“ Whoever shows mercy should do it joyfully” (Romans 12:8).
Charity is usually understood as providing material support. When it's said that it's time for charity, everyone expects humanitarian aid to be distributed. In reality, charity is not about giving away material things. It is a gift of mercy, as it is called in the English translation.
A warm-hearted person
In the Russian Synodal translation, the aforementioned biblical passage speaks of warmth of heart [rather than joy]. Warmth of heart (or heartfelt hospitality) is a very interesting state, closely related to hospitality. It is often said that one has been received hospitably. One has been received in such a way that one would gladly return and does not regret having been there. The people have opened their hearts, and therefore one has wanted to stay. Such an image has nothing to do with the giving of material goods.
It is not a single, unambiguous gift. A more precise translation of this passage places the main characteristic on the gift of a benefactor, namely the capacity for empathy. It begins with the capacity for compassion, which includes the desire to comfort and reassure those who are in distress or need encouragement.
This is done with a special kindness, not with force. A particular combination of feeling and desire enables the benefactor to do good.
Someone might think they are qualified to comfort others because they currently have no reason to grieve and can therefore offer comfort. No, they cannot! They must be able to empathize. And they must be grateful that God has given them this gift and such a heart, enabling them to put themselves in another person's shoes. Not because they are so strong through their human power, but through the work of the Holy Spirit of God!
Besides compassion, this gift also encompasses sympathy, pity, kindness, and patience, and has one goal: to help others in their distress and to comfort and support them as best as possible. It's often said that one's own shirt is closer to one's body. This isn't always the case. There are people who suffer when someone else's shirt is taken away. They are hurt when someone else is grieving or ill—which happens far more often than we realize.
Unobtrusive sympathizers
Such people are capable of feeling the pain of others. They are very valuable. A benefactor, therefore, is not an actor, but rather a compassionate one. They can deeply empathize with the distress of the person who needs their love. From this empathy arises the desire to help, as well as the ability to say something truly meaningful or simply to remain silent.
Such people are able to understand the true condition of others. They know how to approach people and offer support with their compassion. They recognize precisely what kind of approach is needed. Compassion is the central element in their actions.
These people are often inconspicuous. They are not easy to recognize and don't readily share their compassion. Sensitive people often appear weak and insecure. Precisely because of their heightened sensitivity, they conceal their feelings.
The Apostle Paul was one of these people.
He said of himself: “ For letters, says one, are weighty and powerful, but physical presence is weak and speech is contemptible” (2 Cor 10:10).
Indeed, it is a great gift not to claim all the space, but to allow others to speak as well. The Apostle Paul was willing to be less important than others so that no one around him would feel inferior. Only in such a position can a person open their heart.
Such people are easily offended, easily hurt. Nevertheless, they can endure all of this to help someone willing to open their heart. They are not weaklings, nor do they belong to those who think they always have it easy. Looking at them, you realize that others also suffer and experience hardship, and suddenly your own heart opens.
It's easy to recognize such people by the way they correct someone precisely and lovingly. They, in particular, understand that accusations and rebukes can hurt when you're already in pain. There's a quiet strength in these people. The weak (those who aren't very successful in their spiritual lives) are literally drawn to them. Some are looking for a word that speaks to them personally; others are simply looking for a shoulder to lean on.
Even people blessed with the gift of compassion need support.
Benefactors must be supported and encouraged. They must be given the opportunity to use this gift and develop the power of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, it is the power of the Holy Spirit that empowers people to show mercy. This is what Jesus Christ brought to earth. What did He lack in heaven? Was He unhappy in heaven amidst the choirs of angels and all the praise? What did Christ bring to earth? Only one thing—compassion for humanity. For good people? Or did He not know how they would react to Him? Did He not know that suffering awaited Him? He knew: “ I have come to do your will, O God” (Hebrews 10:7).
Christ could have appeared in wealth and glory and lived in comfort. But it was as if He deliberately subjected Himself to every kind of pain, just to help those who were tempted. He didn't rebuke them, but had compassion. He entered the house of tax collectors and prostitutes, yet remained pure. He understood how complicated life is, how much a person is drawn in this life to the wrong things that wound the heart and make them a nobody. He came to lift people up and heal them.
How to recognize benefactors
The parable of the Good Samaritan (cf. Luke 10:30-35) is a multifaceted and instructive text. The Good Samaritan could not pass by a man in distress who had been attacked by robbers who had stripped him, wounded him, and left him half-dead. Despite the gulf that separated the Samaritan from the Jew, he helped him. The most important characteristic of a benefactor is mercy. It is the nature of benefactors to feel compassion for people, regardless of who is in need. He “ saw him and had compassion ” (Luke 10:33).
After approaching, he bandaged the man's wounds, poured oil and wine on them, lifted him onto his own donkey, and took him to an inn. There he cared for him. It is obvious that the Good Samaritan did all this not reluctantly. Such people are drawn to helping others. They are drawn to where people are suffering.
Benefactors are, in a way, very practical. They can bandage wounds without unnecessary sighing, get people to the right place, and cover expenses. It's as if life itself has arranged everything for them. They have everything they need: wine, oil, transportation, money. All of it is always readily available.
“ The next day, as he was leaving, he gave the innkeeper two denarii and said to him, ‘Take care of him, and if you spend more, I will repay you when I return ’” (Luke 10:35). None of us doubts that the money was used for the benefit of the wounded man. If necessary, he would have raised more funds. Somehow, the Good Samaritan understood that the innkeeper would fulfill his part of the good deed. He considered him trustworthy. For some reason, such people have a special gift: they are very good at reading people.
The Samaritan didn't lament what would become of the poor man, nor did he condemn the others, claiming to be the only good one. He didn't ponder what would happen next. He had only one thing in mind for the future: that the wounded man wouldn't be thrown out once the money ran out, and therefore he promised to cover the extra costs on the return journey.
About joy
The word "Heiterkeit" is translated into English as "Fröhlichkeit" (cheerfulness) and means that one should not worry and should remain cheerful. If one's charitable work is not understood, supported, or thanked, one should not worry, but rather continue to do good without ceasing.
Jesus Christ had a house He loved to visit. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus lived there. They were far from sinless, yet there was something about that house that drew Him to it, which is why He liked to come there. Perhaps Mary had a special way of listening, Martha a special way of serving, and Lazarus a special kind of faith. In that house, Christ had a wonderful place. He could do good works with joy, or as the English would say, do good with cheerfulness. There, mercy was both sought and practiced.
There are times when you have to accept someone else's help because you see the distressing consequences and there seems to be no way out – you feel safe in the hands of the helper. At other times, we thank God that this person was on our path. Such a pastor, brother, or sister has a special way of speaking, of being silent, or of helping. We like to emulate such people once we've emerged from a difficult situation.
People in whom the gift of charity is at work may be weaker and less successful in life, but achieve much in the spiritual life. The gift of the benefactor is very important for the church. Even the strongest need this kind of service. It is good when this gift is present in the church. Then there are no needy people, because there is someone (or several people) who empathizes with them, supports them, and tends to their wounds. All this in an unobtrusive and uncomplicated way.
Leonid Odessky
Tel Aviv
Quotes:
- The main goal of giving charity lies in the ability to empathize.
- A benefactor is less an actor and more a compassionate person. He has a good sense for those who need his love.
- People blessed with the gift of compassion themselves need support.