On giving

OnGiving

“As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.  
He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.  
“I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others.  
All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” 
       Luke 21:1-4
Here’s a lesson for Christians from Judaism. The Jews have a term called Tzedakah
I Got the following from a Jewish website and for me it illustrates what Christians should be doing also. It’s a prime example of how Jewish ideals are those of Christians also.
The person writing states,
“Tzedakah is the Hebrew word for acts that we call charity in English: giving assistance and money to the poor and needy or to other worthy causes. However the nature of tzedakah is very different from the idea of charity. The word “charity suggests benevolence and generosity, a magnanimous act by the wealthy and the powerful for the benefit of he poor and needy.
The word “tzedakah” is derived form the Hebrew root Tzadei-dalet-Qof, meaning righteousness, justice or fairness. In Judaism giving to the poor is not viewed as a generous, magnanimous act, it is simply and act of righteousness, performance of a duty giving the poor their due....
According to Jewish law, we are requiered to give one-tenth of our income to the poor. This generally interpreted as one-tenth of our net income after payment of taxes....
Those who are dependent on public assistance or living on the edge of subsistence my give less but must still give to the extent they are able; however, no person should give so much that he would become a public burden.”
Paul writing to the Corinthians states,
“Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do.  On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.”  
       1 Corinthians 16:1-3.
Such money collected in the church should go not only for the up keep of the church building and the pastors salary but also to help the poor and for missions. It is something even very small churches can do.
I know I go to a church that has on a good day between twenty-five and thirty members yet we send help to two small orphanages in India.
If we can do it any congregation can do it.
Think about it.

A foot note to ponder.

When it comes to  tzedakah a Jewish teacher set what he considered levels of Tzedakah from the least meritorious to the most. I think he was right. He put it this way,

“Giving begrudgingly

Giving less than you should, bu giving cheerfully,

Giving after being asked

Giving before being asked

Giving when you do not know the recipient’s identity, but the recipient knows yours

Giving when you know and the recipient’s identity, but the recipient doesn’t know yours.

Giving when neither party knows the other’s identity.

Enabling the recipient to become self-reliant.”

Think about it