Benny Nalkara, CMI

Receiving favours is often considered as a blessing by almost every believer. The art of giving is often not included in this category at all! But Jesus has revolutionized this understanding by stating that the real blessedness is not in receiving but in giving. Interestingly, this statement of Jesus is not recorded in any of the Gospels. It was part of the oral tradition of the Church and later it appeared in the Acts of the Apostles. It was St Paul, in his farewell speech at Ephesus insisting on the need of helping the weak by each one’s hard work, quoted this saying of Jesus: “In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35). Being truthful to this vision of life, Jesus did give himself, that too to the point of His death.

This beautiful “beatitude” of Jesus tells us once again about the reversal of attitudes in the Kingdom. Many followed Him expecting something to get from Him. Peter’s question echoed the mind of the disciples: “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?” (Mt 19:27). But Jesus was always insisting on giving. To the rich young man came to Him asking the way to get eternal life, Jesus said: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Mt 19:21). While insisting on the need of trusting in the providence of God and to have possessions in heaven, he said,” Sell your possessions and give to the poor” (Lk 12:33). Jesus reminded the disciples before sending them for the mission that they were beneficiaries of the magnanimity of God and so they must be also generous in giving: “freely you have received, freely give” (Mt 10:8).

We find in the gospels the guidelines given by Jesus for the “art of giving.” They were in tune with the Jewish law of giving founded by the Rabbis inspired by Deut 15:7-11. The Rabbis laid down five principles of giving. They were, “giving must not be refused,” “giving must befit the person to whom the gift is given,” “giving must be carried out privately and secretly,” “the manner of the giving must befit the character and the temperament of the recipient,” and “giving was at once a privilege and an obligation for in reality all giving is nothing less than giving to God.” Jesus’ teaching on giving might be after imbibing spirit from these precepts. Jesus demanded that we should give to all who ask and never turn away from Him who wishes to borrow” (Mt 5:42). He highlighted the second principle while speaking about the efficacy of prayer: “Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?” (Mt 7:9-10). The beauty of secret giving he pointed out when he taught on almsgiving (Mt 6:1-4). The telling truth revealed by Jesus about the reward for the mercy acts to the least by saying, “truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40) is a beautiful recalling of the fifth principle of the law of giving. For Jesus the giving was the measurement of one’s faith and not the abundance of one’s wealth. He emphasized it while praising the generous giving of the poor widow in the temple (Mk 12:41-44).

Giving generously to those who in need is the hallmark of Christian discipleship. It is a fitting response to God, who has generously given us everything, especially His only begotten son in a sacrificial manner. Giving is the way in which the disciple imitates the life of Jesus, who was “a man for others” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer). While speaking about the need of helping the poor Christians in Jerusalem, Paul in his letter to the Corinthians reminds them about the generous giving act of Jesus: “for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9).

Scientific studies today have proved that the art of giving makes one more happy and healthy. It increases one’s social relatedness. Givers are more other-centred, and tend to provide support to others with no strings attached. But one of the greatest tragedies of the world today is that it is being filled with takers and receivers than givers. “What can I get from you?” is the question asked by everyone than “what can I do for you?” or “what can I give for you?” Amidst a culture of profit-making and cut-throat competition for amassing wealth and where the gospel of prosperity is widely spread how one can be impressed by Jesus’ invitation to become more blessed by giving than receiving? The Jesuan way of total self-giving should inspire us for attaining such blessedness. In the Indian terminology, dā (to give) attitude should be given priority over tā (give me) attitude. Finally, we all will be remembered by the world for what we have given to the word than what we have received.