It has been said sarcastically that the sharpest tool in the pastor’s toolbelt is shame. In this passage from 2 Corinthians, it seems that the Apostle Paul is using that tool a bit to encourage the Corinthians toward an act of generosity. Paul is collecting funds for the poor in Jerusalem, and he wants the Gentile churches to be a part of this effort. In this passage, he is not so subtly letting the Corinthians know that the church in Macedonia, which exists in “extreme poverty,” has already given to this effort. In fact, he says that the Macedonians gave on their own and pleaded for the privilege of giving. So surely the church in Corinth can do that same.
Giving to the work of the Lord is indeed a privilege. It is an opportunity to be a part of what God is doing in our world. It is an opportunity to take on the mind of Christ and become more like him. That’s why we are practicing service and generosity this month. The act of giving draws us closer to Christ. Paul makes this connection to Jesus clear. “Our Lord Jesus Christ, … though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” As N.T. Wright said, “The drama of the gospel involved the ultimate generosity of Jesus himself.” When we give, we are not just being nice; we are following the way of Jesus.
There are many motivations for generosity. Some are better than others. In some cases, we give because we love our neighbors, or because it makes us feel good about ourselves. In other cases, we give out of a sense of guilt or to be recognized for our generosity. As followers of Christ, our true motivation should simply be that we are generous in response to the generosity of Christ. Like the Corinthians, we at Peachtree excel in everything “in faith, in speech, in knowledge.” May we also excel in the grace of giving.