Who's Paying?

We've all been there...the awkard moment when you and a friend have gone out to dinner and the waitress says, "Will that be one check or two?" Do you pay? Do you graciously let your friend pay? Are you being rude by not answering, "two please!" I hate those situations.

I think I found a similar situation in my reading from today...

Genesis 23:10 Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city, 11 “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.” 12 Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. 13 And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, “But if you will, hear me: I give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.” 14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.” 16 Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants.

Ephron is basically saying it is really a small amount between two wealthy people. And it is not nearly as important as Abraham having a special place to bury his wife. Ephron gives a reasonable amount. And Abraham doesn't hesitate to pay. In this case it seems to me that Ephron is being gracious by saying it really doesn't matter, and Abraham is being appreciative by paying the reasonable price.

I guess the moral of the story for me is - Always be generous whenever you have the opportunity. Be generous on every occasion. That sounds like a scripture!