“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.” (Matt. 25:35)
Expanded Passage: Matthew 25:34-36
When I pulled up to the drive-thru at a local fast-food restaurant, I handed my debit card to the girl at the window. “Actually,” she said, “the people ahead of you paid for your food. They said to tell you, ‘Pastor, here you go.’”
That experience left me with two emotions: joy, because I was the beneficiary of someone’s kindness and generosity, and a little bit of sadness because I could not say thank you.
Then I began to piece two and two together. It was dark, and I really had not been concentrating on the vehicle in front of me. However, I remembered it was a late-model white truck. A couple with a new pickup had just left the midweek Bible study shortly before I did. I surmised they were the “culprits.” When I pressed them later with my suspicions, they confirmed they did it, and I was able to thank them.
They didn’t do it for recognition. If I had not figured it out, I’m sure they never would have said a word. They did it for the joy of giving.
It’s the best kind of giving—whether money, time, attention, or tangible gifts—to those in need of what we can share, with no thought of being recognized or reimbursed. Rather, giving to meet a need can be satisfying in and of itself.
When you give, give as unto the Lord.
Ron McClung is a retired minister in The Wesleyan Church. He and his wife, Carol, live in Michigan and have two sons, nine grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
