“Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.” (Lk. 12:33)

If you’re not tied down and preoccupied with stuff you’re free to use stuff to please God. The rich fool, whose story precedes this exhortation, was preoccupied with where he could store his goods (Lk. 12:16-21), whereas Jesus wanted His disciples to sell and give (vs.33). Namely, He told them to give “alms.” The Greek word for alms comes from the Greek word eleos, which means “mercy” or “pity” or “compassion.” Thus, “alms” refer to gifts of compassion or mercy that people bestow on others in need. It’s the kind of thing that we see the early church do often in the book of Acts (Acts 2:45; 11:27-30).

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