Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver.
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Ambrosiaster
AD 400
Paul is teaching them that if they give with a cheerful heart they will be storing up treasure for future use in heaven. Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.
See then, first, that He has not commanded you to be solicited or to wait to be importuned, but yourself to seek those who are to be benefited and are worthy disciples of the Saviour. Excellent, accordingly, also is the apostle's saying, "For the Lord loveth a cheerful giver; "
Not grudgingly or of necessity. Avarice makes reluctance, and regard for one"s reputation induces constraint. Let each man give what he likes, not influenced or compelled by my authority or that of Titus , and not because regard for his honour makes him ashamed of giving less than others.
For God loveth a cheerful giver. Quoted from Prov. xxii9 , LXX. On cheerfulness in giving, see Romans 12:8. S. Augustine (Enarr. in Ps. xliii.) says beautifully: "If you give your bread grudgingly, you lose both your bread and your reward." And again (Serm45): "If good works are good seeds, why are they sown in tears?" S. Chrysostom (Hom. on 1 Corinthians 11:19) says: "If we give cheerfully, our reward will be twofold, one for giving and one for giving cheerfully." S. Gregory (Morals, 21 , c11 , on Job 31:16) says: "Job thus acted that he might increase his merits, not only by giving but also by the promptitude with which he gave his good things." Cf. Proverbs 3:28, Sirach 35:11. Alms then should...
Paul’s purpose was not only for money to be contributed to the poor but for it to be contributed with great eagerness. Likewise, God appointed almsgiving not only for the nourishment of the needy but also for the benefit of the providers, and much more so for the latter than for the former. For if he considered only the interest of the poor, he would have commanded solely that the money be given, and he would not have asked for the eagerness of the providers. But now you see the apostle in every way ordering by will first and above all for the givers to be joyful: the suppliers to furnish in a cheerful manner. And at one time he says, “Everyone must do as he has chosen in his heart, neither out of grief nor necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver,” not simply a giver but the one who does this with pleasure. Homily: A Sermon on Almsgiving.
Let each man do according as he has purposed in his heart. For a man when left to himself, does a thing more readily than when compelled. Wherefore also he dwells upon this: for having said, according as he is disposed, he added,
Not grudgingly, nor of necessity. And neither was he content with this, but he adds a testimony from Scripture also, saying,
For God loves a cheerful giver. Do you see how frequently he lays this down? I speak not by commandment: and, Herein I give my advice: and, as a matter of bounty, and not as of extortion, and again, not grudgingly, nor of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. In this passage I am of opinion that a large [giver] is intended; the Apostle however has taken it as giving with readiness. For because the example of the Macedonians and all those other things were enough to produce sumptuousness, he does not say many things on that head, but upon giving without reluctance. For if it is a work of virtue, and yet all that is done of nece...
Blessed, then, is almsgiving, which both renews the recipient and rejoices the giver, “for God loves a cheerful giver,” and for this reason it is better to give to him first. Joyful, therefore, and cheerful is the one who attends to the poor. Quite clearly he is joyful, because for a few small coins he acquires heavenly treasures for himself; on the contrary, the person who pays taxes is always sad and dejected. Rightly is he sad who is not drawn to payment by love but forced by fear. Christ’s debtor, then, is joyful, and Caesar’s sad, because love urges the one to payment, and punishment constrains the other; the one is invited by rewards, the other compelled by penalties. .
Even if there is some kind of treasury, it is not accumulated from a high initiation fee as if the religion were something bought and paid for. Each man deposits a small amount on a certain day of the month or whenever he wishes, and only on condition that he is willing and able to do so. No one is forced; each makes his contribution voluntarily. These are, so to speak, the deposits of piety. The money therefrom is spent not for banquets or drinking parties or goodfornothing eating houses but for the support and burial of the poor, for children who are without their parents and means of subsistence, for aged men who are confined to the house; likewise, for shipwrecked sailors, and for any in the mines, on islands or in prisons.
