Involving Children in Acts of Service and Charitable Giving
Involving children in acts of service and charitable giving is a practice rooted in both biblical instruction and theological understanding, emphasizing the development of virtues from a young age. The Old Testament, for instance, records instances where the Israelites were called to bring willing offerings to the Lord, with the expectation that "every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work" would participate [4]. This principle of willing contribution applied broadly, indicating that participation in giving was not restricted by age or gender, but by the disposition of the heart [9].
The New Testament similarly encourages believers to be "followers of God" in acts of mercy, goodness, and beneficence, particularly in forgiving others and distributing to the needs of the saints, acting "as dear children" [8]. This suggests that children, as members of God's family, are called to emulate divine generosity.
From a theological perspective, the capacity for virtue and grace in children is affirmed. Thomas Aquinas, a prominent Scholastic theologian, argued that children receive grace and virtues in Baptism, becoming members of Christ. He refuted the idea that children only receive the "character of Christ" and must wait until adulthood to receive grace and virtue [2]. This implies that children are capable of spiritual growth and can exercise virtues like charity. Aquinas defined charity not only as the love of God but also as a friendship with Him, involving a mutual return of love and communion [3]. This spiritual capacity can be nurtured through acts of service and giving, which can increase charity over time, much like bodily growth [1].
Rabbinic tradition also underscores the importance of charitable giving, even to the extent of expropriating property from a father who has resources but fails to provide for his children's needs through charity [5]. This highlights a communal expectation for provision and generosity that would naturally involve the family unit.
Puritan and Nonconformist commentators like Matthew Henry emphasized the role of parents in instructing their children in these matters. David, though a king and man of war, did not consider it beneath him to teach children, offering counsel from his own experience [6]. Solomon similarly invited his children to "receive instruction from him," stressing that parents, especially those in positions of authority, have a duty to instruct their own families in good counsel [7]. This instruction would naturally extend to practical demonstrations of service and giving, fostering a lifelong habit of generosity and compassion.
Sources
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part (Secunda Secundae), Of the Subject of Charity, Art. 6: Article: Whether charity increases through every act of charity? I answer that, The spiritual increase of charity is somewhat like the increase of a body. Now bodily increase in animals and plants is not a continuous movement, so that, to wit, if a thing increase so much in so much time, it need to increase proportionally in each part of that time, as happens in local movement; but for a certain space of time nature works by disposing for the increase, without causing any actual inc”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of the Effects of Baptism, Art. 6: Article: Whether children receive grace and virtue in Baptism? I answer that, Some of the early writers held that children do not receive grace and virtues in Baptism, but that they receive the imprint of the character of Christ, by the power of which they receive grace and virtue when they arrive at the perfect age. But this is evidently false, for two reasons. First, because children, like adults, are made members of Christ in Baptism; hence they must, of necessity, receive an influx of grace and virtues ”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part of the Second Part (Prima Secundae), Of the Connection of Virtues, Art. 5: Article: Whether charity can be without faith and hope? I answer that, Charity signifies not only the love of God, but also a certain friendship with Him; which implies, besides love, a certain mutual return of love, together with mutual communion, as stated in Ethic. viii, 2. That this belongs to charity is evident from 1 Jn. 4:16: "He that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him," and from 1 Cor. 1:9, where it is written: "God is faithful, by Whom you are called unto th”
- Exodus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Exodus 35:28: The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord,.... What they did, whether more or less, they did it cheerfully and willingly, as to the Lord, for his service and glory: every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses: See Gill on Exo 35:21 and as there were work and service of God's appointment to be done in the legal tabernacle, so there are in the Gospel church; such as prayer, praise, preaching, and hearing the word, and the administration of ordina”
- Mishneh Torah (Maimonides) (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Mishneh Torah (Maimonides), Mishneh Torah%2C Marriage 12:15: To what does the above apply? To a person who is not known to have resources, and it is not known whether or not he is capable of giving charity. If, however, he has resources and he possesses the means to give an amount to charity that would provide for [his children's] needs, his property is expropriated against his will 27 As evident from Halachah 17, this applies only when the father is present. The Rambam maintains that a person's property may not be expropriated for this purpose outside his presence. for the purposes of charity”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 34:11: David, in this latter part of the psalm, undertakes to teach children. Though a man of war, and anointed to be king, he did not think it below him; though now he had his head so full of cares and his hands of business, yet he could find heart and time to give good counsel to young people, from his own experience. It does not appear that he had now any children of his own, at least any that were grown up to a capacity of being taught; but, by divine inspiration, he instructs the children of his people. Those that were in years would not be taught by him, though he”
- Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Proverbs 4:1: Here we have, I. The invitation which Solomon gives to his children to come and receive instruction from him (Pro 4:1, Pro 4:2): Hear, you children, the instruction of a father. That is, 1. "Let my own children, in the first place, receive and give good heed to those instructions which I set down for the use of others also." Note, Magistrates and ministers, who are entrusted with the direction of larger societies, are concerned to take a more than ordinary care for the good instruction of their own families; from this duty their public work will by no means excus”
- Ephesians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ephesians 5:1: Be ye therefore followers of God,.... Not in his works of infinite wisdom and almighty power, which is impossible; but in acts of righteousness and holiness, and particularly in acts of mercy, goodness, and beneficence; as in forgiving injuries and offences, and in freely distributing to the necessities of the saints; as the connection of the words with the preceding chapter, and the instance and example in the following verse show: and this should be done by the saints, as dear children; and because they are such by adopting grace; being predestinated unto the ad”
- Exodus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Exodus 25:2: Speak unto the children of Israel,.... That is, when he should go down from the mountain to the camp: that they bring me an offering; the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan call it a "separation": something separated from their substance, and devoted to the service of God, and for the use of the sanctuary afterwards to be built: of every man that giveth it willingly, with his heart, ye shall take my offering; or take what was offered to him, be it more or less, and of whatsoever person, high and low, rich and poor, so be it it is freely given from the heart; not grud”