Francis
Chan, in his book Crazy Love, tells of a family with an interesting
Christmas tradition. On Christmas morning, the Robynson family doesn’t focus on
opening presents under the Christmas tree. Instead, they make pancakes and
coffee, and serve the breakfast to the homeless. This is a small but creative
way to show God’s love and generosity to the poor.
God
expected this kind of generosity from His people. In Deuteronomy 15, Moses
emphasized the reality of poverty and how the more affluent must deal with it.
They were warned of four dangers:A hard heart, ignoring the needs of the
poor (v.7).A closed hand, withholding what the poor lacked (v.7).
An evil
thought, hesitating or refusing to loan money to the poor because the year of
canceling debts was nearing (v.9). A grudging spirit, a reluctance to
satisfy the needs of the poor among them (v.10). Not only were they warned
about selfishness, but more important, they were encouraged to be spontaneously
generous (vv.8,10,11).
Among God’s people, there must always be a spirit of generosity toward the poor. Let’s open our hearts and our hands.
Generosity stems from the heart that has experienced God’s grace. (RBC)
