Wednesday of Lent 3 Generosity As an Act of Repentance In the Ash Wednesday Gospel (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21), Jesus told us to do certain good works—certain acts of repentance—secretly. Jesus also told you in that Gospel that your generosity is a secret act of repentance: “When you give to the needy,” said the Lord, “do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (Matthew 6:3). Last week, in James chapter 2, you heard that generosity is a matter of faith and trust in Jesus. James wrote: What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead (James 2:14-17). That came after James clearly reminded us that everything we own, everything we have, “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17). Tonight, James opens the dimensions of our generosity to go beyond money or material things. James speaks about a form of generosity that you can directly perform right of everyone’s eyes and it will still be in secret because no one will notice. James speaks of generosity as a heart condition: If you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. We have a word in our English language that describes very well the sort of generosity that James has in mind. We do not use the word very often, but this word is exactly the opposite of “bitter jealousy and selfish ambition.” The word is MAGNANIMITY. When you are magnanimous—when you practice magnanimity—it means you pursue nobility of spirit and charity of thinking, rather than “bitter jealousy and selfish ambition.” Magnanimity is: • generosity, not merely of money, but generosity of time, generosity of attitude, generosity of repetition toward those who need of it. • a sense of assurance and confidence that turns into courage, firmness, and even tranquility when everything around you is going crazy. • your refusal to speak a nasty response, to even the score, to push someone aside, or to act with pettiness. • “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23), all measured out with a much larger scoop than most people would ever choose. It is probably not difficult to see how your neighbor might benefit from you magnanimity, even though your neighbor will readily not see it. After all, how many children ever notice their mother’s patience? Where is the list of the well-deserved punishments a father chooses NOT to lay upon his sons? People will quickly notice your “bitter jealousy and selfish ambition.” They will notice these things because they are motivated by their own “bitter jealousy and selfish ambition,” and your ambition threatens theirs. But your magnanimity—your charity of spirit—will live in the shadows. Generosity does its best work in secret. Generosity is an act of repentance. Jesus repeatedly said in the Ash Wednesday Gospel that, when you perform your secret good works—your magnanimous acts of repentance—“your Father who sees in secret will reward YOU” (Matthew 6:4, 6, 18). Your Father will repay you. You gain a return on your investment. We already know that God does not reward your good works with forgiveness of sins and eternal life. • Forgiveness of sins is already yours. The forgiveness of your sins was fully present in the blood that Jesus shed upon the cross. • Eternal life is likewise yours on account of Christ. Eternal life in bodily form was guaranteed to you when Jesus rose from the dead. So how is it possible that your generosity will bring you a reward? The Father’s reward for your good works consists of the benefits you gain to your faith. Here are a couple examples: • Your generosity—your magnanimity—will exercise your faith so that you may gain all the more confidence in Christ Jesus your Lord. If you cling to your self-respect, your fears, your possessions, and your ambitions, then you will have all that your hands can hold. There will be no way for you to cling to Christ, whose right hand upholds you (Psalm 63:8). If you consider all things unworthy of your clenching grasp—if you magnanimously consider everything worthy to be given away—you will realize all the more the great, hidden treasure you have in Jesus (Matthew 13:44). • Generosity of spirit—magnanimity as an act of repentance—will also allow you to play God. People sometimes use the phrase “play god” to refer to someone who always wants to be the boss. NOT SO! When you play God, that means you have developed a maturity of faith (Philippians 3:15) that allows you to treat others in the openhanded manner that your God treats you. James has already described the way God treats you: “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17). Your God is magnanimous: who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust (Psalm 103:3-5, 8-14).
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