A Generosity Swan Song

There’s an ancient belief dating back to Greek mythology that swans, while remaining mostly silent for much of their lifetime, sing a most beautiful song just before they die. This belief is the origin of where we got the phrase “swan song” that we use today. A swan song refers to a final gesture, performance or speech someone gives before retiring or completing a last performance. In other words, it’s a pretty big deal.

A swan song is often the lasting impression someone leaves on another. It’s a summary of years, or even decades of work, in one final speech or act. Given the magnitude of what a swan song means, would you be surprised to know that one of the most commonly quoted generosity verses in all of scripture is from someone’s swan song?

While we may not know the reference, we’re all familiar with the Bible expression, “It’s better to give than to receive.” Christians and non-Christians alike frequently quote this saying and even share its sentiment. The phrase actually comes from Acts 20:35 where the Apostle Paul quotes Jesus when he says, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

It’s easy to overlook the context of Paul’s words. Paul was speaking to the leaders of the church of Ephesus. He had built a relationship with this church from previous missionary journeys and was speaking to them for the last time. In fact, just 10 verses prior to this quote, Paul solemnly observes, “And now I know that none of you whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again” (v. 25). Paul knew that this was his last stop in Ephesus. He was giving his swan song.

In this farewell address, Paul says to “feed and shepherd God’s flock” (v.28), to watch out for false teachers (v.30-31) and to follow his example of working hard to help those in need (v.35). His final word of encouragement is “You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (v. 35). In the very next verse, the leaders of Ephesus prayed for Paul, embraced him, cried with him, said goodbye, and finally walked him to his ship and sent him on his way, never to see him again.

Now, given the context of this passage, how does it shape the way we view this verse? Of all the things Paul could have said in his farewell address, he chose to talk about generosity. Clearly, Paul had reason to elevate this word above others. Perhaps one reason why Paul chose to elevate this practice is because generosity is key to our faith. Not only is generosity modeled after Jesus, but also generosity is also a key ingredient for a church body to flourish in their fellowship and the surrounding community.

By exhorting the Ephesian people to live generously, Paul was setting them up to be sustainable and grow in his absence. When we too, take these words to heart, the Good News of Jesus can spread in our communities and the world today. Let’s continue applying the words Paul left for the Ephesians in our lives today by living generously for others, knowing that it truly is more blessed to give than to receive!