Generosity Beyond the Bounds of Reciprocity

6 · Hayes signals the sermon's two-part structure and introduces the first major point about the nature of Christian generosity

And so I'm just gonna make two observations about this generosity that Jesus commends to us in the balance of our time in the Word, just Just two observations about this generosity. Number one, it takes selfless, Christlike initiative. This generosity takes selfless, Christlike initiative.

7 · Hayes clarifies that Jesus is using hyperbole to make a point, not issuing an absolute prohibition

Now, contrary to the way Jesus's words may sound to us at face value, he's not forbidding us from spending time, having our friends over, being generous toward our friends and our loved ones. In fact, if he was commanding us to do that, he'd be commanding us to violate other Christian— other scriptures. Now, remember, he's sitting at the table of a Pharisee here. He knows what their practices are. He knows what our human tendencies are, just like we've been reflecting on a few minutes ago. So he's using some hyperbole here. He's using some strong language to jar us out of our complacency, to jar us out of our comfort zone, and to make a point. Well, what point is Jesus making? He's saying that as God's people, our generosity shouldn't be limited to that which is normal. See, it's normal, isn't it, to be generous toward those who can return the favor to us somehow.

As disciples of Christ, we're called to take generous initiative toward those who can't repay us, and listen, We're called to do this precisely because they can't repay us. I really love the way that Jesus explains the reason why we shouldn't invite our friends, our family, the rich who, you know, we might want to hang out with to our little dinner party. He says, "Don't do that lest they also invite you and you be repaid." As if it should be intuitive to us that, oh, that would be a tragedy. You know, God forbid I would invite Elon Musk over to my house and we have a nice meal and You know, then maybe he invites me over to his palatial estate and he invites me up on SpaceX and says, "No, no, don't worry, this one's on me." You know, I don't think that would be a tragedy. And Jesus is not suggesting that that would be a tragedy. What he's saying is that's the way the world thinks. See, that's the way the world operates. If your generosity remains only within those bounds, what difference really has the grace of God made. Read with me again in verses 13 and 14. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Why will you be blessed? Because they cannot repay you. Notice he doesn't say you'll be blessed even though they can't repay you, despite the fact that they can't repay you. No, he says you will be blessed because they cannot repay you. There's a cause-effect relationship here. The blessing for you is the direct result of the fact that you have selected as the object of your generosity those who can do nothing to repay you. And as we take initiative toward those who cannot repay us, fully aware that they cannot repay us, this is what the promise is: God will repay us. For that very same reason. And this, Jesus says, is one of the things that ought to characterize us as Christians and distinguish us from the world. See, this is a characteristic that distinguishes Christian love and Christian generosity from love that we might think of as natural or normal even apart from Christ.

8 · Hayes brings in Luke 6:32-36 as a parallel passage with the same underlying logic — that Christian love is distinguished by its focus on those who cannot reciprocate

Earlier in Luke's Gospel, Jesus had spoken in very similar terms when calling us to love our enemies. I think we have a slide for these verses in Luke chapter 6, beginning in verse 32. Jesus says, if you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount. But love your enemies and do good and lend expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful even as your Father is merciful.

Is merciful. Did you notice the similar logic there? How do we demonstrate that we are sons and daughters of the Most High? Well, it's not by merely doing the same things that would be normal and possible apart from faith. As Jesus might say, what credit is that to you? How does that distinguish you from the world? The world neglects to show kindness toward those who could do nothing to repay it, but Jesus says to us, "Not so with you." It shall not be so with us as his disciples. See, we demonstrate that we are sons of the Most High, that we are brothers and sisters of his Son Jesus and disciples of Jesus by taking initiative where it wouldn't be normal, where it wouldn't be natural for us to do so, by loving even our enemies. Think about that. I think we get so used to hearing these words roll off of Jesus's tongue that we forget how radical that is. Love your enemies. And in a similar way, with a similar radical nature, by intentionally ensuring that our generosity extends to those who can do nothing to repay us.

