Nothing in Return?
"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." (Luke 6:34-36)
Last night we experienced a moment in time we will not soon forget. A time when the words of Jesus truly developed faith and at the same time became real.
As many pool nights go, we had been working out difficulties for some kids, while attempting to meet the new kids--all at the same time. On this night, a young friend had returned after some absence and looked bad.
His face was tattered with open sores from constant heroin use, and his weight dropped unbelievably low. In spite of this he seemed in a good mood and happy to be with everyone.
A couple of us had moved to a more quiet area to discuss some help for kids when we heard a young women talking with the pool manager. We stepped closer to hear what she said. Immediately we knew she was not one of our kids but her conversation was about one of them. “I come here to have a drink and I see him, he has sores on his face he is worse than before. What the _____ does he think he is ________ doing. I helped him, gave him money, let him work in my _______ store and now he is just lying to me again. If he wants to die, I told him to walk out in a street and _______ do it. He needs to stop hurting people that help him.” As we talked with her, we assured he she had helped him, but she would not hear it. All she could see was lies and a destroyed body. Her anger was justified. She had truly gone out of her way and given with her heart to help, and all she got in return was a broken heart.
On the way home, I could not get the scene out of my mind. The words Jesus used about helping others, even enemies. These words are more real now. She had truly helped him. Now where was her reward? What would have been her payment in full? I do not think she was looking for her money to be repaid, but she was looking for something that was not given back.
"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."
Comments
Robbie-You know, as hard as this is for me, I have commited to living without expectations from people. For me, this is not a sense of hopelessness about the other's ability to change, nor a Nihilistic approach to life...but an approach to life that recognizes that living from my expectations will often remove any ounce of compassion I am capable of displaying. And to remove my ability to have compassion only leaves me with other qualities that at some level always defaults to measure the "deserving" aspect of the way I view others. In that, compassion is murdered.
No, I'd rather see small displays of transformation, and short-lived moments of experiencing grace in others...I'd rather be a vessel of Christ's unconditional love, because I believe that spiritual formation happens there. Thanks for your post...completely calling for an "upside down" definition of love.
Posted by: El Sam I Am | March 10, 2006 12:58 PM
Robbie,
I heard a fellow say about Jesus' inclusive table fellowship, 'what if one of the tax-collectors was who ripped you off? Or, what if one of the prostitutes was the one who had sex with your husband'? The grace dynamics of Jesus do not necessarily make everything hunky-dorey, do they?
Posted by: John Frye | March 10, 2006 02:38 PM
Great message...hard to live it out when we are hurt by those we love.
Posted by: mama rose | March 13, 2006 09:23 AM