LIBERALITY.— 1. This may be considered to begin when the requirements of the Law have been fulfilled. Thus the payment of tithe, which in our Lord's time was evidently regarded as an ideal (cf. Lk 181'-), cannot be described as liberality, though it seems certain that many of the wealthier among the ' dispersed ' regarded it as a duty to
* Cf. Schiirer, HJP ii. i. 306 ff. t Cf. Keim, Jesus of Nazara, v. 276.
t Cf. Hatch, The Organization of the Early Christian Chiirehes, 52. § Ante-Nicene Christian Library, xxii. 205.
send, by Avay of Temple tribute, generous and even munificent contributions, far in excess of the legal requirement. These were collected at dif- ferent centres abroad, and then sent by certain specially appointed 'ambassadors' to Jerusalem, where they were placed in three large chests within the Temple, which were opened with great solemnity at certain seasons of the year. Apart from the Temple tribute, the treasury was enriched by voluntary offerings of different kinds ; and out of this grew the abuse which our Lord denounces in Mt 15'- •*. It seems probable that tlie faithful rarely visited the Temple, at least on Sabbaths and feasts, without making some contribution to its revenues. Though votive offerings cannot be regarded, strictly speaking, as instancesof liberality, and led to abuses against which the more devout Rabbis protested, the motives which prompted them may not infrequently have been generous and sincere.
In the Court of tlie Women, within the Temple, were the shopharoth, or ' trumpets,' vessels whose shape is indicated by their name, in which contri- butions for religious purposes and for charitable objects might be placed. The c(mtents of these were at fixed times placed in the treasury ; and in addition to these thei'e was a cliamber where donations to be applied to the maintenance and education of poor children might be given. There is reason to believe that, whatever the motives in individual cases might be, there was a constant flow of liberality through these channels (cf. Mk 12«, Lk 211). On the wealth of the Temple treasury and the pious purposes for which it was partly intended, cf. 2 Mac 3 "• i". Whatever may have been the greedy and grasping spirit of tlie Pharisees, whose extortions our Lord denounces (Mt 231'*), it is probable that the Deuteronomic precept (Dt IS''"") received a generous fulfilment among all classes.
2. Christ's teaching as to liberality. — (a) Of mind. The whole life and teaching of Christ may be regarded as a protest against prejudice and narrow- mindedness, and therefore as an apjieal for liber- ality. His injunctions to love enemies (Mt S^'*- ■*■'• ^'\ Lk G^- 28), to refrain from passing judgment on others (Mt V'^, Lk 6^^), and indirectly, the parable of the Good Samaritan, afi'ord instances in wliich He condemns the spirit of prejudice and inculcates an open mind and generous bearing towards otheis.
(b) In the use of wealtli, etc. The claim to which no follower of Christ is to turn a deaf ear is that of need. Need, as evidenced by asking, is a sufficient ground for giving (Mt 5*^). The measure of our giving is to be in proportion to the extent of our own blessing (Lk ll*^i 12^^), and although the com- mand ' Freely ye have received, freely give ' (Mt 10*) was spoken with reference to the use of the miraculous powers given to the disciples, we cannot doubt that it extends also to all endowments of wealth or talents wherewith God has blessed us. Liberality in the form of almsgiving is to be ivithotit ostentation (Mt Q^-^-*); its reward is the heavenly treasure 'that faileth not'(Lk 12^^), an<l a generous return, here or hereafter, for the right use of wealth (Lk 6^^ 16^). The comjjlete bestowal of earthly possessions on the poor, accompanied by ' taking up the cross ' and following Christ, whicli is required of the rich young ruler in addition to the observance of the commandments (Mt 19-i, Mk lO^i, Lk 18-2), is not necessarily a rule of universal obligation, but evidently intended to meet this special case ; underlying it is the idea, never absent from our Lord's teaching as to the use of wealth, that wealth is a trust from God, and to be renounced when it becomes a hindrance to spiritual life. While liberality is assured of a reward, the reward, or even return, is not to be
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the object of the giver (Lk 6^', where /j.r]8ev dTreXTTifovres may be 'hoping tor nothing again/ as in AV ; or ' never despairing/ as in KV ; or, if read fnqbeva, ' driving no one to despair,' or ' despair- ing of no man,' as in RVm).*
There are three utterances of our Lord with reference to liberality to the Temple and the pur- poses connected therewith. The gift is to be brought to the altar only after reconciliation to an otiended brother (Mt 5^--*;; outward liberality Ijeing thus shown to be unacceptable to God unless the heart be tilled with the spirit of love. Natural duties are not to be set aside by a liberality wliich becomes sinful (Mt 15^) in devoting to the Temple what ought to be given to the support of i)arents. The teaching of the incident of the widows two mites is best summed up in the words of Ambrose : ' It is not considered how much is given, but how much remains behind.' The answer of John the Baptist (Lk 3") may be quoted as in accordance with the teaching of oui- Lord : liberality is here shown to be an evidence of repentance, and a practical testimony to a change of heart. See also artt. Almsgiving,' Givixg.