II Corinthians 8:1-4 – “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints…”
“Tandewar” was the refrain of the worship song that moved me so deeply that morning. With great joy and energy, the thousand or so Christians gathered in Damoh Church, India, repeated, “Tandewar. Tandewar. Tandewar. Tandewar.” It was a catchy tune and I started singing along, but what was I saying? I leaned over to my friend, Dr. Lall, and asked him for the meaning of this word. His reply was “Thank you. It is a song that is telling God how thankful we are for all the he has given us.” This was the song my Indian brothers and sisters sang as they participated in their annual “Thanksgiving” offering. I had the privilege of preaching the sermon in that service, but it was the congregation that preached to me that day.
The tradition for this church is that once a year, in November, all the believers bring a special gift to the church to demonstrate their thankfulness for God’s grace and provision in the previous year. But this offering is not the typical time of passing baskets up and down the rows to collect money. Instead, this yearly outpouring of generosity is a full-participation demonstration of gift-giving. Their offerings are brought forward and laid on the steps of the of the church’s stage. It is a beautiful sight to behold, and I’ve witnessed wave after wave of joyful givers proceed to the front of the church with a gift as they sing “Tandewar”. Even those whose dress and demeanor would indicate a life of poverty come forward in joy with fruits and vegetables from their gardens and even eggs from their henhouses to lay before God. As long as I live, this experience will be my mind’s example of the Christian grace of worship through giving. It was joyful. It was earnest. It involved everyone. It was inspirational. It was giving that was “beyond” (v. 3).
Today’s scripture commends New Testament congregations who were setting the example for giving and generosity in the first-century Christian world. Paul praises the grace exhibited in these churches in the northern region of Greece known as Macedonia. As we’ve seen in previous readings, he is actively collecting a special offering from all the churches to give relief and aid to the church in Jerusalem. And in these verses, he encourages the wealthier believers in Corinth to follow the example of the Macedonian Christians in “this act of grace” (II Corinthians 8:7). Just like the Indian church mentioned above, these early Christians were giving “beyond” tithes, offerings, and even their means. Prayerfully, we will be challenged today to follow their example and become a fearless church of Christ followers who are known for worshiping God through our generosity. There are four components to this type of worshiping through giving.
Giving “beyond” is joy-filled.
In the ancient language of the New Testament (technically Koine Greek) the word “joy” is the root for “grace”, “gift”, and “gifts”. A quick language lesson will help us understand the wordplay in these verses. “Joy” in verse two is the Greek word “xara” where the “x” is pronounced as a hard “ch” sound. “Joy” is also the root word of “grace” (Greek “xaris”) found in verses one, six, and seven (also found in verse four translated as “favor” in the ESV). Then when we come to the word “gift” in verse three, it is the related Greek word “xarisma” from which we get the word “charisma.” Why am I telling you this? Because joy, grace, and gifts are all wrapped into one. Joy-filled giving is an expression of grace. The grace of Jesus was the gift he gave us through his death on the cross; “for the joy that was set before him…” (Hebrews 12:2). The Macedonian church expressed the grace of Jesus through their joyful gifts. It is both the gift of grace and the grace of giving—and joy is literally in all of it. You will know that you are giving “beyond” because of the joy that fills your heart as you give.
Giving “beyond” is earnest participation.
Look at the attitude of the Macedonian church. They didn’t say, “Oh no. Here comes the apostle looking for another handout.” They literally begged to give. The word is “earnestly” in verse four and it indicates repeated appeals from these Christians to be allowed to give. They had already given before, but they sought the opportunity to give more. Paul didn’t have to make another appeal or challenge them to give more. When he or his associates came to town, these believers begged to give. You will know that you are giving “beyond” when you are finding ways to give more.
Giving beyond what you have.
In the Jesus following life, giving is not limited by how much one does or does not have. Worshiping through giving means having the mindset of our ancient brothers and sisters who gave “beyond their means.” You may think that this is impossible. How can I give more than I have? Isn’t it irresponsible to give away more money than I need to have to live and support my family? Well, in regular economics it might be; but not if we learn to trust two things about God: 1) God blesses generosity, and 2) God will never run out. If we think of ourselves as conduits of his resources, we can give beyond our means because we are giving of his means. Our “bottom line” becomes insignificant because God has no “bottom line.” You will know that you are giving “beyond” when you stop thinking of what you don’t have to give and start focusing on what God has for you to give.
Giving beyond inspires others.
Can you imagine how this letter spurred its recipients to “love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24)? The church of Jesus is designed to be a community where we are inspired, and where we inspire faith in others. So, it’s simple: when I see a brother or sister give sacrificially, I’m challenged to sacrifice as well. Our prayer is that the generosity of the Christ followers at Eastview will go viral, infecting every member of our congregation with generosity. Did you know that your giving can actually be contagious? Well, it can be. You will know that you are giving “beyond” when others are inspired by your giving.
Pastor Mike Baker