July 13, 2008 (Don Teichroeb)

Don was grateful to be able to speak on generosity, and began by updating the parable of the good Samaritan to modern day Vancouver, enabling Don to point out how our modern social-justice attitudes are in reality not so far from those of the passers-by in the parable. Don succinctly translated the attitudes of those who afflicted the traveller as “What’s yours is mine” of the robbers; “What’s mine is mine” of the passers-by, or stinginess; and “What’s mine is yours” of the Samaritan, or generosity. Don then went onto the second parable of the vineyard owner, in the time of the great harvest. The vineyard owner hires the strongest workers in the morning at the promise of a living wage, and with repeated hires, the owner likely got less-able men whom he hired without promise of a living wage. Yet at the end of the day, each with the same denarius in his pocket, this unequal treatment appears unjust and unfair to men with mouths to feed, but there is no doubt of the owner’s generosity. And in the last parable of the sheep and the goats, Don points out the message is overtly about generosity to others, and submits that we are called to four attitudes: to be generous means to be responsive to need, respond with compassion, with practical help, and with follow-up help. There is to be no discussion of the merits of the recipients. Yet is this our first response? How often do we say “well they deserve it - they’re living a life made of poor choices.” And for ourselves we look down and say”There but for the grace of God...” But do we mean it? A tornado touches down and takes one house, and leaves the next. A farmer’s crop is destroyed and his neighbour’s is spared. There are as many reasons for generosity as for condemnation - which will you choose? Don is inspired by the many examples of generosity Mennonites have given to their neighbours through MCC around the world. [AP] Listen to the sermon audio MP3 recording from Sunday July 13th, 2008 using your browser's preferred media player.