Was Jesus generous?

• Author: Quintero, David
• Position: WE HEAR YOU - Letter to the editor

In the first paragraph of his article in the May issue ("A Pacifist Protest Against the Peaceful Drone"), Wendell Berry extols Jesus's "unquestioning generosity to the poor." Berry sees no imperfections in his religious hero--only moral supremacy.

Nevertheless, I am not convinced. First of all, to be generous one has to have something to give (such as money, food, or shelter). Someone who offers only love or encouragement or a blessing to the needy may be a nice person, but certainly not a generous one. If, for example, a hungry man approaches me for help, and I say to him, "I'll pray for you," am I showing generosity? Of course, not!

As implied in Luke 9:58, Jesus had plenty of nothing--and the Gospels mention repeatedly that nothing was plenty for him. He even exhorted his disciples not to crave worldly goods or seek creature comforts, but to put their trust in God for their needs (Luke 12:22-34). So, how could Jesus be generous if he had...