"For wherever your treasure is, there your heart will be also"
Matthew 6: 21, Concordant New Testament
I received a message this week from a friend about the downfall, in sorts, of prosperity gospel preacher Creflo Dollar. Dollar is the lead pastor and teacher of World Changers Church International in Georgia declared in a recent sermon that his own teachings on tithing were "not correct." This is a major admission from a man who once asked his congregation to tithe so that he could afford a new corporate jet. However, Dollar insists that he refuses to apologize to his congregation for his years of false teachings. Can you imagine someone in this man's congregation, struggling to make ends meet, yet giving in to the teaching from the pulpit that they need to give until it hurts? I know a bit about this subject because I have been in those pews when the pastor has called upon the church to give more for one cause or another. Be it building repairs or an upcoming mission trip, the call for more tithes has been heeded by many a congregation. All in the name of the Lord. But what does Jesus say when approached by this issue? What is Jesus' take on tithing? Well, it's funny, because I've spent a some time in the New Testament and the very words of Jesus and I have not come across anything resembling the words of Creflo Dollar. Many a pastor has often referred to the prophet Malachi in their push for more tithes {Mal 3:10}. Here, the prophet commands the Israelites to "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse." Yet, what many Christians don't understand was that this was done not to support a cash bleeding mega church congregation, but the Levite priesthood who forsook employment that they would devote their time to teaching the scriptures. That's right, back in the day priests were not employed for six figure incomes. Therefore, the offerings of the people were used to provide for the priests. Malachi recognized that the people of Israel had been "Robbing" the Levites of what they needed to survive. Unfortunately, through the years, many a ambitious pastor has misled congregations into believing that the tithes and offerings of the church were strictly tied to their own blessings of the Lord as well. But what did Jesus say?
"Yet take heed not to be doing your righteousness in front of men, in order to be gazed at by them, otherwise surely you have no wages with your Father who is in the heavens. Whenever, then, you may be doing alms, you should not be trumpeting in front of you, even as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they should be glorified by men. Verily, I am saying to you, they are collecting their wages! Yet you, doing alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in hiding, and your Father, who is observing in hiding, will be paying you."
Matthew 6: 1-4, Concordant New Testament.
So, what were the thoughts of Jesus on the subject of tithing? For this is where we need to begin. Well, it was Jesus who proclaimed that a poor widows few coins given in the temple far outweighed the large donations given by the rich {Mark 12:41-44}. Why? Because she had given of what she had, while the rich had given some out of their fortunes. Jesus was attempting to illustrate here that true giving comes from the heart and not from obligation. The sort of obligation a pastor might employ when he asks his congregation to give more or risk not being blessed by the Lord. Jesus was never big on tithing to build newer and better temples or to send He and His disciples on mission trips. This was never what Jesus proclaimed. This is what false teachers like Creflo Dollar proclaim. The teachings of Jesus instruct us not to covet money and possessions {Matt 6:24, Matt 10:42, Luke 12:33}. To Jesus, it isn't about how much you have. On the contrary, Jesus speaks to what we give. In His sermon on the mount, Jesus speaks to not trusting in the value of our possessions {Matt 6: 25-30}. Which of us, when we pass from this life, will take our possessions with us? This is why Jesus speaks to giving coming from the heart {Matt 6:21}. The true heart of the giver is also one who has a true heart for Jesus. Knowing that all which they have is not from their own volition, but is a gift from the Father.
Now whoever may be having a livelihood in this world, and may be beholding his brother having need, and should be locking his compassions from him - how is the love of God remaining in him?
1 John 3: 17, Concordant New Testament
~Scott~
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