Generosity lies at the very core of Grace. Grace is to receive what we do not deserve and could not earn, and this is the very essence of generosity (Eph 2:1-10). God is by definition a generous God and as with all things this generosity is most perfectly revealed in Jesus. Whatever our standard of measurement for generosity, God defines what it is to be generous. If we judge generosity by the size of the gift, God’s gift of his only son must rank as the most generous. If we judge generosity by the deserving nature of the recipient, i must be the least deserving. Yet I can receive this greatest of gifts without money or price.
In the Old Testament God’s generosity is poured out around the Sabbath year and the year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25). God promises multiplied provision in the years leading up to the year of Jubilee so that the people will not have to sow or reap during those years. He will provide so that their storehouses will be overflowing from Gods blessing.
Jubilee becomes a year when the people can show generosity to others as a response to the generosity of God. Jubilee, therefore, becomes a strategic reminder for the people of who God is and who they are called to be.
It is this principle of Jubilee Generosity that is the foundation of our Gift Days at JCC. We know that we are called to be generous in our giving to the Kingdom of God. However, we also know that the pressures of life are real and we can easily get caught up in the worries of day to day provision or protecting ourselves against that “rainy day” (Matt 6:19-34).
Our hope is that, as with the year of jubilee, our gift days will help us grow in trusting in God’s provision and from that trust and faith will spring grace-filled generosity.
Our Next Gift Day at JCC is Sunday 16th March
Simon Elliott