An old 6th century maxim states:
“A gift is pure when it is given from the heart to the right person at the right time and the right place, and when we expect nothing in return.”
The giving of gifts is an ancient means of giving pleasure to others. It is a practice that is open to abuse, as we read in our newspapers today, but giving is a very rewarding practice. It was Jesus who stated:
“It is more blessed to give than to receive,” Acts 20:35.
Yes, it takes some maturity to appreciate how it is “more blessed,” but time can reveal the truth in that simple statement made by Jesus.
However, merely giving something to another may provide little blessing to either party. In fact, a “gift” given for the wrong [define that as “illegal”] reason can have very long-lasting consequences.
The Wrong Kind of Gift
In the Old Testament the word “gift” is sometimes the translation of a word that would be translated today as a “bribe.” Note the words of Exodus 23:8:
“Thou shall take no gift: for the gift blinds the wise, and perverts the words of the righteous.”
The sons of Eli were guilty of this sin, as described in 1 Samuel 8:3. The Roman governor, Felix, withheld justice from Paul because he hoped Paul would give him money to effect his release, Acts 24:26.
Therefore, the motive behind the gift is at least as significant as the gift itself, and gifts should be given for pure reasons.
A Perverted Gift
The Mosaic Law required proper care for children and parents. Children should be taught and trained in godly ways, reverencing Jehovah and respecting their parents. Some, in Jesus’ day, sought “loopholes” in that law as described in Matthew 15:1-9. The law said, “Honor thy father and mother..”, meaning at least in part to care for “father and mother” when they can no longer care for themselves.
Some, however, had discovered a “way” to avoid that clear responsibility by making an oath dedicating all their possessions to God, which therefore could not be used to aid their parents. By saying, “Corban” they were able to salve their conscience, but they did not keep the Law of God.
In the context, the scribes and the Pharisees had accused Jesus of transgressing the “tradition of the elders.” Jesus exposed their hypocrisy, showing they transgressed the very Law of God, Matthew 15:3. There are no loopholes in God’s Law!
“More Blessed to Give…” How?
How can it be better for us to “give” than to “receive”? Most of us agree with this principle, but explaining it to our children may not be so easy.
Children, by the very fact that they are children, may not be mature enough to see the “blessing” of giving. That understanding will surely be delayed if parents don’t understand it or cannot explain it. The following are the “blessed” results of giving:
- We learn the joy of giving. A child naturally may be self-centered, but when they see the cheer brought by their gift they are on their way to learning that joy. Have you seen their eyes light up when their gift is received? It’s a wonderful thing to see, and all can learn from it.
- We create a new and better view of our own worth. When we give to others we learn how valuable we can be with the right attitude and the right efforts.
- We can create in others that same desire to give aid to those in need, Ephesians 4:28.
- When enough people are motivated by this “giving” principle we can even provide strength to the society in which we live. Every year we see this at work during this “giving” season.
Solomon spoke on this subject in Proverbs 11:25:
“The generous soul shall be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.” (NKJV)
The following story came from the Associated Press several years ago:
“Patricia West learned from her doctor that her blood contained unusual antibodies found in only one out of every 5,000 persons. That can pose a serious problem for an otherwise routine procedure like a transfusion. She was asked to give some of her blood to a blood bank to be made available for a future emergency. She would and she did.
Sometime later Patricia moved from Florida to Michigan. Shortly thereafter she hemorrhaged following a simple medical procedure. Her doctors searched frantically for some compatible blood, but none was available. In desperation they called the National Rare Donor Registry whose computers located the blood in Florida. There was no question whether the blood would be compatible with Patricia, for it was her own blood, donated many months before.
Virginia Parsons, director of the blood bank, said the standard shelf life of frozen blood is three years, “but very rare units like this are kept for seven or eight years.” It was packed in dry ice and sent across country on a life-saving mission. Patricia West lives today because a few years ago she was willing to donate her own blood.
Life is like that. What we hoard and try to keep as treasure somehow gets away. What we give away so often comes back. Solomon again:
“There is one who scatters, yet increases more. And there is one who withholds more than is right, but that leads to poverty.” Proverbs 11:24
As the little boy said, “Ain’t it good to give!” And aren’t you glad you learned the blessings of generosity, of compassion, of giving, of thinking of others?