9 · Hayes executes a profound redemptive-historical move, revealing that the one issuing this command at the Pharisee's table is himself the incarnate God who demonstrates the very generosity he commends

Now, let's bring ourselves back to the scene at the Pharisee's table, because there's a most profound accent placed on Jesus's exhortation here in one simple fact, and it's a fact that goes right over the heads of his original hearers, but we should see that it doesn't go right over our heads this morning, especially as we reflect on this during the Advent season. That simple fact is this: the one who is sitting there at this table and addressing them is himself God incarnate. He's not just pulling a, a, a, random command out of thin air and telling them how they should live. He's just not a moral— he's just not giving them moral rules for their life. Jesus is himself sitting there with him because he did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but he humbled himself, made himself nothing, took the very nature of a servant, and took initiative toward those who could give him nothing in return.

Soon he will give all. He will turn toward the cross and he will endure death on a cross. For who? For those who could never repay him for his sacrifice. This is the glory of the incarnation that we celebrate in this Advent season. We sang it earlier. Mild he lays his glory by, born that man no more may die.

10 · Hayes pauses to address unbelievers directly with a gospel invitation, clarifying that salvation is received by faith, not by repayment or reciprocation

If you're here today, this is a— and you're not a Christian, this is a good moment for me to make sure that you understand there is nothing you can do to repay God. You do not come to Jesus as a way of repaying God for the wrongs that you've done or repaying him for the kindnesses that he's shown you. You come to Jesus as an act of faith, believing that his death and resurrection are sufficient to cover the penalty for your sins and restore your relationship with God.

11 · Hayes synthesizes the redemptive-historical reading into a direct application for believers: we are called to imitate the incarnational generosity Christ demonstrated toward us

To God. That is really what the incarnation is all about. For those of us who are here and we're already in a position of faith, I trust that you see the rich gospel truth that's bound up in Jesus's exhortation to us here. Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful. Take initiative toward those who can do nothing to repay you. Lavish them with love and kindness and generosity. Why? Because that's exactly what Jesus did when he left behind the riches and the glory of heaven and came to earth to seek and save lost sinners like you and me. The generosity Jesus commends to us here is the generosity that he displayed to us in his incarnation, and he commends us to take selfless, Christlike initiative. Toward those who can do nothing to repay us.

12 · Hayes introduces the second major point — that Christian generosity is motivated by faith in an unseen eternal reward — and re-reads the primary text to highlight this dimension

Secondly, the second observation about this generosity is that it's driven by faith. This generosity is driven by faith. Even as Jesus calls us to a generosity that's not self-interested, he simultaneously lifts our eyes to a reward that can only be seen, can only be grasped through faith. Again, let's read verses 13 and 14. "But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just."

13 · Hayes establishes the paradox of kingdom giving: what appears to be sacrifice in earthly terms is actually an investment with guaranteed eternal returns

So amazingly, as Jesus calls us to put off the human tendency to be motivated by the things of this world and take initiative instead toward those who can do nothing to repay us, in the terms of this world, he promises us that we will be rewarded for that in eternity. And this, brothers and sisters, is the great paradox of giving in the kingdom of God. It is a sacrifice to give toward those who can do nothing to repay you. It will cost you something. We shouldn't pretend that it's not a sacrifice. It'll cost you the ability to use those finances for some other purpose that might benefit you more in the here and now. But when we consider that sacrifice in light of the eternal reward Jesus promises us here, it really is no sacrifice at all. And in fact, it's better thought of as an investment. You are making an investment in your own eternal future, and there is no more secure investment you can make than this one. Now really, if we think about it, there are many things we do in life, right, to make a small sacrifice now in order to receive a greater benefit benefit later.

14 · Hayes uses an extended personal story from his blueberry farming experience to illustrate the principle of sacrificing immediate gratification for long-term gain

