On Passing the Potatoes--September 6, 2024
[Jesus said:] "So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you." [Matthew 6:2-4]
Jesus takes it for granted that his followers will be generous. That by itself is saying something. But more importantly, Jesus he teaches his apprentices a particular way of being generous--one that keeps the well-being of others in focus, rather than centering our own egos. And in a world full of Big Deal Donors who get their names put on signs or engraved in stone for their sizeable contributions to the cause-of-the-day, that really is counter-cultural. Jesus calls for his community to practice stealthy generosity, to give in ways that don't draw attention to ourselves but respect the dignity of those with whom we share our abundance, and to care about the needs of others rather than the credit we could get for giving.
Underneath Jesus' teaching about almsgiving (that is, charitable giving to people in need--not the same as our offerings to church or our contributions to the local art museum or high school sports boosters) is a vital question: Am I giving to another person because I care about their well-being as a fellow human being made in God's image, or am I centering myself to get attention when I give? If it's the first, then giving is an act of neighborliness that flows from recognizing God's generous care for me. If it's the second, then I'm just using another person to be a prop so that I can "do good deeds" or try to placate my guilt. One is about loving a neighbor, which Jesus insists is inextricably tied to how I love God, and the other is about trying to score points. And Jesus has always insisted that God does not run the universe on an economy of merit, transaction, or points-scoring--but always on an economy of grace.
Sure, there are other times in our lives when we can give and get the credit. If you contribute to your local public television or radio station, go ahead and get the tote bag or the coffee mug as a prize (and if you do support your local public broadcaster, thank you very much!). If I donate to the art museum or the band boosters or the soccer team candy bar fundraiser, go ahead and let them put your name on the list of supporters. But let's be honest: those are basically transactions which you will get something out of--your membership at the museum helps to ensure that there is a local art museum at all, or your contribution allows your kid to be in the band or play on the soccer team. By contrast, when I give of my abundance to help a neighbor, whether with food or help with a utility bill or to help with their housing or emergency shelter, it's simply because I recognize in them their own fundamental dignity and worthiness of having food, shelter, and respect. And when I see in them my own worth as a fellow human being made in God's image, then I no longer want to use another person as a prop or a means to get more attention for myself, or to make them feel pitied or infantilized. I simply want for others the same basic necessities I have been given already myself. It's not about credit or glory or attention, but about treating others with love, the way I have been shown love by God already.
This is how Jesus intends for us to see one another--not as useful tools we can manipulate for our own purposes or agendas, but as human beings of infinite worth because we are all made in God's image. And when we see one another as fellow members of God's big household, then we know the same rule applies that holds at each of our family dinner tables: in God's family, everybody gets to eat. Jesus reminds us that giving is not about getting extra credit with God, but about practicing the same kind of unconditional generosity God has already shown to us. And once we realize that all of our possessions--including our time, talent, and money--are gifts of God in the first place, then sharing these for the benefit of someone else who belongs at God's table flows naturally as well. We share generously--and without needing to get credit for it--when we realize that all we have to share was first given to us by God. Living the Jesus way of life is rooted in recognizing that everything we have, and everything we are, is a gift of God first, and not ultimately "mine" to hoard.
So on this day, our calling is to be generous in a way that doesn't need to draw attention to ourselves, because at most we are only ever sharing what has first been given to us. When I was a kid passing the mashed potatoes around the table at dinner, I didn't need to make a big to-do about it, because I was not the one who cooked them, much less bought or grew them. I was only ever just passing what someone else prepared and happened to have placed on the table near me, but which was always meant for all of us to share. Jesus says that our acts of generosity toward one another are never any more complicated than passing the potatoes--these are good gifts that happen to have been set nearest to us at the table, but which are meant for a common sharing so that all can be fed. Once I realize that, I don't need to get attention for giving to someone else--I can only give thanks to God who has set a table with enough for all.
Lord Jesus, teach us and train us to give generously and without the need for recognition, instead only recognizing what you have first given us.
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