We know the story of the Widow’s Mite, how Jesus watched those who came into the Temple, and how he gave more credit to the one who gave of everything she had than to those who threw in vast sums. She gave that which she needed for sustenance. She would undoubtedly go hungry in exchange for her generosity. The rich gave only a portion of their wealth and kept back vast sums on which to live.
Yet even the rich have despair that money cannot wipe away. Turn to the story of the Shunammite woman. She was married. She was wealthy. She was generous as well as a good judge of character. The Word describes her as “a great woman.” What of life did she have to complain about? It seemed nothing.
Elisha was a footsore prophet, a man of God, with no more than the revelations of God to his claim. What connection could there possibly be between the two?
Even so, we read of a bond forged in 2 Kings 4:8:
“And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in hither to eat bread.”
The relationship grew stronger; and the woman suggested she and her husband make up a chamber with a bed, table, and stool, for Elisha’s own private use whenever he happened by.
This was a small thing for a wealthy woman. She still had plenty left over. She didn’t strain her budget to provide a room for Elisha to ease his tired feet while on his journeys.
It made a difference to Elisha, however. He called her in and offered to do anything for her that was in his power. What did she want, an audience with the king, or perhaps to be respected by the captain of the host? For all she had done, Elisha was at her disposal.
The Shunammite woman was modest, in addition to being a great woman of wealth, and she had no requests to make of Elisha. Rather, she had done her good deed out of generosity, and that was her reward. She didn’t mention she was childless, a desire she had let fade with her youth.
A child was exactly what Elisha offered her. The woman conceived and bore a son.
The story goes on, covering 29 verses of Chapter 4. The son later dies, and Elisha is called upon to perform another, even more spectacular miracle for the unnamed Shunammite woman. However, let’s stop here. There is a core of truth in Verse 11 we want to grasp.
The Shunammite woman shared a small portion of her wealth, and God smiled on her for her generosity. What are we blessed with that we can share with others? It doesn’t have to bankrupt us. Perhaps we can drive a mile out of our way to offer someone a ride to church. Maybe we can pay for someone’s drink when the Sunday school class gathers for refreshment. Or maybe our generosity is as simple as offering to give up our seat on Sunday morning so someone else can have a better view of the choir.
It’s not the vast sums as the offering plate passes by that impress God. It’s the kindnesses we offer to the people at our side that stirs God’s generosity back unto us.
What we give unto God with generosity will return to us in ways we cannot even imagine.
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