The Stories of Christmas | Generous Like Jesus

You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Although he was rich, he became poor for our sakes, so that you could become rich through his poverty.

2 Corinthians 8:9 (CEB)

There's a scene in A Christmas Carol where the Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge two starving children hiding under his robe, Ignorance and Want. Scrooge is horrified and asks if anything can be done to help them.

The Ghost throws Scrooge's own words back at him: "Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?"

It's a gut-punch moment. Scrooge realizes that his selfishness has had consequences. His unwillingness to help others has contributed to their suffering.

And then something remarkable happens. Scrooge changes. He becomes generous. He helps the Cratchit family. He gives to the poor. He discovers the joy of living for others instead of just for himself. But Scrooge's transformation is just a shadow of a much greater transformation. The transformation Jesus calls us to.

In 2 Corinthians, Paul is still talking to the Corinthians about generosity, but now he points them to the ultimate example: Jesus. He says Jesus was rich – not just financially, but in every way. He had all the glory, power, and privilege of being God. He had everything.

But he became poor. He gave it all up. He came to earth as a vulnerable baby. He lived a simple life. He owned nothing. He had nowhere to lay his head. And ultimately, he gave his life on a cross. Why? "So that you could become rich through his poverty."

Jesus' generosity wasn't about money. It was about everything. He gave up everything so we could have everything. He became poor so we could become rich, and not just financially, but rich in grace, rich in mercy, rich in love, rich in our relationship with God.

That's the pattern of generosity we're called to follow. If we want to understand generosity, we have to start with Jesus. Not just what Jesus taught, but what Jesus did. Jesus didn't give out of his excess. He gave everything.

That means generosity isn't just about money. It's about our whole lives. It's about giving our time, our energy, our attention, our resources. It's about living for others instead of just for ourselves. It's about becoming more like Jesus, who gave up everything for us.

So as we close out this week, here's the invitation: Don't be selfish like Scrooge. Don't make your life all about what you can get. Don't hoard your resources while others are in need. Don't live like your security comes from what you accumulate.

Instead, be transformed. Be generous. Be like Jesus, who gave up everything for you. Give sacrificially. Give joyfully. Give trusting that God will provide. Give because you've received so much from the One who gave everything.

Because when you live generously, you discover what you were created for. You become more like Jesus.

Prayer

Jesus, thank you for your incredible generosity. You gave up everything so I could have everything. You became poor so I could become rich in grace. Help me to follow your example. Forgive me for the times I've been selfish, for the times I've lived like Scrooge instead of like you. Transform my heart this week. Make me generous like you are generous. Help me to live for others instead of just for myself. Teach me to find my joy in giving rather than getting. Show me how to be rich in the things that truly matter—grace, love, compassion, and generosity. I want to be more like you. Amen.