A PHILOSOPHY OF LIVING: A Giving Life Matthew 6:1-4 +++

Introduction

All of us, whether we realize it or not, have a philosophy of living. A wise, old Scotsman once wrote to his granddaughter some very simple, yet profound words. They encapsulated his philosophy of living. In his conversation with her, using pen and paper, this is what the grandfather said: “I hope that you will live all of your life. How do you do that? During the month of July we will look at Jesus’ philosophy of living. He will tell us how. The first part of that philosophy is this: Have a giving life. I love Girl Scout cookies, don’t you? Elizabeth Brinton, a 13-year-old Girl Scout, explained how she sold 11,200 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. Do you know how she did it? This was her secret: “You have to look people in the eye and make them feel guilty.” Do you have a giving life? Do you give because of guilt or for another reason. Jesus talks about a giving life that sees a need, meets the need and reaps the reward.

How does that happen? This is how with these three steps:

1. Do you see a need?

One day, about a week after the terrorist attacks in NYC on 9-11, Joe Miller of Mill Hall, Pennsylvania, came home to find his five-year-old son, Nick, waiting patiently for him to get home from work. Once he came in the house Joes’ wife told him to tell his Dad what he did that day at school. Nick just sat there saying nothing. Finally Joe’s wife said that he had been called to the principal’s office. “What did you do now?” his father asked him. “Nothing, Dad,” Nick said. Joe said to him, “You must have done something wrong if you were called into the principal’s office.” “Nope,” replied Nick. Nick then explained that his kindergarten class had been talking about what had happened in NYC and how some children had lost their parents. He said that he felt sad for them and wanted to do something nice to cheer them up. So he took half of his savings out of his bank and gave it to his teacher. He asked her to buy toys for the children to brighten their day. The teacher was so overwhelmed that she began to cry. She took Nick to the principal to explain what he was trying to do. The principal explained how proud he was of Nick and that this was one of the most kind and generous acts he had ever witnessed. Nick’s contribution only totaled $15.50, but to him it was half of everything he owned. Reflecting on his son’s giving spirit, Joes wrote: “That day, Nick gave us all a present. For me, he taught pride, disgrace, and hope: His generosity overwhelmed me with more pride that day than ever before in my life. A few moments after the pride rushed in, though, I felt this humbling disgrace. I realized that what I had become and the way I was living my life was wrong. I had spent the last 20 years trying to grow up and mature into a ‘wise’ adult. Instead, I hardened into someone cold and callous. Who was truly ‘wise’ now- the adult or the child? Tough one to swallow! But I knew that through the innocent actions from the heart of a five-year-old, I could change. Nick gave me hope.” Jesus talks about seeing a need instead of being seen in a need. The first step to having a giving life is seeing the need before you. Ask this question: What can I do? Then do what you can. See the need.

2. Meet a need.

Some time back a gentleman wrote to the Reader’s Digest about his pastor, who knowing that many of his members of the congregation were out of work and broke, put a hundred dollars in One’s and Five’s into a wicker basket. He explained in the worship service one Sunday morning that the money was from the Benevolent Fund of the church and he knew there were many needs in the church. He added that “I’m going to do something I have never done before in my ministry.” And with that he passed the basket of money to the congregation, urging those in need to take from it without shame. They did, but when the basket was returned they found something amazing. It contained $67.00 more than it had when it started out. See a need, meet a need. Someone put it best this way: “If you want to be rich, give; If you want to be poor, grasp; If you want abundance, scatter; If you want to be needy, hoard.”

As Jesus says elsewhere: Give and it shall be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom: For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.

There is no lack with God. Give and it will be given to you!

3. Reap a Reward.

Jesus emphasizes this fact: Give not to be seen by men (and receive a temporal reward) but give to be seen by God (and receive an eternal reward). Charles Spurgeon, that great Baptist preacher of the 19th Century, and his wife, would sell, refusing to give away, the eggs their chickens laid. Even close relatives were told, “You may have them if you pay for them.” As a result some people labeled the Surgeons greedy and grasping. They accepted the criticisms without defending themselves, and only after Mrs. Spurgeon died was the full story revealed. What came to light was this: All the profits from the sale of eggs went to support two elderly widows. Because the Spurgeon’s were unwilling to let their left hand know what the right hand was doing, they endured the attacks in silence. See a need, meet a need and reap a reward from God.

I read a story about a Rabbi who used to drop his alms behind his back as he walked past beggars so as to not know who he had helped. Jesus’ assurance is this: “…your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” When Jesus talks about receiving our reward in the now he says of those who openly give that they “have received their reward.” This verb was commonly used in Jesus’ day for a receipt. The idea Jesus is expressing here is this: They have all the reward that they will get with this public notoriety. Let me ask you this: would you rather have your reward from humanity or divinity, from man or God?

Conclusion

I close with this story about a giving life: A large sum of money was urgently needed by Dr. J. H. Jowett’s famous church in Carr’s Lane, London, England. A special money- raising meeting of the church was called. At the close of the service, the names of all the donors and the amounts were read. There was applause when the names and gifts of large donations were read. The last name read was that of a poor woman who sacrificially gave sixpence. There was silence. Dr. Jowett stood quietly, moved to the pulpit, looked across the congregation and said impressively, “I hear the applause of the crucified hands.”

I want to hear the applause of crucified hands in my life, don’t you? That will happen when we see a need, meet a need and reap the reward from an unseen God who sees in secret what we do. Live a giving life and you will live a full life. Live a giving life and you will hear the applause of crucified hands.