mal, expected result of believing in God, because He is generous toward us. In Malachi 3:8-9, God tells us that we rob Him when we don’t give Him tithes and offerings. A tithe means ten percent of everything we receive; offerings are gifts above and beyond the tithe. This seems like much more than we can afford, especially when we’re not used to giving back to God that amount, but we can never out-do God in generosity. He promises in Malachi 3:10 that if we bring Him the whole tithe, He will replace it with such an abundance, we won’t have room to hold it all. Unable to hold it all, we distribute more of what we have to help those who have less. Some Christians believe in a “prosperity gospel,” a here’s-how-to-use- God-to-get-rich-quick scheme: If I want $100, I’ll donate $10 to the Church. However, the purpose for this kind of generosity is to reward ourselves, rather than to be God’s servant as a distributor of His graces. It’s not true generosity. It’s no better than the Pharisees’ sin of “blowing their own horns.” When the focus is on ourselves and what we’ve done or what we can get out of it, our generosity is not born out of love for God and love for people. When Matthew wrote down this teaching of Jesus, he used two different Greek words for the “reward” received by the Pharisees and the “reward” given to those whose generosity is based on love. The Pharisees were “paid” for their good deeds like someone who is merely a hireling. Those who give lovingly are “re-paid” over and over again as friends of God, and friends share freely with each other. What we sow is what we reap. Our love for God and people opens us to receive love. If we are generous with our money or time or patience, we avail ourselves of God’s infinite generosity. If we treat others with mercy or forgiveness, we likewise receive...
