In his book ‘Mere Christianity’, C. S. Lewis says most Christians don’t approach the Bible looking to find out what Christianity says about giving; we approach the Bible hoping to find support for our existing views. As such we hold tightly to passages on prudence and wise management, while rushing past passages on generosity or justice for the poor. So what does the Bible actually say?
To begin with, in Luke 11:42, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for only Tithing. He admits they were following the law (i.e. giving 10% of their income), but says that is not enough.
The NT however does not demand a specific amount like the OT law did. This could be because God wants to give Christians the freedom to give less than 10%. Yet the coming of Christ is the ultimate expression of grace; where the Godhead gave infinitely of himself. It is hard to imagine God wanting his NT people (Christians) to be LESS generous than their OT counterparts (Israelites). Are those who argue that Christians are free to give less than 10% simply looking to support their existing views?
The more likely reason no amount is given is to allow the Christian’s heart, that has been touched by the grace of God, to extend its generosity beyond 10%. C. S. Lewis declares there is no way to settle accurately how much this should be though. As such he suggests that ‘the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare’. For example, ‘if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little’.
If we are offended by the Bible telling us to spend less on ourselves and give more away, then perhaps money has become our god. It’s it time we took control back, by treasuring Jesus above all else.
