"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Now most of us, myself included, have one intrinsic, instinctive thought when it comes to giving. It may be conscious or subconscious. It may come in this form or that. But nonetheless, at ground zero, it is there screaming at our heart from 18 inches above. It says simply this: "What will i get in return?" Of course we will all deny this flatly at first, but I guarantee you that if you will be honest with yourself you will find, as i have, that this is indeed the case. Of course there are obvious, more sinister examples like, "If i give money to X Charity, then a tax exemption will come year-end." Or, "Look, I gave the church $X, they should definitely put my name on a pew." But to be honest, i'd say that there are probably plenty of people who don't give in this way. Still, the mind is always asking, "What will i get in return?"
You see, we as humans give to people that are thankful. It makes us feel better. We give to our family, because we love them and we love the reaction they have on Christmas morning. We give to organizations that will update us on how our money and resources are being used tangibly. We give to places so that we can make a difference. Let me be clear. These are not bad reasons. But this is not the highest picture of Grace. And more importantly, this is not the way Jesus gave, nor is it the radical way He invites us to. This is what I'm getting at. The way we give is not the way Jesus gave. It surely is not what Christ said in Luke 6. He called for a radically new way of thinking about giving. A type of giving that would separate Christ-followers from the United Way. From UNICEF. From good people who give asking "What will i get in return."
I promise that you cannot get around that passage above. It is very concrete in its language. It has no qualifiers. It has no loop holes. It does not call the government to action. It does not call rich people or middle-class people or poor people. He doesn't single out Socialists or Capitalists. He singles out Christians. He singles out those who would call themselves "little-christs" as it literally meant in the Greek. This is not for the faint of heart, but only for those who seek radically after a Savior who actively demonstrated everything He calls us to.
To go back to the last post, here is what i think is the answer:The most unselfish thing you can do for another person is to give when they don't deserve it. To give when you know they will not thank you. To give not knowing of any tangible results. To give to your enemies. To give when it seems beyond hopeless, beyond helpless. "Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." Then who we are will become what we are. We are sons and daughters of the Most High already, but then we will act the part.
i said earlier that Jesus did not give the way we give. This is the biggest part of what i'm trying to communicate. Ask yourself this: What would have happened if Jesus had come down to earth to die only for thankful people? For people who would accept His gift and let it change their lives? For people who would actually follow what He was trying to tell them? The answer is simple. HE WOULD NOT HAVE COME IN THE FIRST PLACE. The world (you and i included) has rejected Christ for over two thousand years. For goodness sake, WE CRUCIFIED HIM. The very race that He came to save from eternal slavery to sin scoffed at Him and nailed Him to a cross.
Its Grace. It comes up in everything. It IS everything. God calls Christians to join Him in establishing His Kingdom. He doesn't need our help, but He offers us a part anyways. He wants us to do it by taking the Grace He's given us and spreading it around the world. We need to stop giving only wondering "What will i get in return?" We need to start giving in a way that doesn't make sense.
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