Give Generously

"Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me."

-Matthew 26:10 (NIV)

Several years ago, I officiated a wedding and received an honorarium. Almost as soon as the two crisp one-hundred dollar bills were handed to me, I felt God leading me to give it away. I wasn't sure who was supposed to receive it, only that I wasn't supposed to keep it. So I prayed that God would prompt me to give it when the time and the person was right.

The next day was Sunday and as I sat in the chancel area during the choir anthem, I noticed a family that doesn't regularly worship at our church. Immediately I felt God prompt me to give the money to them. The problem, I realized, was going to be getting them to take the money. So while the choir sang, I devised a plan (I apologize to the choir for not giving you my full attention that day).

After the service, I approached the family and said, "If you felt that God was clearly telling you to do something, would you do it?" They said, "Yes, hopefully we would." I followed the first question with another: "If God told me, a preacher, to do something, would you want me to do it?" They said, "Yes, absolutely." Then I told them that I had received $200 for officiating a wedding and that God wanted me to give it to them.

The couple began to cry. "Who just walks up and gives $200 that they've been given to someone else?" they asked. They couldn't possibly take all of the money, they said. I reminded them that they had already stated that they wanted me to do what I felt God calling me to do. They reluctantly but gratefully took the money. Then they began to tell me just how much they had been struggling financially and that they had been praying for a sign that God would provide. They felt certain that my gift to them was the sign that they had sought.

In today's assigned scripture reading, a woman approaches Jesus with a costly jar of perfume. Common sense would suggest that she keep the perfume for herself. Even if she is going to share the perfume with someone else, she shouldn't just pour it all out on someone's head; instead she use it sparingly. But this woman is moved by some generous impulse to give more than expected or required. And it honors Jesus.

May God grant you the grace to give generously to someone today: more than expected or required. It will probably honor that person in a special way. And it will certainly honor Jesus.