The Apostle on Stewardship – a reflection

We are in the season of annual meetings, budgets, new personal pledges for the coming year, etc. The following is a reflection on the words of St. Paul about giving that is offered with the prayer that it helps each of us in our meditation, prayer and commitment to our parishes and Church.

Father John Dresko

The concept of “stewardship” can be misunderstood in today’s Church. Although stewardship principles include giving money, it is much more than that. Stewardship is a Christian (and biblical) concept. In his second letter to the Corinthians (8:1-9:8), St. Paul writes a remarkable essay on what it means to follow Christ as a steward. Anyone claiming to live a Christian life must reflect on his words.

And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will. So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But just as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us  — see that you also excel in this grace of giving. (8:1-7)

Christian stewards give “themselves first to the Lord.” True stewardship begins with the realization that Christ does not expect “something” from us — He expects everything. He told the rich young man to sell “everything,” give it to the poor, and follow Him. We begin a stewardly life by giving ourselves to the Lord.

But it is important to note that Paul exalts the Macedonians for their “rich generosity.” He also marvels in the fact that they, on their own, “pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service.” Generous giving of ourselves to the “service of the saints” (i.e., the life and work of the Church) is not something that is to be taken grudgingly, or as something to be minimized or avoided, but rather a privilege that should be embraced.

In holding up the Macedonians as an example, Paul then turns his attention to the Corinthians. They are excellent in many ways: “in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness,” even in love. But if they are excellent in those things, they must also be excellent in the grace of giving. Paul implies that they would be lacking as Christians if they ignored this aspect of their lives. As would we be lacking if we excel in a number of Christian virtues but are miserly in giving.

I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
    And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. (8:8-12)

In other words, it is easy to talk about being Christian, but hard to actually do it. Jesus reminds us that if we want to find out what a person’s heart is like, we simply have to follow the money. When we find a person’s treasure, we find a person’s heart. The example for us is Christ Himself, who became poor for us so that we might become rich.

Again, Paul exalts the Corinthians because they were first to have the desire to give. He even tells them that the measure of our gift will not be how much it is, but rather the willingness to give the gift. If we are of modest means in what we can give (time, talent, treasure, etc.), we may give modestly if it springs from the generosity of our desire to give. But if we have great means to give and do not have the generosity of desire, leading to a small gift, “small” becomes “petty and cheap.”

Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.”  (8:13-15)

Giving is not a question of a certain segment of the Church carrying the burden, while other segments have no burden at all. In fact, God supplies everything — those who have plenty are given plenty that they might supply what is needed to those who lack plenty. What we do with our “plenty” will be part of our judgment. In the Orthodox wedding service, we pray that God “fill [the newly-wed couple’s] houses with wheat, wine and oil and with every good thing, so that they may give in turn to those in need…” Abundance is not given by God as a blessing for us to have luxury, but to be generous to the needs of the Church and those less fortunate.

I thank God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men. (8:16-21)

Paul not only told them the offerings were used for good purposes, but also that their safeguarding was above reproach and testified to by two others. The Corinthians should have no concern about turning their gift over. So should it be in the Church today. Our offerings are given out of love, and they must be used in a way that honors the Lord.

In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it.
     There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints. For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be.  For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we — not to say anything about you — would be ashamed of having been so confident. So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given. (8:22-9:5)

Paul prudently sends the brothers ahead of his own arrival with the Macedonians because he wanted to ensure that neither he nor the Church were embarrassed by the gift not being ready or being turned over grudgingly. The Church today is called by God to have the same concerns: we must be eager to help with our giving and our gifts must be offered with a generous spirit.

It is also clear that our gifts must be given and released to the care of the Church. We cannot attach strings. How often pettiness takes over and we give “if it is used the way I like,” “if it is properly recognized,” and “if others are also going to carry their load.” God provides in my life what I need for salvation. And He will judge me on what I do with it — my generosity or miserliness, not someone else’s.

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (9:6-8)

Someone farming a field does not plow one row and scatter a few seeds. Rather, they plow many rows and plant many seeds. If we take seriously that we are working on our salvation in this world, how can anyone be satisfied plowing a single row by being a miser? A farmer who sows sparingly does not harvest many crops and ultimately starves. A Christian who gives sparingly of anything will not harvest much on the last day and also will starve.

Each person must pray, ponder, and reflect on their level of giving to God, the Church and those less fortunate. Giving must not be reluctant, for that betrays a lack of trust in God to provide. It must not be under compulsion, for God expects us to use our free will to do the right thing and see it as the right thing. Once we choose the good and right thing, God rejoices in our cheerful giving. It is a blessing and a gift to be able to give. It is not an obligation or a minimal fulfillment of parish membership. It is being a good Christian.

All our giving — our money, our time, our talents and abilities — is borne out of the reality that God fills our life with abounding grace. God is the One who gives to us in abundance so that we have enough for our needs and then might do our best impression of Him. Our best impression of Him is not how much we acquire and squirrel away. It is not how we handicap the Church by making her beg for the resources to fulfill her mission in this world. It is not how we walk away from those hungry, thirsty and destitute in this world. Our best impression of Him, indeed our only impression of Him, is that from the abundance that God gives to us, we honor Him by “abounding in every good work.” That is the only reason God gives us anything.
    After all, it all belongs to Him — we are only stewards.