The Upload
Posted on Jul 29, 2016 by
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
I know it is only the end of July, and usually our weekly readings this early in the year are not about stewardship, but this year we get one of the great stewardship stories early (Luke 12:13-21). In this story, a man asked Jesus to settle a family dispute about an inheritance, but Jesus didn't want to have anything to do with this man’s request. Instead, Jesus focused his response on how we ought to view all the blessings God has given his creation.
Now, most of the time when we read this story, we pastors immediately begin to talk about the importance of tithing. I know I have been guilty of this many times. To be honest, though, I know most people don’t even consider tithing, and I have heard comments that tithing is too legalistic and too rule-oriented. After all, we Lutherans believe we are saved by grace, and laws regarding money, et cetera, no longer apply, do they? We proclaim that we ought to live generous lives but not give generously because of a law.
Today, I would like to offer a few different views on our willingness to live generous lives. The first view of giving is the legal view. God demands that I give a tithe, 10%; therefore, for every $100 I earn, I will give $10 to the church. The problem with giving this way is that, while the church has plenty of money to do ministry, it makes the giver feel like they have been coerced into giving. This is commendable, but it is not biblical stewardship.
The second view of giving many folks have is the “I give of my own free will to whomever I want” view. This view of giving is one in which a person says, I earned $100, it would be a good thing if I gave some of it back to the community. I will give $10 to various agencies in the community that I want to support. This, too, is commendable, but it is not biblical stewardship.
Neither of these views of giving are biblical, and what Christ is pointing to in our text this week is a completely different notion of living generously. The attitude Jesus lifts up to us is this: God has $100 and has trusted me with it. God has asked that I use at least $10 of this money for the benefit of others and the spreading of the gospel. Of the other $90, I may use as much as necessary for my needs, and I am free to share the rest with others in response to the needs I see around me. Now, this is a biblical view of stewardship.
Stewardship always begins with the notion that everything we have, even our lives, belongs to God, and God desires that we first and foremost use the gifts entrusted to us to spread the gospel and care for God’s creation. In his parable, Jesus reminds us that we are all going to die someday, and that at the inevitable moment of our death our accumulated possessions will be worthless to us.
God has placed in our hands all that we are and all that we have, and the question is, what are we going to do with our life and with our possessions?
Have a blessed and holy week!
Shalom,
Pr. Dave