Luke 6:32-36 (NIV)

³² “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. ³⁴ 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. ³⁵ 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 children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. ³⁶ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Reflection:

Earlier this week, we looked at the parable of the shrewd manager and in it, we saw how he shrewdly used the means he had to gain friends.  However, in Jesus’ teaching above, we are taught how we are to give to others in contrast to the shrewd manager.  We are to “love our enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back… to be merciful, just as your Father is merciful… because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked” with the promise that as we do so our “reward will be great, and we will be children of the Most High”.

Response:

Let’s spend some time thanking our Father for being kind and merciful to us; that while we were still sinners, He gave His one and only son, Jesus Christ to die for our sins.  Full of thankfulness, let’s pray that He would help us to give to others in the way that He has called us to as His children, in view of His great reward that is ours as we do so.