Begrudging Generosity – September 29, 2023

‘Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
Matthew 20:15

Begrudging Generosity

“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” the saying goes. Since you are probably like me and haven’t been gifted a horse recently, maybe this saying doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. However, if you know a little about horses, you may know you can tell their approximate age by their teeth, so “looking a gift horse in the mouth” was a way of checking how valuable a gift it was. Today’s equivalent might be, “Don’t check the price tag to see how much the gift costs.”

It’s hard to do though, isn’t it? We are constantly comparing ourselves to others to see how we match up. We want to know if we have the best or if someone else has more. Even when it comes to someone’s generosity, we want to make sure everything is fair and that someone doesn’t receive more than we do.

While I may be tempted to think I deserve more from the Lord, I need to start with what I deserve. I should be punished, rejected, and separated from God forever. My sin is the reason why God should have turned away from me. God’s love, however, brought about a different response. Through the sacrificial work of Jesus, as well as through the substitution of his righteousness for my unrighteousness, I am saved. If God were fair, none of this would have happened. Instead, God would judge me and sentence me to eternal punishment.

Through his love, the Lord leads me to rejoice in my rescue and the promise of heaven. It also leads me to rejoice that God offers the same rescue and promise of heaven to all people. He wants all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. This is more than fair. It is grace.

Prayer:
Gracious God, help me to always be content with your gifts. Give me a contentment knowing that you purchased me with your Son’s life. Amen.