The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Corinthians — Section 214

ncknowlcdgcs tho liberality of the Corinthians, the apostle takes occasion to explain tho value of "readiness," i.e. a disposition stretching forward to serve God and th13 Church, and not needing to be dragged forward by importunity. This is acceptable to God, the supreme Lover and spontaneous Giver of every good and perfect gift. What h? regards is not the amount of ~he gift laid on his al.tar, but the disposition which g_tvcs promp\ly and ~lad_ly e.9cordrng to the resou_rces at its c~mmand. Now, this prin- ciple 1s of wide e.p~hc~tion. It wtll prov~ all kmds of serv1~e. God is pleased with those servants of his who have a ready mmd. An apt but mISleading phrase is some- times heard-" taking the will for the deed." Too often it is used as an excase for shirking duty or withholding gifts. Two things must be kept in mind- I. GOD DOES NO.T ACCEPT INTENTION OR ClOOD WILL INSTEAD OF THE DEED WHEN IT JS WITHiN ,ONE'fl POWER TO PERFORM. And God looks behind the excuses that a covetous or indolen't he.art puts forward, and know11 the absolute fact regarding what each man has or has not, can or. cannot do. In giving to the poor or for the propagation of the gospel, one may obtain praise of men by bestowing a large sum in answer to an urgent appeal; but he has no praise from God if his contribution bas been reluctant, or if it does not bear a fair proportion to the resources at his disposal Sometimes one cannot give as much as form(;lrly or as much as his neighbours, and therefore prays to be excused from giving anything, expressing a hope that the will may be taken for the deed. But it will not be sq taken. He is reguired to give according to what he has, not wh.at he has not. And the willing offering is just as acceptable to God as a gift a thousand times 11s large from a man a thousand times as rich. So also in regard to personal service. How many. who call Jesus "Lord," when any definite piece of Christian work is proposed to them, put it aside, alleging that they have no tl\rn ,for it or no time for it I So they stand all the day idle. Because they cannot serve witµ great ability or in a_co_nspicuous station, they do nothing, and simply wish well :to the cause of God· and. of righteousness. But empty good wishes are cheap and little worth, and God will not in such cases take the will for the deed. He who employs two talents with' a willing mind w,ill be commended in exactly the same termJ! as his fellow-servant who has had five. And let him who has only one beware 0f hiding it in the earth. Men 'are very apt to take gifts from Christ, but not the gift of his "yoke." They .are also not unwilling to own their faults, but do not mend them- m01'ely raise a sort of foolish protest against their own weakness. In like manner they heat with much satisfaction of the efforts made to purify and reform society, but per- sonally they take n6 trouble about it, devote no time or pains to such endeavours. The hard work of ph}lanthropy they complacently leave to others. Many act in the same way in regard to the expense incurred in a good cause. They are quite proud of the large sums _raised in their church, and of the free-handedness of their country. Ilut they do not g'ive. .They blandly wa:ve their best wishes over the gifts of others. ilut where there is power to do something for tl),e good cause, God will not accept a. wish for the deed. Where there is power to give, he will not accept a smile for a gift. II. WHERE GOOD WILL SHOWS ITSELF IN DEEDS OR GIFTS, GoD LOOKS NOT so MUCH ON THE AMOUNT OF THE OFFERING AS ON THE HEART OF THE DOER OR CllVER. It is the prothumia, the readiness of disposition, which pleases him. He loves the earnest worker and the cheerftll giver. He approves that doer of the Word who does not neeLl to be coaxed and pressed to undertake some part of Christian service, aud that giver who, i~tead of waiting to be solicited, seeks out the objects most worthy of help, anJ. makes his offering with a simplicity and a spontaneousness which greatly enhance the gift. In fact,'while God does not accept the will for the deed from those wbo are able to do, he always accepts the will in the deed, and is pleased with the evidenc~ of a ready mind. King David was not permitted to build a temple to Jehova~; but _it was well that it was in bis heart to do so (1 Kings viii. 18), and the preparations which he made for the work are recorded with honour (1 Chron. xxix.). 'l'he women who prepared spices and ointments for the dead body of Jesus Christ were not allowed_ to ca1:ry out their purpose, for before they reached the sepulchre he had risen; but their readm~ss of mind was pleasing to the Lord, and they got something better. to do than a~omt a corpse. They were made the first preachers of bis resurrection (Luke xxiv. 10). The men who had followed Jesus were more slow of heart. 'l'hey brool1ed over the disappointment of thl'ir hopes about tho Messiah's king,lom, au<l the <lark storm uf 214 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORIN'1.'HIANS. [en. vm. 1-24,