Untitled Sermon

Give without expectation

Reciprocity in the kingdom of God

Love, bless, give

Haters, oppressors and takers

Lk 6.35 “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.”

Who is blessed and cursed?

Poor Rich

Hungry Full

Sorrowful Merry

Despised Accepted

Three Instructions

The beatitudes include a call to action

It’s not simply a static observation; it is a call

There is a way to direct your life into the stream of blessing

Love your enemies

Love is difficult to define, but Thomas Aquinas’ definition, “to will the good”, is hard to improve. And it finds its apex in Jesus’ teaching here.

How are we to will the good of those who seek our destruction? We have to be willing to will their good.

Loving first is the pathway to victory.

Bless them that curse you

To bless is to enlarge; doing good and praying for others are forms of blessing as we seek the increase of those to whom we benefit and for whom we pray.

Again, Jesus teaches us to do this for those who hate us.

And again, we see the wisdom of Christ in recognizing that initiating the reversing spiral is an act of kingdom dominion.

Give to those who ask or take

Lending carries an expectation of return,

But Jesus taught to not expect a return when you lend.

That turns the loan into a gift.

Three ‘Why’s

There are two (or three) reasons for this. First, we will be rewarded by God himself. And that leads to the second reason for this ethic: God is kind to the ungrateful and the evil; he is merciful. So we are called to conduct ourselves in a manner consistent with our loving and merciful God. That is why we love unconditionally, serve faithfully, and lend generously. Because that’s the kind of God we serve.

Your reward will be great

You will be children of the Highest

He is kind to the unthankful and evil

Reciprocity in God’s Kingdom

Altruism: overcome evil with good

Consider the connection between the three concepts Jesus laid out in this teaching to love your enemies; all are sacrificial, and all are directed toward those from whom nothing good can be expected to come. The entire thrust of these comments is toward perfect altruism, offering up good to those from whom only evil can be expected. This is the epitome of what Paul described as ‘overcome evil with good’.

So here we are called to give up any expectation of reciprocity or return. Love an unrequited love by loving our enemies. Bless those from whom we can expect no good to return to us. And turn your loan into a gift by relinquishing any claim on the chattel.

Triangulate the reward system

The Christian selflessness doesn’t entirely negate principles of reciprocity; it eliminates the tawdry transactional element of tit-for-tat by triangulating with God.

Our reward doesn’t come back from the beneficiary; it comes from our heavenly Father.

And the reward isn’t a commercial exchange of love for love, blessing for blessing, or gift for gift, either. Our reward is that we are adopted as sons of the Most High.

Pay mercy forward

Lk 6.36 “36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”

I’m thankful for mercy.