Are there better ways to give?
MEMORY
VERSE
But
when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand
is doing, so
that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in
secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:3-4
REFLECTION
Moses Maimonides is regarded by many as the greatest Jewish
philosopher of the Middle Ages. This is his teaching on giving called The Eight
Levels of Charity:
1) The first and the lowest level is to give, but
with reluctance or regret. This is a gift from the hand, but not from the
heart.
2) The second is to give cheerfully but not enough
to meet the need of the suffering person.
3) The third is to give cheerfully and enough to
meet the person’s need but not until you have been asked.
4) The fourth is to give cheerfully, enough to
meet the need and even without being asked, but to put it in the needy person’s
hand, causing him to feel shame.
5) The fifth is to give in such a way that the
distressed person may receive the gift and know the giver, but the giver does
not know who received it.
6) The sixth is for the giver to know the person
who will receive the gift but the person has no knowledge of who gave it to
him.
7) The seventh is to give in such a way that the
giver does not know the receiver, nor does the receiver know the giver.
8) The eighth and greatest of all is to prevent
the need by assisting the person heading for trouble either by a considerable
gift, or a loan of money or teaching him a trade or helping him start a
business so that he may earn an honest livelihood and not be forced to hold out
his hand for charity. This is the highest step in the golden ladder of giving.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
How do you generally go about helping people in
need?
Is there anything in these eight 8 levels of
charity that motivates you to change the way you give?
ACTION STEPS FOR THE WEEK
Keep your eyes and ears open for people in need and
opportunities to share.
Listen to what God might be asking you to do to respond.
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