“Beware of practicing your righteousness before others in order to be seen by them, for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.“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.
“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.[b]
Matthew 6:1-6 NRSVue
In worship yesterday Rev. Isaac at Trenton United reflected on the meaning and value of generosity in various forms, including and perhaps especially acts of kindness which aren't readily noticed and could easily be missed. During my years in ministry I was aware of hundreds of such "stealth" generous moments, including making sure that the work of the congregations I pastored was supported by boring yet necessary weekly offerings.
Isaac chose a passage from Chapter 6 in the gospel of Matthew, part of the Sermon on the Mount, to remind us that Jesus was blunt about not pumping your own tires when it comes to giving and to praying. "Beware" Jesus says about showing off, a strong term, and twice in the passage he says, don't be a hypocrite. When we did a study series on the Sermon on the Mount at Trenton UC I was struck by how many times Jesus uses that word "hypocrite". It means "actor" as though the person is playing a part rather than being sincere.
Last week Warren Buffett, the gajillionaire who began the Giving Pledge along with Bill and Melinda Gates admitted that it just isn't working -- "not feasible" is the way he put it. When the Pledge was launched in 2010 with lots of media hoopla the trio asked members of the ultrarich to donate at least 50% of their wealth to charity. Buffett specifically pledged to donate more than 99% of his wealth to philanthropic causes during his lifetime or at death and I feel that his commitment was genuine. However, of the 256 signatories just nine have followed through and most of them have gotten richer.
This doesn't surprise me one iota because people don't become ultra-wealthy by accident. Why would we think that those who often make their fortunes by climbing over others, which is almost always the case, will become compassionate and generous?
There are a few exceptions. Melinda Gates led the way in developing the philanthropic efforts of the Gates Foundation and now that they are divorced she continues her generosity. Mackenzie Scott, formerly married to Jeff Bezos (Amazon), has given away billions, including hundreds of millions this Fall. Scott's gifts are well-chosen contributions to institutions and causes that are often outside high-profile philanthrophy and given without strings attached. These women -- note, women -- decided that it is feasible.
In case we've forgotten, Jesus of Nazareth was a peasant who was inviting other peasants to be generous, not just the wealthy. Elsewhere he did warn, likely humorously, that the wealthy were in for a big surprise when the end of this life came.
In the meantime, we'd be hypocrites ourselves if we just pointed a finger at those we've decided are rich when North American Baby Boomers are probably the wealthiest generation in human history. It's a good idea to attend worship to be reminded of this.
Generosity is an essential spiritual practice, not a show -- just ask Jesus.
Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”
Mark 10:23-27 NRSVue
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