I happen to be someone who loves gardening, love to get out there in the springtime, get some dirt under my fingernails and plant the vegetables that within just a few months are bearing me the fruits of my labor. That's wonderful. More recently, I've gotten into farming— farming, I have an acre. Some of my friends would call me a blueberry farmer. I love the idea of perennial fruit-bearing bushes, and most of ours are blueberry bushes. Got 11 plants planted around our acre in different places. When I threw myself into this project, I did all the research. All right, what kind of soil do they love? They love acidic soil, and my soil is not acidic at all. So I had to replace all the soil and put the right organic contents in there. They have very shallow root systems, so they love to have a lot of mulch of a particular variety on there, and they keep their feet wet. So did all that. And the other thing I learned is when you start from the baby plants, you really should pinch the blossoms in the first 3 years, the first 3 seasons, when those plants leaf out in the spring and they get the blossoms, you're supposed to pinch those blossoms off. Now, you're probably aware that those blossoms are what become the berries. So basically you're saying, "I'm getting no berries this year," and you're telling that bush, "I want you to focus all of your energy on developing a strong root system, develop a strong base." And then, if everything goes well, you might have a bush that serves you and provides plant a full of blueberries for 75 years after that. They're very hardy after that. So I remember when I did that in those first 3 years. The first couple of years, it was easy. I mean, it was basically a stick with a few leaves and a few blossoms, and I pinched them off. It was no big deal. That third season, I remember, OK, this is starting to look like a more substantial plant now. There's a number of blue— I could really enjoy a few blueberries this year. And I really wanted to. But I decided, no, I will follow that instruction. I will pinch these berries. And I will look forward to a future harvest. By the way, we harvested 72 pints this past year, so good decision.

15 · Hayes applies the blueberry illustration directly to Christian generosity, framing it as a test of whether we believe Jesus's promise of eternal reward

But Jesus is asking us here, do you want to be satisfied with a couple of handfuls of blueberries now, or will you believe me that making that small sacrifice now will result in a harvest that you can scarcely fathom? In the future. This is a reward that can only be seen through the eyes of faith. We can't grasp that right now, right? We can only believe that what Jesus's words— that Jesus— what Jesus says is true. And I believe that he is uniquely glorified when we take him at his word and fix our eyes not on the things that are seen, because the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. Jesus is lifting our eyes here to that unseen reward which, though unseen, is every bit as real as the tangible sacrifice, only far more lasting.

16 · Hayes tells the story of a blue-collar couple who incrementally increased their giving as their income grew, sponsoring 13 children despite limited means

Several years ago, I became aware of a couple in my home church who were sponsoring 7 children through our orphan sponsorship program. And I'll tell you about that sponsorship program in just a minute. They're sponsoring 7 children. And by the way, I don't go looking through our database to find out how many children my friends are sponsoring. I just stumble stumbled upon this information. And once I became aware of it, I just needed to drop them a note in the mail to tell them how much I appreciated their generosity toward the kids in our program. What was notable to me was not so much the fact that they were sponsoring 7 children, which is a very nice number, but there are people in our program who are sponsoring more kids than that. It's that I know this couple, and I know that they're not wealthy by American standards by any stretch. In fact, I would say they're kind of like blue-collar middle class, solidly blue-collar middle class Americans. And so I was aware they are really making some sacrifices to be able to give in this way. Sent them that note of thanks. Sometime later we bumped into each other. They mentioned the note and I said, "Oh yeah, man, what a blessing to discover how generous you guys are being toward our kids." And we just had a conversation about it, and I came to learn how that developed. They began like most of us did when we launched the program way back in 2003. They began by sponsoring 1 or 2 kids, and then each year as the breadwinner of their household would get a raise, they just added 1 more child each year so that by that time they were up to 7 children, kind of based on the premise that the Lord provided well for us last year with the income that we had. He's given us an increase. Let's share some of that increase with someone who needs it. By the way, every time I give this message, I check back in the database just to see how these friends are doing. They're up to 13 sponsored kids now, so they have apparently continued with this tendency to just add a new child each year.

17 · Hayes applies the couple's example directly to the sermon's thesis, then connects orphan sponsorship to Jesus's command and promise

