(The following is the March 23 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read Luke 14 and pay close attention to verses 12-14.)
We enjoy gathering with people we know and love. Laughter fills the room. We tell stories (often repeated ones) and strengthen bonds through shared meals and experiences. These times bring joy and will continue across all cultures, just as in the past.
However, have you been invited to an event where the relationships are more formal, and you felt obligated to return the favor? Perhaps someone asked you to their home for a meal, and it seemed appropriate to invite them over to your place. The less intimate relationship might seem out of balance if both parties did not give about the same that they received.
One Sabbath, when Jesus was eating at the home of a leading Pharisee who had invited him, he spoke on several topics. One was the value of showing generosity to those who cannot repay us. “When you give a lunch or dinner, don’t invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, because they might invite you back, and you would be repaid. On the contrary, when you host a banquet, invite those who are poor, maimed, lame, or blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (vv. 12-14).
Jesus surely did not mean we should never have gatherings with family, friends, and others he listed. Instead, the point was intentionally showing generosity to those less fortunate who can never repay us. He encouraged loving others in ways they need without expecting anything in return but God’s blessing. There is far greater satisfaction in receiving God’s rewards than in being repaid by others in exchange for what we do for them.
Next Step:
Who do you know in need of a meal, an act of kindness, financial assistance, time, or friendly conversation – someone who cannot repay you? Arrange a time to be with that person. Do not tell them or others why. Just be generous and kind. Expect nothing from them in return.
