Praiseworthy Liberality

21 MARCH

He hath dispersed, He hath given to the poor; His righteousness endureth forever; His horn shall be exalted with honour. Psalm 112:9

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Mark 12:38-44

The righteous will never lose fruit and the reward of their liberality, the psalmist says. First, they will be honored for their dispersing. They do not give sparingly and grudgingly, unlike some who imagine that they fulfill their duty to the poor by doling out a small pittance to them. The righteous give as liberally as necessity requires and their means allow; for a liberal heart does not necessarily mean that the person possesses a large portion of the wealth of this world. The prophet's point is that the righteous are never parsimonious but rather are always ready to give to others as they are able.

Next he says they give to the poor, meaning they do not offer charity at random but with prudence and discretion to meet the needs of the poor. We are aware that unnecessary and superfluous expenditures for the sake of ostentation are frequently lauded by the world; consequently, a larger quantity of the good things of life is squandered away in luxury and ambition than is dispensed in prudent charity. The prophet instructs us that truly praiseworthy liberality does not consist of distributing our goods without any regard to the objects upon whom they are conferred and the purposes to which they are applied, but in relieving the needs of the truly needy and expending money on proper and lawful things. 

This passage is quoted by Paul (2 Cor. 9:9), in which he says it is easy for God to bless us with plenty so that we may exercise our bounty freely, deliberately, and impartially. This accords best with the design of the prophet.

John Calvin

FOR MEDITATION: We can easily fall into a sort of a mechanical habit of giving, lacking the spirit the psalmist talks about here. But we should always have our eyes open for opportunities to give liberally, spontaneously, and quietly to people who are truly in need. Can you think of any such opportunities today?

365 Days With Calvin

Selected and Edited by Joel R. Beeke

What God Requires

19 January

And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. Deuteronomy 10:12

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Micah 6:1-9

We would now consider what is the sum of the contents of the law, as well as the aim and object of its instructions. Paul elicits the true goal of the law when he declares that its end is "charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned" (1 Tim. 1:5). Even in Paul's day, the law had false interpreters, who, Paul says, "turned aside unto vain jangling," when they swerved from its true objective.

Now as the law is contained in two tables, so also Moses reduces it to two objectives: that we should love God with all our heart, and our neighbor as ourselves. Though he does not unite the two objectives in one passage, yet Christ, by whose Spirit Paul spoke, explains that to us in Matthew 22:37. When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment of the law, he replied that it was the first: that God should be loved. The second greatest commandment was to love our neighbor. So, the perfection of righteousness, which is set before us in the law, consists of two parts: that we should serve God with true piety, and that we should conduct ourselves toward others according to the rule of charity. That is also what Paul says, for faith, which he calls the source of charity, includes the love of God.

The declaration of Christ stands sure, that the law requires nothing of us but that we should love God and our neighbor. From that we understand that what is required of us to live a good life is piety and justice.

John Calvin

FOR MEDITATION: Piety and justice are such simple concepts and yet so difficult to put into practice. The way of the law is clear: looking to Jesus as fulfiller of the law, let us pray for the grace needed to follow it.

365 Days With Calvin

Selected and Edited by Joel R. Beeke