These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Matthew 10:5–8
When Jesus sent the twelve out on the limited commission, He sent them with empty pockets, but not empty-handed. These men carried a message to the people of Galilee that would bless their lives beyond anything that human imagination could ever conceive. Not only would they go forth with power over sickness, demons, and even death, but even more importantly they took with them the gospel of the kingdom of heaven which was soon to appear. When Jesus sent them, He told them that they were to acquire nothing for their labors except their daily bread. After all, the blessing they took to their brethren was not one for which they were themselves responsible; they were merely the stewards thereof. “Freely you have received,” Jesus said, and because they had paid nothing for the gift, they were to impart it freely as well.
We are a blessed people indeed. To us has been granted the life-saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. We live in a nation that recognizes our God-given freedom to assemble and even exempts us from federal taxes. Even the poorest in our midst today is blessed with luxuries that even royalty did not enjoy just a century ago. Besides these things, consider the wealth of Bible knowledge available to us today that was not accessible just a generation ago. When J.W. McGarvey published a book about his trip to Palestine in 1880, he lamented in the opening pages that he could not supply his readers with an accurate map of the region since such a map simply did not exist. He assured his readers, however, that they would “soon be supplied, in common with the entire public, with reduced copies of the great map, which will be entirely accurate” (Lands of the Bible, p. 13). What should be expected of a people to whom so much has been given (cf. Luke 12:48)?
We learn about giving in our families. In the family as God designed it, parents find pleasure in giving to their children (Matthew 7:7–11). Paul said that he was willing both “to spend and be spent” for his children in the faith (2 Corinthians 12:14–15). In turn, children should wish to give back somewhat to their parents, not only by honoring them with obedience in our younger years (Ephesians 6:1), but also by caring for them when they are older (1 Timothy 5:3–4).
Whenever we think about giving––whether to God or to those in need around us––we should take the time to count our blessings. Our God has created a perfect world for us to live in, and Peter tells reminds that He has “given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3).
When we give, let us give freely. When Paul wrote to the brethren in Philippi, he remembered how they had given to support his work on his second missionary journey (Philippians 4:15–17). Because of the funds sent by these brethren to Silas and Timothy who had stayed behind in Macedonia while Paul moved on (Acts 17:14), Paul was able to “devote himself completely to the word” once his traveling companions caught up to him in Corinth (Acts 18:5, NASB). When they sent financial aid again during his first imprisonment in Rome, Paul praised them, “not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account” (Philippians 4:17). God has blessed us so much, and seeing that He has so freely given to us, let us learn to give freely as well, hoping for nothing in return save God’s glory.