Generosity as Gratitude

There is nothing that warms a pastor’s heart more than leading a community of faith who has whole-heartedly embraced a lifestyle of mission and ministry to others. For some, the service component of our vows as United Methodists is merely one more requirement to be checked off. But for others, like yourselves, ministry and service define what you believe and how you live as disciples of Jesus Christ.

It has been a delight to learn about all the different ways in which you engage people outside of our walls. Even more exciting is that there seems to be no end to your generosity and hopes to expand the ways you can share the love of God.

I know, I know… I’m gushing. But so much of the world relies on a “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” mentality that resists doing for others unless there is some benefit to themselves. Quid pro quo, as it were.

In today’s society, we live in a predominantly transactional world. In exchange for a product or services, I give to you some form of renumeration, usually in the form of money. Our expectation of ourselves – and others – is to be self-reliant, to pull up one’s own bootstraps. The concept is so embedded in us, that we even become anxious over gift-giving. We worry and stress that the gift we have for someone else is of equal or greater value than the one we may receive in return.

This system is so ingrained in us that we call foul when we become aware of favoritism displayed toward others, throwing accusations of nepotism. And in those instances where we ourselves may benefit from the generosity or influence, we try to keep it under the table so as to not be accused of receiving something we didn’t deserve.[1]

However, in the Roman Empire, not only was it expected that society worked on the basis of the exchange of gifts and favors, this patronage system represented a core value of its people. And while we might expect that this only occurred among the elite – the most wealthy and powerful offering their resources and influence to “buy” the loyalty of a person of lesser stature – it, in fact, occurred on all levels of society.

Neighboring farmers would help one another during busy seasons, such as harvesting crops or shearing sheep. Artisans and craftsmen, despite competition in the marketplace, would cooperate for the sake of procuring raw materials or sharing natural resources like water. Whether at the highest levels of society or among the everyday laborers, this system of reciprocity provided a means for supporting one another.

Whether the formal relationships of patron and client among the elite or the essential support that existed among lower classes, there were expected behaviors that surrounded such exchanges. Neither the wealthy patron nor the farmer would ever admit to placing the recipient of their largesse under obligation to return the favor. Nonetheless, should the latter ever fail to reciprocate appropriately, the damage to their reputation would be remembered.[2]

The foundation of this system of reciprocity was not on the patron’s expectations of receiving a return on their investment. In fact, generosity by those who could offer it was a highly valued character trait, and there were guidelines that sought to preserve the nobility and purity of such acts.[3] If you’re thinking this sounds similar to the idea of grace, in which we understand that salvation through Jesus is not dependent on anything we can do to earn God’s love or mercy, you’re on the right track. In 1st century Rome, the word grace was most commonly associated with the secular system of reciprocity between humans.[4]

Of course, God is the ultimate patron. God offers us everything. We have nothing without God’s generosity, and God gives freely out of love. And we are the recipients of God’s abundance, just as it says in John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that he gave his Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

As recipients of this incredible grace, how are we called to respond?

Well, just as a client might reciprocate by offering their loyalty and praising their patron in public, we can respond similarly to our God. Deuteronomy 6:5 (which Jesus acknowledges as the most important commandment) instructs us to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” We respond in gratitude and praise because we recognize that God was not duty bound to love us so exceedingly.

Another way in which we might respond to God also has correlation to the patronage system of the Roman Empire. In addition to loyalty and praise, there was also strong encouragement for the client, in turn, to be generous to others. This might include public benefaction. Though typically restricted to those of wealth and means, benefactors would offer gifts to entire communities. Some took the form of festivals or games. (As an example, Herod the Great endowed the Olympic Games during his reign.[5]) Others included civic improvements; and others stepped up during times of crisis such as famine or disaster relief.[6]

When we give in service and mission to the people of our community, we are passing along the blessings that God has bestowed upon us. Some of these blessings may be tangible: a meal or a pair of shoes. Some show up in the form of loving and caring for others.

Our service is not an effort to repay God for what God has done for us. Rather, we are extending grace to others. We are participating in Christ’s ongoing work of reconciliation. We give out of gratitude.

As we continue our journey together, may we always spur one another on to greater and greater love through service, not because we hope to curry God’s favor, but to thank God for what we have already received. Let us acknowledge to the world that we can never achieve on our own through Christ’s selfless love that God may receive the glory, honor, and praise.

[1] deSilva, David A. 2022. Honor, Patronage, Kinship, and Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture. 95. Downers Grover, IL: IVP Academic. Kindle edition.

[2] deSilva, 100.

[3] deSilva, 110.

[4] deSilva, 106.

[5] Richardson, Peter and Amy Marie Fisher. 2018. Herod: King of the Jews and Friend of the Romans. 174. London and New York: Routledge. Kindle edition.

[6] deSilva, 103.