His Holiness Pope Shenouda III speaks about the commandment “Give to him who asks you,” explaining that giving in Christianity is not giving without discernment or wisdom, but rather it must be connected with spiritual discernment and the true benefit of the person who asks. Not every request is answered literally, because the purpose of giving is goodness and edification, not harm or corruption.

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that a person should not give what harms others, such as giving a dangerous tool to someone who may use it for harm, or giving money in a way that corrupts a person and makes him lazy, spoiled, and unable to bear responsibility.

He also confirms that carrying out the divine commandments always needs spiritual wisdom and discernment, because the commandments are not carried out in a rigid or literal way without understanding. He gives the example of God Himself, who although He invites people to ask and pray, sometimes does not give a person what he asks for if that thing is not beneficial for his salvation or spiritual growth.

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III discusses the example of Saint Paul the Apostle, who asked God to remove illness from him, but God did not answer this request because the trial was spiritually beneficial for him, and the grace of God was sufficient for him.

He also explains that a person may ask for things that seem good but are not beneficial for him, therefore requests may not be answered because God looks at the true benefit and not merely human desire.

He also stresses the necessity of wisdom in using charity money and giving, so that it may not be given to deceivers at the expense of true needy people, because the money of God must be managed with faithfulness and discernment.

Spiritual Message

The main message of the lecture is that true Christian giving is based on both love and wisdom, so that giving becomes a cause of edification and spiritual goodness, not a cause of harm or corruption.

Faith Dimension

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III focuses on:

• The necessity of discernment and wisdom in carrying out the commandments.
• That God gives man what benefits him spiritually.
• That true giving should be for edification.
• The importance of responsibility in using charity money.
• That love cannot be separated from spiritual wisdom.

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