Benevolence Without Love - Evangelical Caucus/Devotional

"If I give all my possessions to feed the poor . . . but do not have love, it profits me nothing" (1 Cor. 13:3).

Love is characterized by self-sacrifice, but not all self-sacrifice is an act of love.

If you've ever donated to your church or another charitable organization out of obligation, peer pressure, legalism, guilt, a desire for recognition, or simply a tax deduction, you know what it means to give without love. In our society it's easy to fall prey to that kind of giving because the needs are so great and fund raisers appeal to every conceivable motive. In addition, many cults and false religions encourage the giving up of possessions and other sacrificial gestures as a supposed means of earning God's favor. But God is more interested in why you give than what you give.

Paul's hypothetical illustration in 1 Corinthians 13:3 is of someone who sacrificed everything he had to feed the poor. The Greek word translated "to feed" means "to dole out in small quantities." Apparently this guy didn't simply write out a check for a food distribution program; he was personally involved in a long-term, systematic program that would eventually consume every resource he had.

Paul doesn't mention motives—only that this person lacked love. Consequently, the benefits of his benevolence were limited to the physical realm. Any spiritual benefits were forfeited.

Jesus, making a similar point, said, "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 6:1). If your motive for giving is to gain the approval of men, their accolades will be your only reward. If you're motivated by love for God, He will reward you abundantly (vv. 2-4).

When you give to the Lord, what is your motive? Do you want others to think more highly of you? Do you feel obligated? Those are subtle influences, so be sure to guard your motives carefully. Remember, the only acceptable motive is love.

-Ask the Holy Spirit to keep you sensitive to the needs of others, enabling you always to give out of genuine love.

Meditating on this, one urms to the correlated passage as follows:

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Mark 10:17-23 (AV, bolding added for emphasis)

¹⁷And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him,

Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

¹⁸And Jesus said unto him,

Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. ¹⁹Thou knowest the commandments,
Do not commit adultery,
Do not kill,
Do not steal,
Do not bear false witness,
Defraud not,
Honour thy father and mother.

²⁰And he answered and said unto him,

Master, all these have I observed from my youth.

²¹Then Jesus beholding him loved^{ἀγαπάω} him, and said unto him,
One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
²²And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
²³And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples,

How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

²⁴And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them,

Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!

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It is clear that Paul, presumably knowing this, was selling the Corinthians not to walk away from giving all (as did Robert LeTourneau last century), but seek the deeper meaning about what the agapay, agapahoh charitable benevolence is about.

Benevolence... Woah woah woah- i have hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia!

What gets me are the multi multi millionaire spokespeople for those commercials that show elderly jews in russia playing on people’s guilt to give- Paul said not to ask for help from others but basically to rely on God for needs- a LOT of what is donated goes to the salaries of thee folks/spokespeople- while the poor elderly Jews in Russia only get a carrot per day according to the commercials (although many look to be a bit overweight- They make it seem as though the folks can’t go another week or they’ll starve to death, but they have been living for 80 years in the same place- and getting by- fairly nicely it seems (judging by weight of them).

Meh- got off on tangent i guess-

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