Luke 11:41 … Alms from Within (03/05/17)
“Give for alms those things that are within;
and everything will be clean for you.”
~ Jesus (Luke 11:41)
First and foremost it is important to realize that Paul (much as he did for most of the other major theological concepts in the New Testament) had a very different approach than Jesus to tithing …
While Jesus encouraged all (especially his disciples, the ones who were to do the preaching of his message) to serve selflessly without payment (“You received without payment; give without payment” ~ Matthew 10:5-8), Paul made frequent justifications for doing just the opposite – saying “to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due” (Romans 4:4) and “if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.”(2 Thessalonians 3:10).
In addition, Paul went even a step further when he noted that preachers specifically were due payment for their preaching (see 1 Timothy 5:17, Galatians 6:6, and 1 Corinthians 9:14 – a verse which contradicts The Way of Christ quite directly in stating that “the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel”).
Of course, a bit more important is what Luke 11:41 means for the rest of us who are not preachers; how we are supposed to tithe in accordance with this teaching? Note that the answer to this apparent conundrum is not so difficult to decipher, seeing as how it is LOVE that is for Jesus ever “within” – not only LOVE, but both the heavenly Father and His Kingdom as well (see John 14:20 & Luke 17:20-21). As such, tithing to others Jesus-style is really quite straightforward; requiring us to simply Joy-fully sacrifice for others — especially those least deserving of the same (Matthew 5:40-44) &/or those who are being scorned or downtrodden by others (Matthew 25:35-40).
This is how we give of God or Heaven, for Heaven is made of God — and God is made of Love (Matthew 5:48).