Preschool
Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34).
A Generous Heart
Memory Verses
Primary
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:10).
Junior
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:10).
Background Scripture: Luke 6
Lesson Scripture: Luke 6:27-38; 21:1-4
Introduction
Generosity is companion to the Spirit of Christ. By nature, man is selfish. Children must be taught to share and give, learning to do it against their will. Rarely is a person naturally generous; however, once we become Christians, we begin to understand the beauty of sacrifice and freely sharing our possessions, time, and talents. Jesus came to earth and shared everything He had: his kingdom, his Spirit, and his very life. He is the supreme example of generosity because He gave with no expectation or possibility of being repaid; it was his pleasure to give to a world of beggars.
Key Verse
The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself (Prov. 11:25).
Lesson Scripture
Luke 6:27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.
30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
21:1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:
4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
Studying the Lesson
The lesson scripture lifts out a teaching many ignore or misinterpret. Jesus wants us to love and give, even to people who are not kind, respectful, or appreciative. It is quite easy to give to those who are likable and grateful but much more difficult to give to someone who is not appreciative or inappropriately misuses the offering.
Jesus gave to those in need. He gave liberally and without prejudice. He gave to the rich as well as the poor and to the undeserving as well as to those who would naturally have inspired compassion. He gave and did not keep the receipts. When one received a gift from Him, it was a gift indeed.
Jesus noticed a poor widow and lifted her out as an example for all Christians. He saw the rich giving a comparatively small portion of their surplus and was not impressed. However, the widow gave everything she had. The widow, having no income, would not have had the means to replenish what she gave. The rich men gave what amounted to spare change in comparison. Although the rich men surely gave far more in terms of monetary value, they had not sacrificed anywhere near what the poor widow had.
Practical Truths for Today
The more we begin to acquire and retain, the more clouded our vision becomes in the area of generosity. The more we have, the more difficult it can be to part with our money or possessions; this is a great paradox. When people’s means exceed necessity, giving can become calculated. A portion may be set aside for giving as part of the budget, and care is taken to give no more than what has been allotted for the purpose. While being willing to give is admirable, true generosity requires another level of commitment.
Giving material goods is only one aspect of this subject. One of the most important things we have to offer is our time. This can mean giving time for service, but the spirit of generosity will inspire us daily to have time to share during the busyness of everyday life. Is there time to stop and talk when we are in town on an errand? Do we have time to make eye contact and smile at those around us? Can we take time to understand when the Spirit prompts us to reach out to someone we meet in passing? Perhaps our greatest witness to those around us is how generous we are in this regard.
Generosity does not mean that we must give something in all circumstances. The definition of generosity in the sense of this lesson is not only openhandedness but also having a kind spirit. Kindness at times means denying a person their request for their own good. Sometimes giving money in certain circumstances can be detrimental to the other person. Examples of this include when a person has an addiction or if the money could lead them even deeper into financial trouble. When denying a person in one of these circumstances, it should be with kindness and love; it can be easy to deny someone out of prejudice. There may be times when someone might try to take advantage of us to the point that it threatens the welfare of our own family. It pays to be vigilant in these circumstances. Our first responsibility is to care for our immediate family. This even applies to the time we give. Some situations would take advantage of all the time we can offer and may prey upon our generosity to the point of effectively stealing time from our family. It can also cause us to grow overly fatigued and neglect our own welfare. Even Jesus sought time away from his mission to refresh himself. We cannot be at our best unless we take care of the vessel God has given us.
Where, then, is the balance? If left to our flesh, the scale will always tip towards self-preservation. We may have an unrealistic assessment of what kind of financial security we need in order to stay solvent. In other words, the amount we think we’re able to give may be too small, and we could actually give much more. A small segment of people need to be cautioned not to give too much and jeopardize their family’s needs, but those situations should not be overemphasized. Does the balance lie in the exact center of the two extremes? Or does it lie closer to giving more than we can afford? By studying the lesson, the answer may become clearer as to where it lies with each of us as individuals.
As we hear the incessant pleas for workers in the vineyard of the Lord, it seems like we may need to renew our vision on the giving of our time. How often do we sit back and consider the sacrifices of Jesus and compare them to our willingness to work for Him? While works will not save us, they are a part of Christian life and an unerring indicator of where our heart is. Generosity is a result of a thankful heart; a thankful person will not be able to contain the joy of the blessings he has received. Thankfulness can only be found through a realistic view of our blessings. A person who feels he has earned what he has will feel more possessive and ungrateful. Someone who realizes that which he has came with the help of others will usually be grateful and more open to sharing himself and his possessions. When a person feels indebted to those who have supported him, it is easier to count it a blessing to give back generously when given the opportunity. The same holds true when one feels indebted to Christ for salvation. Those who understand more clearly the cost that was paid will find it easier to offer themselves in service and count it an honor and privilege to work for the Lord.
Questions
- Why does it seem like it becomes harder to be generous the more we have?
- We often try very hard to teach our children the value of saving. How can we also teach them the importance of not hoarding our possessions and time?
- How do we find a renewed vision of the sacrifice that Jesus gave on our behalf?
- Can our level of generosity be an accurate indicator of the condition of our hearts?
- Is how we give more important than how much we give?
Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).