Now listen, I'm not suggesting— I'm not telling this story so that— or to suggest that everyone needs to sponsor 13 children or everyone should be thinking about just adding a new child each year. My point in using their illustration is this: these are not people of significant means. The sacrifice they're making is very tangible and real. Those funds could be used to benefit their lives in the here and now in many ways. And you know what? None of us would look at them and say, "Wow, they're self-indulgent. Wow, look how they're living." living high on the hog. They're living a very normal American lifestyle. But this is a couple whose eyes are fixed not on the things that are seen, but on the things that are unseen. They are sacrificing now for a reward they will receive later, and that reward is being kept for them where moth and rust will not destroy, where thieves will not break in and steal. Well, I don't know about you, but I want to live my life in light of that reality as well. And when I think of Jesus's exhortation here to be generous toward those who can do nothing to repay us, I really can't help but think of the children in our orphan sponsorship program. If you sponsor children through our program, it is virtually impossible that they will ever have the opportunity to repay you. For that kindness. That is exactly the kind of generosity that Jesus is commending to us in this passage. It's precisely this kind of generosity that he promises to repay at the resurrection of the just. And that resurrection of the— that phrase, the resurrection of the just, immediately brings me into mind of the parable of the sheep and the goats. You familiar with this parable from Matthew 25? Where Jesus tells us that we'll come, we'll stand before him one day, and he'll tell us to enter into our reward because when he was sick, we visited him. When he was hungry, we fed him. When he was naked, we clothed him. And we'll say, "Jesus, when did we see you hungry? When did we see you sick? When did we see you naked and do all these things?" And he'll say, "Even as you've done it to the least of these, my brethren, you've done it unto me."

18 · Hayes paints a vivid hypothetical picture of the resurrection, imagining Jesus introducing the sponsor to specific children whose lives were transformed through their giving, with generational ripple effects extending into eternity

And I just imagine— this is just my imagination now— but I just imagine because He'll have all the time he needs, will be in eternity. I just imagine Jesus pulling up a young lady by his side and saying, "I want you to know Kalkidan. Kalkidan was born in Ethiopia with HIV. She had lost both of her parents to AIDS. She was on a trajectory to die of AIDS herself, but you sponsored her, brought her to good health. Your sponsorship also brought a lady named Helena into her life, and Helena shared the gospel with her and led her to faith." faith. Chalcedon is here today because you gave when there was nothing she could give you in return. Or maybe he'll pull up a young man named Charles and say, this is Charles. He attended Lighthouse Christian School, which you invested in to develop that school. And Charles gave his life to Christ at a young age because he went to a VBS that Lighthouse held on their school break. And then he was able to go to college through a scholarship fund and he was able to become a teacher and influence the lives of so many other children who are now here in eternity because you gave when Charles could do nothing to return the favor to you. Think of the ripple effects that will go out through eternity. Think of the children and grandchildren of our sponsored kids. I sometimes think about that and it blows my mind. These kids will one day be sharing the love of Christ with their children and their grandchildren. Because somebody shared the love of Christ with them when they were just fatherless children running around in the community with insufficient care.

19 · Hayes concludes the sermon proper by synthesizing the vision of eternal reward with the sermon's thesis about faith-driven generosity, and transitions into the ministry presentation

Well, I believe that part of our reward will be seeing with the eyes of eternity the full, glorious impact that our acts of kindness and generosity were able to achieve in this life, which we can have no way of knowing right now, but the Lord will reward us. For that in eternity. It takes the eyes of faith to see that in the here and now, and I couldn't be more grateful for the faith that God has given to so many to join hands with us in Covenant Mercies for almost 20 years now in this ministry.

20 · Hayes transitions from sermon to ministry presentation, explaining the structure and model of the orphan sponsorship program and introducing a testimonial video from a program graduate

So I want to turn the corner now and just begin introducing the ministry to you. I mentioned the, the orphan sponsorship program a few minutes ago. That is really the centerpiece, has been the centerpiece almost from from the beginning of our ministry. This is a program whereby we— a sponsor can sponsor a child, a fatherless child in the community of our indigenous church partners for $39 a month and provide some basic nutritional, medical, and educational care in the lives of those children. The children live within the context of their extended families. So sometimes it's a widowed mother who's still alive and Lord willing, we can keep that family intact. Other times it's a grandparent who's taken the children in or aunts and uncles who've taken the children in, and we look to, through our church partners, just build teams that go out into the community and provide for the basic care of those children in that context. Well, it is an exciting time for us in this ministry because I mentioned we're almost 20 years old. That means the children we began with, many of them are beginning to now graduate and take their place in society as young adults. And some of them are able to express in their own words the impact that the program has had in their lives. So I want to show you a video now of a young lady named Masai, who's a graduate of our program in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.