeal from Scripture regarding the identity of Christ (Luke 20:41-47). Having finished teaching, Jesus exited the temple, but paused to observe people presenting their monetary gifts.

When people give financial gifts to churches, do they consider that Jesus personally observes the character of their offering? What is the sacrificial nature of their offering? With what disposition has the worshipper offered his or her gift?

Significantly, Jesus had nothing to say regarding the rich who placed their gifts in the temple treasury (v. 1). The temple treasury had metal receptacles made in the shape of horns. Coins were dropped into the receptacles, noisily winding their way to a strong box inside the temple masonry. The rich could drop a number of heavy coins and make quite a noisy impression on others nearby. Jesus remained silent. Then approached a widow with only two small copper coins (the famous “widow’s mites”). The Greek texts calls these coins lepta. One lepton had the value of one hundredth of the Greek drachma, and was roughly equivalent, at least by relative significance, to the American penny.

The significance of the widow’s offering, to the Almighty Creator who stood nearby, was that these coins were all the widow owned. She would not eat until she came across other funds or someone’s generosity. Yet it was more important to give the Lord the two coins—all she owned—to show the extent of her devotion to her Lord.

In verse 3, her Lord acknowledged her gift. She had given everything, He noticed, a gift that fully represented the condition of her heart toward her Lord. The others had given from their wealth (v. 4), in other words, from their abundance. Their gifts were affordable and nonsacrificial. They could afford this type of generosity. Yet their gifts did not impress like the widow’s. Would a wealthy person dare to give everything they own? Only then could they match the level of giving of this anonymous woman.

The widow’s impressive offering is made in another way. The remainder of chapter 21 speaks of the signs of the end of the age. This discussion begins in verse 5 as Jesus and his disciples departed the temple. The disciples sized up the great temple complex and remarked about its beautiful adornments, made possible in part by gifts of the wealthy which they had observed in verse 1.

Curiously, Jesus spoke of the wealthy temple’s destruction (v. 6). The Lord would allow destruction to come to the priceless representation of his presence on earth, but he proclaimed his acceptance of the widow’s mite. His word of affirmation has continued to this day, preserved in Scripture. Thus the Lord values sacrificial giving. Furthermore, generous giving is greater than giving from one’s abundance.

Paul adds to these insights by teaching in 1 Timothy 6:6-8 that the great gain in life is contentment that results from godliness. Material wealth offers no contentment. Wealth can buy many things but not contentment. Wealth requires constant attention, reinvestment, insuring, guarding, safekeeping, etc. The payment for godliness, that is, being like God, is contentment with life. Thus contentment eliminates the unhealthy pursuit of material excess. Verses 9-10 state the pursuit of wealth destroys any chance for contentment because it presents temptations and traps that ruin many people.

Verse 10 has a famous statement that often is misquoted. The key point is that the love of money is the basis for all kinds of evil. Often people set aside the phrase “love of,” rendering money as the basis of all kinds of evil. This is not the case. The Bible views money in a neutral light and rightly identifies the real problem as the overemphasis on attaining material wealth. Such an emphasis supplants the Lord’s authority and intent to provide adequately for his beloved human creatures. The result of the love of money is many leave the faith and harm their lives.

The wealthy, then, are commanded to place their hope in the Lord, not wealth (v. 17). Their riches are to be the accumulation of good deeds (v. 18), which are signs of their walk with the Lord. True treasure that lasts forever will result (v. 19) without forfeiting their hope for eternal life. No longer compelled by the pursuit of money, the wealthy will produce good deeds that take on the character of their Lord who moves among his people with generosity.