Charity in the Bible: love in action and true worship

1Two small coins

Jesus sat in the Temple in Jerusalem and watched people putting money into the offering box. The rich gave large sums. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins.

"He looked up and saw the rich people who were putting their gifts into the treasury. He saw a certain poor widow casting in two small brass coins. He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them, for all these put in gifts for God from their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had to live on.”" (Luke 21:1–4)

In Jesus' eyes the value of a gift is not its size but the love and sacrifice behind it. This lesson follows the Bible's teaching on charity from the Law of Moses to the letters of the apostles, and its boldest claim: that caring for the poor is itself a form of worship.

2Roots in the Old Testament

The Law of Moses commanded generosity: "For the poor will never cease out of the land. Therefore I command you to surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land." (Deuteronomy 15:11). The prophets went further. When people fasted and prayed while ignoring the hungry, Isaiah said God wanted a different kind of fast:

"Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to release the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Isn’t it to distribute your bread to the hungry, and that you bring the poor who are cast out to your house? When you see the naked, that you cover him; and that you not hide yourself from your own flesh?" (Isaiah 58:6–7)

3The teaching of Jesus

Jesus taught that charity must be quiet and sincere:

"Be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Therefore, when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does, so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly." (Matthew 6:1–4)

In his parable of the final judgement, the King welcomes those who cared for the needy, because in serving them they served him: "for I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me." … "Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." (Matthew 25:35–40).

4The early Church: charity as true worship

• Paul reminded church leaders of Jesus' words, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).
• Giving should be free and joyful: "Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7).
• James defines religion itself by charity: "Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." (James 1:27).
• Faith that does nothing is dead: "And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, and one of you tells them, “Go in peace. Be warmed and filled;” yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself." (James 2:15–17).
• Giving is a sacrifice offered to God: "But don’t forget to be doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." (Hebrews 13:16).
• Love must be real: "But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, then closes his heart of compassion against him, how does God’s love remain in him? My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth." (1 John 3:17–18).

Together these texts teach that charity is not separate from worship. A Christian who sings in church on Sunday and ignores a hungry neighbour on Monday has, in James's words, a faith that is "dead".

5The works of mercy today

Discuss. Some churches publish lists of the largest donors. Others keep all gifts secret. Using Matthew 6:1–4 and 2 Corinthians 9:7, which practice do you think fits Christian teaching better, and why?