the faithfulness test

“Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much, and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If, then, you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters, for a slave will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

Luke 16:10-13; NRSVue

Chapters and verses in the Bible are not part of the original text, but in the case of Luke 16, it is all about wealth and what we might call the faithfulness test with reference to that. “Follow the money” is a major way to understand faithfulness to God and idolatry throughout the text of Scripture.

Luke 16 begins with “the Parable of the Dishonest Manager” (NRSVue headings; verses 1-13), “the Law and the Kingdom of God” (verses 14-18) and ends with “the Rich Man and Lazarus” (verses 19-31). It is a powerful chapter, worth some serious time, study and meditation. The entire book of Luke is powerful in a similar way, undermining the systems in which we live and challenging us to the core of our being.

The CEB Study Bible summarizes the sayings interspersed between the stories by Jesus, verses 10-13 quoted above. “Jesus’ followers are to consider themselves God’s slaves (Luke 12:35-48) who are asked to manage God’s property according to God’s wishes.”

How we spend and manage our money tells a lot about us. If you want to know your value system or the value system of any entity, be it church, state or nation, start there. It’s not like one can’t enjoy good things with money, not at all. In fact, we should. But we need to see ourselves essentially as stewards of God’s gifts to us, sacrificially loving our neighbor as ourselves.

But we also need to avoid the pitfall of simply throwing money at a problem, thinking that’s enough and actually being more or less disengaged from it all.

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 12:32-34; NRSVue

Unfortunately, like some of the religious, wealthy of Jesus’s day, we can throw even large amounts of money into the coffer and be entirely disengaged, in fact live lives that give the lie to our profession unlike the poor widow who gave all she had to live on (Luke 21:1-4).

Are we faithful or not? Are we growing in our understanding and practice of this? That’s the point. Not perfection, but a passion to come to live in this fully as churches and individuals in our following of Christ.

giving from the heart

Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.

I do not say this as a command, but I am, by mentioning the eagerness of others, testing the genuineness of your love. For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. And in this matter I am giving my opinion: it is beneficial for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something. Now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means.

The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not regretfully or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. As it is written,

“He scatters abroad; he gives to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”

2 Corinthians 8:7-11; 9:6-9; NRSVue

2 Corinthians 8-9 is worthy of a careful read and study since it is written by Paul to the Corinthian church in regard to a special need among the poor of God’s people in Jerusalem. Fastforward this to the present day, and there’s no shortage of good endeavors which we can help. I am not at all against helping causes for humanitarian aid, urgent medical care, or whatever important, good services there are in the world which are not done in the name of Christ. But I like to begin with organizations which are ministries done in the name of Christ.

Good works need to start at home. When family is struggling, we have to be present for them as best we can. Neighborhood and community issues should matter to us as well. The goal should not be just charity, but systemic change. We need to be a voice for those who can’t afford to live, yes, even here in the United States, the wealthiest nation on earth. Yet too many of its citizens and people who live here can’t afford housing and may not be given needed healthcare available here. If we don’t pay attention to issues like this, and are happy just to give handouts, we’re frankly not doing well enough. At the same time, there are always great needs in the world for food, water, basic provisions for life in famine ravaged or war-torn nations, or whatever people are facing.

But now to some of Paul’s point in the matter of giving. Elsewhere in Scripture we read about systematic giving, say a tenth of one’s gross or net income, what a person or family may set aside to give each week for the ministry of church or of good works to help people in need. That is good. What Paul was referring to here was a special needs project. After letting the Corinthian church know about the poverty of the church in Jerusalem, they eagerly committed themselves to help. That was a good start, but Paul was writing to remind them that there needed to be a good follow through, a completion of what they had begun or at least had purposed. Paul points to the generous act of Christ in becoming one of us and all that followed, and he urges them to complete this work with that in mind.

Paul also lets them know that God wants this to come from the heart, not regretfully or under compulsion since God loves a cheerful giver. I think that we need to begin to see that giving sacrificially from the heart is part of what it means to be a follower of Christ and the point of that, what it means to be human. Humans have a tendency to be greedy and to hoard. In that is lack of faith in God and God’s provision. Idolatry in Scripture is often tied to gaining exorbitant riches at the expense of others. Paul’s vision we find in this passage (2 Corinthians 8-9) is that the churches will take care of each other. Giving certainly doesn’t stop there, but this is foundational to all other necessary giving done in the name of Christ. And from that we open our hearts to the needs of the world.