The Infinite Measure of Divine Generosity
Saint Gregory of Nazianzus explains generosity as a principle deeply rooted in the understanding that everything a person possesses truly belongs to God. He believes that a Christian merely acts as a temporary custodian, "a guardian of someone else's property," with the duty to manage it in accordance with God's will. In his treatises, he emphasizes that even when one gives away a part of one’s possessions (or even oneself), one still cannot compare to the generosity of God, for everything comes from Him and returns to Him in abundance. As he puts it:"Give," he instructs, "a little to Him from Whom you have received immeasurably more. Give even everything to the Giver of all that He has bestowed upon you. You will never be as generous as God, even if you have sacrificed everything you possess, even if you have given yourself along with your property; for even that which is required to give yourself to God, man receives from Him. No matter how much you pay Him, even more will remain with you, and you give nothing of your own, since everything comes from God. And just as one cannot outrun his own shadow... just as a body cannot grow taller than its head... so too it is impossible for us to outdo God with our gifts." (source: link txt)From this statement, it is clear that Saint Gregory believes generosity to be boundless, for even if a person sacrifices everything they have, it cannot match the measure upon which God is capable of bestowing. Such generosity is a living manifestation of God's grace that surpasses all human limits and measurements of gifts. In his teaching, generosity acquires not merely a moral character, but becomes an instrument of spiritual response to the immeasurable divine bestowal.