What Jesus said about Generosity & Charity

Jesus on giving: giving without seeking applause, the widow’s offering, inviting those who cannot repay you, and serving Christ by caring for the least of these.

1. Give generously beyond the circle of likely repayment.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Matthew 5:42; Luke 6:30, 34–35

   King James Version

   Matthew 5:42

   ⁴²Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

   Luke 6:30, 34–35

   ³⁰Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

   ³⁴And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

   ³⁵But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

2. Charity should not be performed for applause.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Matthew 6:2–4

   King James Version

   Matthew 6:2–4

   ²Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

   ³But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

   ⁴That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

3. Even a cup of cold water given because someone is a disciple will not lose its reward.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Matthew 10:42; Mark 9:41

   King James Version

   Matthew 10:42

   ⁴²And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

   Mark 9:41

   ⁴¹For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

4. Lend without making repayment the condition of mercy.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Luke 6:34–35

   King James Version

   Luke 6:34–35

   ³⁴And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

   ³⁵But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

5. Give generously; the measure you use will return to you.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Luke 6:38

   King James Version

   Luke 6:38

   ³⁸Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

6. Compassion for the hungry should become practical provision.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Matthew 14:16; Mark 6:37; Luke 9:13

   King James Version

   Matthew 14:16

   ¹⁶But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.

   Mark 6:37

   ³⁷He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?

   Luke 9:13

   ¹³But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.

7. Merciful action toward "the least" is treated as action toward Christ.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Matthew 25:34–40

   King James Version

   Matthew 25:34–40

   ³⁴Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

   ³⁵For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

   ³⁶Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

   ³⁷Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

   ³⁸When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

   ³⁹Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

   ⁴⁰And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

8. Neglect of the needy is treated as neglect of Christ.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Matthew 25:41–45

   King James Version

   Matthew 25:41–45

   ⁴¹Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

   ⁴²For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

   ⁴³I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

   ⁴⁴Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

   ⁴⁵Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

9. Feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit the imprisoned.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Matthew 25:35–40

   King James Version

   Matthew 25:35–40

   ³⁵For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

   ³⁶Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

   ³⁷Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

   ³⁸When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

   ³⁹Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

   ⁴⁰And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

10. A cup given because someone belongs to Christ is remembered by God.

    Read the Scripture (KJV) Mark 9:41

    King James Version

    Mark 9:41

    ⁴¹For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

11. Give to the one who asks rather than cultivating a closed hand.

    Read the Scripture (KJV) Matthew 5:42; Luke 6:30

    King James Version

    Matthew 5:42

    ⁴²Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

    Luke 6:30

    ³⁰Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

12. Sell possessions and give to the needy when discipleship requires it.

    Read the Scripture (KJV) Luke 12:33; 18:22; Matthew 19:21; Mark 10:21

    King James Version

    Luke 12:33

    ³³Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

    Luke 18:22

    ²²Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

    Matthew 19:21

    ²¹Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

    Mark 10:21

    ²¹Then Jesus beholding him loved 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.

13. The rich ruler was called to release the possession that ruled him and follow Jesus.

    Read the Scripture (KJV) Matthew 19:21; Mark 10:21; Luke 18:22

    King James Version

    Matthew 19:21

    ²¹Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

    Mark 10:21

    ²¹Then Jesus beholding him loved 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.

    Luke 18:22

    ²²Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

14. The widow's tiny offering can surpass larger gifts because God sees sacrificial proportion.

    Read the Scripture (KJV) Mark 12:41–44; Luke 21:1–4

    King James Version

    Mark 12:41–44

    ⁴¹And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.

    ⁴²And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

    ⁴³And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

    ⁴⁴For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

    Luke 21:1–4

    ¹And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.

    ²And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.

    ³And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:

    ⁴For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

15. Give from within so external cleanliness is not a substitute for inner generosity.

    Read the Scripture (KJV) Luke 11:39–41

    King James Version

    Luke 11:39–41

    ³⁹And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.

    ⁴⁰Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?

    ⁴¹But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.

16. When hosting, include those who cannot repay you.

    Read the Scripture (KJV) Luke 14:12–14

    King James Version

    Luke 14:12–14

    ¹²Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.

    ¹³But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:

    ¹⁴And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

17. Hospitality shown to prophets, righteous people, and disciples receives reward.

    Read the Scripture (KJV) Matthew 10:41–42

    King James Version

    Matthew 10:41–42

    ⁴¹He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.

    ⁴²And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.