GIVING

"So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift."

Matthew 5: 23-24

In the Old Testament it is clearly written that the way to make God forgive sins and do good things for His chosen people was to make animal sacrifices on His altar and to tithe.  When God sent His Son Jesus to earth to make things right with His broken relationship with His people, Jesus changed the rules.  Jesus said, "you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself, on these two commandments defend all the laws and the prophets".

Jesus didn't want anyone coming to His altar with hate in his heart.  He didn't want the money offering.  He wanted love in the giver's heart for Himself and for His people.  Not only does God want us to love Him but also our brothers and sisters, our neighbors, and yes, even our enemies.  As Jesus said, " but I say to you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you".  If we come to His altar with love in our hearts, He is happy for our offerings but first the offering must be made in love.

Jesus didn't make it easy for us.  Loving God is not hard but loving some of our neighbors or even our enemies is quite a task.  Compared to this even tithing is easy.  But love is what God wants from us FIRST.  Maybe we can't do it all the time but we need to at least try.  Trying is what pleases God even if we fail at times.  And we can always take comfort in knowing that God's love for us is so great that we will always be forgiven through Jesus when we do fail.

Dear God, fill us all with love, love for you and love for all of our earthly neighbors, that our gifts will be pleasing to you.  Amen

Paul Starke

paulsstarke@aol.com