“Almsgiving”
Psalm 51:1-17
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

February 21, 2007 - Kim M. Henning

Grace to you and peace from God who comes to us decisively in Jesus of Nazareth. Amen.

That was the question a young man in Haiti asked Bryan Sirchio. Bryan Sirchio is a singer out of Madison, Wisconsin who frequently goes to places like Haiti. As part of his commitment to Jesus Christ, Bryan takes volunteers places like Haiti. A few years back, Bryan was there with a small group of volunteers. The volunteer coordinator divided up responsibilities. When she came to Bryan....she said, ‘You.... Would you be willing to cut hair?’ Bryan responded, ‘Well, ah....I’ve never cut hair before.’ The coordinator said, ‘that’s ok, we’ll teach you.’

In no time at all, Bryan Sirchio was cutting hair for the Haitians in that community. He was also talking – like a barber or beautician. Along the way, one of his clients asked Bryan, “Are you rich?” He was caught of guard. He always attempted to practice a life of simplicity. “Are you rich?”

He told his client....the one whose hair he was cutting, “I don’t know.” The Haitian asked him, ‘Do you eat every day?’ ‘Well, yes. In fact, I often eat three times a day.’ The Haitian responded, ‘you are rich.’

I was thinking about Bryan’s story that he tells about himself when I read the Gospel that was read earlier. Every year, the Christian Church reads this Gospel as we worship on Ash Wednesday.

“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

In St. Louis there is this grand cathedral known as the St. Louis Cathedral. As a person walks into the cathedral—down the center aisle, there is a pedestal standing there that has an opening at the top for money to be dropped in. On the pedestal is a sign: ‘alms.’

When the faithful come to worship in the St. Louis Cathedral, they are to remember the poor. When believers approach God, they are to remember the poor with a gift. Alms..

Years ago, Moses told the Israelites, “Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.’

Are you rich? Remember the poor.

Do you have a heart for God? Remember the poor.

Is something inside you aspiring after faith? Remember the poor.

Are you wanting to walk with us toward Easter? Remember the poor.

On Ash Wednesday in some Christian traditions, they take ashes and smudge them on their forehead as a visible reminder of mortality.

Others this evening will sprinkle ashes upon all who gather for worship this evening..... remembering the Christian’s need for repentance and confession. Always, our relationship with God needs repentance. Always, our relationship with each other needs repentance.

And still others, on Ash Wednesday are simply invited to listen to one of Jesus’ simplest teaching: remember the poor.

‘So whenever you give alms....’ Do you hear....???

It is not a command, it just seems to be the way that believers operate.

‘So whenever you give alms......’

Generosity is not dictated, it is from the heart, it is a natural response to God.

‘So whenever you give alms......’ Jesus says to his listeners, do not use it as an ‘attention-getter’ ....just do it, do it in secret so that your Father in heaven who sees in secret will reward you.’

So what is to be a person’s motivation for ‘giving to the poor?’ Why should we care for Darfur? Why should we care for the Domestic Violence Center? Perhaps we should care, because in the words of that young Haitian boy, ‘we are rich.’ We have enough. We have more than enough. And when we have enough, it becomes our responsibility to share, to give....

What is to be a person’s motivation for ‘giving to the poor?’. Perhaps, as Jesus alludes to, ‘it just comes from inside you.’ So whenever you give alms...... A heart that is bent toward God is a heart that is bent toward compassion. A heart that knows God is a heart that cares for neighbor.

What is to be a person’s motivation for ‘giving to the poor?’ During Lent we frequently hear that people give something up for Lent—kind of a sacrifice. I read this week of a person who ‘gives up food on Fridays’ during Lent from sunrise to sunset. It might be good to feel ‘hunger’ – hunger like the poor feel. It might be good to feel in a small way what the poor feel hour after hour after hour. Have you ever fasted as a personal, spiritual discipline of faith? We’re not talking major fast—like Jesus—40 days, 40 nights. A fast for the poor?

Jesus said, “so whenever you give alms......” You know, there are millions of stories of what Jesus has done throughout history. Every generation of humanity has been blessed, so blessed by the Spirit of Christ. We are blessed by his love. We are blessed by the story of his birth in Bethlehem. We are blessed by the promise of forgiveness, the hope of eternity. We are blessed by resurrection. We are blessed because in millions of ways Jesus calls us and invites us to live the good life, the abundant life, the meaning-filled life, the purpose-filled life, the joy-filled life.

Jesus. Jesus. What is to be a person’s motivation for ‘giving’? The Apostle Paul wrote to the early church in Corinth and told them, “For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.

Jesus, the one we worship, is the poor one to whom we give.

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