One day when he himself was going,
Coemgen, with his sheep onto the hill,
There came to him a troop of poor men,
Starving for want of food.
– The Monk Solomon, Life of Coemgen
“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
– Luke 6.38
Give what you have
This vignette is notable for a couple of reasons. First, we meet Coemgen the shepherd, taking his sheep “onto the hill” to feed. We have seen that Coemgen was a diligent ascetic, a disciple-maker, and a preacher and teacher who could strike terror in the lost or wayward. Now here we see him taking his turn at the kind of manual labor required to keep a monastic community going.
As he led his seven sheep along the trail, Coemgen encountered a “troop of poor men”, and they were “starving”:
As soon as ever they came to him,
They asked alms for the love of God.
But Coemgen had no money with him, so he sent them on their way. The poor men trudged off, only to hear Coemgen call them back. He gave the poor men the seven sheep he was herding, that they might take them to feed themselves on their journey.
Solomon continues,
Not diminished was the herd when numbered,
And God saved him Himself from shame.
He must have felt some regret at giving away the monastery’s sheep. But somehow, by the time he returned to the community, those seven donated sheep had been replaced. By a miracle? By seven new lambs? By a gift from some donor? We do not know. Coemgen gave what he had to care for his neighbors, and God made sure that he and his community had everything they needed.
Simple obedience
Though he hesitated, in the end, Coemgen did what Jesus taught we should do, give to whoever asks of you (Lk. 6.30), because those who are in need are our neighbors, and we must love them as we love ourselves. God promises that if we will give to others, He will make sure we have an abundance of everything we need.
Such giving goes beyond money, although it can include that. We must give attention to those who need a listening ear. Counsel to those who need advice. Time for those who are in distress. Instruction for the wayward. Encouragement for the downcast. Sympathy and comfort for the grieving or confused. Whatever we give to others, God will return to us so that we do not lack.
This seems to be the teaching of this episode in the ministry of Coemgen. As soon as God made it clear to him that he did, in fact, have something to give, he didn’t hesitate to part with the sheep. And before his fear of shame could overcome him, he received news that his gift had been resupplied. What if we all operated on that principle with respect to everything we have to give? Grace would overflow throughout our Personal Mission Field, and we would never lack for anything.
Because God supplies all our need through His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. All He asks of us is simple obedience: Do what you can, when you should, as much as you can. And don’t worry about lost time or strength or resources or anything else. God will supply.
Nothing we have is too small to serve as a channel for the grace of God. Pay attention. See with Jesus’ eyes. Give what you have, and give it without fear and with joy. God will provide.
For Reflection
1. In prayer, inventory all that God has given you to share with others.
2. What can you do to make sure your heart is right to give what you can?
Psalm 139.23, 24
(Ripley: Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah, O My Soul)
Search my heart, O LORD, and know me,
as You only, LORD, can do.
Test my thoughts and contemplations,
whether they be vain or true.
Let there be no sin in me, LORD,
nothing that Your Spirit grieves.
Lead me in the righteous way, LORD,
unto everlasting peace!
T. M. Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
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Other columns of interest: This week: In our ReVision series on “The Kingdom Economy” we consider what it takes to grow it. Our Read Moore podcast completes our journey through Joy to Your World!. The focus of our Scriptorium daily study is on “Matthew: The Coming of the Kingdom.” Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
