Let us look at the next seven verses today.
“32 For if ye love them that love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. 33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: 38 give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
These seven verses are one topic from different angles. Jesus is telling us that we will receive the same treatment we give to others. Notice the way He phrases the question, “...[W]hat thank have ye?” Jesus gives the impression that God directly rewards us for our deeds. From my own experience, I can attest that the reward is not just in the hereafter. You are rewarded immediately in your own soul for the deeds you do to others.
Again Jesus speaks of the intent behind the act in verses 34 and 36. Why you do something is more important to God than what you do. If you act out of egoism, greed or selfishness, God will not honor your deed, and your reward is in this world. But if your actions are done out of love, spontaneously, your reward is immediate and eternal. Your own soul grows to be more like God each time you love. “...[F]or God is love,” as saint John put it (1Jn 4:8).
All of the actions Jesus gives as examples are actions of a loving, generous heart. And the law of reciprocity is expressed in verses 37 and 38. Saint Paul put it like this, “Don’t kid yourself, you don’t fool God. Whatever you do to others will come back on you.” The Hindus call this karma. But they add the baggage of reincarnation to it. We don’t believe in reincarnation, “For it is appointed unto man once to die, and after that the judgment.” Jesus is saying it will happen in this life and in the one to come.
In my own experience, the reward for doing good comes immediately in my soul, a sort of joy that lifts my spirit for the rest of the day, especially if the good is unpremeditated.
This is not to say we are to be reckless in our personal liberality. Rather, we are to be loving, to meet the immediate needs of the one before us. We are not to go out looking for ways to become fiscal martyrs. There have been people in history who divested themselves of all they possessed to give to the poor, but they were called to the life of poverty by God. If God gives you plenty, it is to share, not squander. And if God gives you poverty, it is to foster your trust in Him for your needs. I myself have had no income for the past eight months besides the little from these blogs. God has seen to it that I have all I need to eat, my power and rent is covered by a loan, and my transportation needs are met, all by His grace. But it doesn’t mean I have any greater favor of God, only that I am so hard-headed that I need harder lessons.
Conclusion is: foster an attitude of love in your heart; be generous to all, friend or foe; do the good deed God has placed before you; and God will see to it your reward is in full.
Ol’ Fuzzy is not employable and was denied for disability benefits. The only thing I have is the blogs. But I don’t qualify for ads on the blogs until September. If you like the scribbles I post, please help me keep it going. You can leave me a gratuity by dropping a buck or two in Ol' Fuzzy's Tip Jar. This is a PayPal account I opened on Wednesday, April 5, 2017.
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