Should We Tithe?

We all know the Old Covenant required a tithe of 10% (Leviticus 27:30). But did you know that the New Covenant requires no tithe—but something greater: generous giving! In fact, Paul admonishes the Corinthians to sow generously, explaining that each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:6:7). Only God knows if we are being generous and cheerful in our giving.

But think of this. You could be giving a tithe—10% of your income—and not be giving generously. Or you could be giving a tithe under compulsion, not cheerfully, but with a “have to” approach. I think this “have to” mind-set is evidenced by the question: “Should I (do I have to) tithe on my gross or net income?” For many wealthy people, giving a tenth is probably of little consequence to their disposable income. On the other hand, giving a tenth may be sacrificial for a poorer person.

This story about John Wesley captures Paul’s philosophy of giving. When John Wesley made thirty pounds, he lived on twenty-eight pounds and gave away two. Then when he made sixty pounds, he knew he could live on twenty-eight pounds, so he gave away thirty-two. The next year, his income rose to ninety pounds, but he still lived on twenty-eight pounds and gave away the rest. He understood that the tithe is not the real issue. It’s whether you believe it all belongs to God.

All or Nothing

Have you ever felt that you weren’t giving enough to the Lord? The Old Covenant required the Jews to give a tithe—ten percent. But the New Covenant requires 100%. Though I am not speaking of money, how you spend your money is a good indication of where your heart is: “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:21). I am speaking of your life: Jesus wants it all (Rom. 12:1: 1 Cor. 6:20).

John’s gospel account illustrates this principle (Jn. 6). At the end of a day when people were tired and hungry, the disciples wanted to send them away to the villages to buy their own food. But Jesus insisted that they feed the people (5,000 men, plus unnumbered women and children). When Jesus asked Phillip where they could buy enough bread for all the people to eat, Phillip began to hyper-ventilate (John says Jesus was testing him!). But Peter came to Phillip's rescue by finding a young boy whose mother had prepared him a lunch of 5 little loaves of bread and 2 fishes. I wonder how reassuring that was to Phillip!?

Of course you know how the story ends: not only was everyone fed but there were 12 baskets of left-over’s. (Wouldn't it have been fitting to give the left-over's to Phillip?) By turning the boy's meager lunch into abundance, Jesus was teaching Phillip (and us) this lesson: He doesn’t need a lot from us; but He requires all we have.