Monday

Being generous is one thing, but figuring out who should be the object of our generosity is another. How do we vet people who we would like to exercise generosity toward?  Does it make sense to try to determine where we are most likely to get the response we hope for and direct our energies there? Those are all the kinds of questions that our world today would suggest are central questions to consider when we think about how to express our generosity. The question for today, however, is how do those concerns stack up against the sentiments that Jesus shares in these two accounts of his sermon on this topic? Here are a few additional questions to consider as you read and reflect on today’s passage:

- How does Jesus describe the way God distributes God’s blessing to the world?  What sort of vetting system does love require?

- To what extent does Jesus suggest that grace and generosity are two-way streets, that is, we think of giving as an investment upon which we expect to collect interest?

- Do you notice how “perfect” and “merciful” are synonymous? What insight does that give you into God’s heart and character?

- What do you sense might be on the heart of God in what Jesus is talking about in these passages? Take a few moments to talk to God about that in prayer.