I have showed you all things, how that so laboring you ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said,
It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Read Chapter 20
Clement Of Rome
AD 99
And were more willing to give than to receive.
and were more willing to give than to receive.
It is more blessed to give than to receive. We find not these words of Christ in the gospels. St. Paul might have them from the apostles. (Witham)
Among the many excellent good things our dear Lord said, and which are not mentioned in the gospel, this is one: "it is a more blessed thing to give, than to receive "which did men justly weigh, they would be more ready to give alms, were it only for their own account. Thrice happy then are they who assist their indigent neighbour to the utmost of their power, and for the pure love of God! (Haydock)
And where said He this? Perhaps the Apostles delivered it by unwritten tradition; or else it is plain from (recorded sayings, from) which one could infer it. For in fact here he has shown both boldness in meeting dangers, sympathy with those over whom he ruled, teaching with (unshrinking) boldness, humility, (voluntary) poverty: but, what we have here is even more than that poverty. For if He says there (in the Gospel), If you will be perfect, sell what you have and give to the poor Matthew 19:21, when, besides receiving nothing himself, he provides sustenance for others also, what could equal this? It is one degree to fling away one's possessions; a second, to be sufficient for the supply of one's own necessities: a third, to provide for others also; a fourth, for one (to do all this) who preaches and has a right to receive. So that here is a man far better than those who merely forego possessions. Thus it is right to support the weak: this is (indeed) sympathy with the weak; for to g...
Observe him employed in work and not simply that, but toiling. These hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me: so as to put them to shame. And see how worthily of them. For he says not, You ought to show yourselves superior to money, but what? to support the weak— not all indiscriminately— and to hear the word of the Lord which He spoke, It is more blessed to give than to receive. For lest any one should think that it was spoken with reference to them, and that he gave himself for an ensample, as he elsewhere says, giving an ensample to you Philippians 3:17, he added the declaration of Christ, Who said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. He prayed over them while exhorting them: he shows it both by action,— And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all,
Since even the Lord said: "The giver was happier than the receiver.".
He that forbade stealing, now pronounces him most happy who supplies those that are in want out of his own labours.
