May 27th - Luke 6:38
Playback speed
Luke 6:38
The metaphor used here would have been clear to Jesus’ listeners, but may mean little or nothing to us today. Let me explain: at the time, a person’s outer tunic had a large fold in it, which could be pulled out above the belt to make a pocket. Jesus is asking people to imagine a huge amount of grain being poured into this pocket. His message is clear: if you learn how to give, you will receive generously in response.
Giving is the language of love, and is characteristic of all of Jesus’ ministry. He came as a servant to pour himself out for other people. This was what marked his ministry as he taught and healed people. Then, as he hung on the cross, we see the full extent of his love. As we walk in his footsteps, giving is still his way for us today. Churchill put it well when he wrote: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
Jesus’ teaching about giving runs completely counter to the materialism of our society, where the assumption is that acquisition is what really matters: more money, bigger houses, more cars and more luxurious holidays.
Jesus turns all of this thinking on its head and invites us to build our lives on generous giving. The reason he did this was not to spoil everyone’s fun but because giving is the greatest possible blessing. In his farewell address to the Ephesian elders, Paul refers to a quotation from Jesus that, interestingly, didn’t find its way into any of the Gospels. He said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
There are many ways of giving - and many of them are tokenistic. We give a little gift because it seems the right thing to do, but we hardly notice that it has gone. Jesus is calling us not to give occasional, little gifts, but to live a life of giving. That is the way of being truly alive and knowing God’s blessings to the full.
QUESTION
In what ways have you experienced the blessing of giving?
PRAYER
Lord God, thank you for your incredible generosity to me. Teach me how to make giving a way of life. Amen
Released on 27 May 2023
Coming up next
May 28th - Acts 2:16-17
Acts 2:16-17 When Peter spoke these words, he was addressing the huge crowds of Jews who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the festival known as Pentecost. On that day, the first fruits of the wheat harvest were offered to God. It was known ...
May 29th - Acts 2:37-38
Acts 2:37-38 A sermon is worth nothing if it doesn’t lead to action. Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost powerfully described the reason for Jesus’ death. In words that would have shocked many in his audience, he pointed out that they had ...
May 30th - Acts 2:42
Acts 2:42 The first weeks of the early Church must have been amazing. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit totally transformed the situation. From a small group of disappointed and frightened believers, there was now a large number of people fi...