19 June 2013 - sharing secrets

19 June 2013 - sharing secrets

And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

Three times Jesus repeats the promise that the Father will repay us for the good we do.  However, this is only possible if we don't seek our reward in the here and now.  He is calling us to store up treasure in heaven rather than on earth (cf Mat 6:20).  There is little that is more fleeting than the approval of others. Yet we are often motivated in our good deeds by the desire to appear holy in the eyes of others.  It becomes a self image thing rather than a love thing.  If our hearts are turned inward when we do good deeds and we are just polishing our own prideful self-image we already have our reward.  And it is a transient reward, gone before it is even enjoyed.

We are called to be good for the love of God who is good.  To the degree that this is true God himself becomes our reward.  And he is the only reward that truly lasts.  Fortunately, God himself is the one who purifies us and gives us the grace to act selflessly for his sake.

Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you,
so that in all things, always having all you need,
you may have an abundance for every good work.

Everything begins with God's grace.  He wants us to recognize that all we have is from him.  Blessings we receive and good deeds we do where this is not acknowledged are actually harmful.  They build up the lie of self-sufficiency within our hearts.

Blessed the man who fears the LORD

Blessings are safe for the one who fears him, who stands in awe before his power and love. They can be injurious to those of us who don't.  Those who are lukewarm and take him for granted are at particular risk.  If we fear him he can bless us and bless others through us.

Wealth and riches shall be in his house;
his generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.

Open our hearts to awe in your presence LORD.  Teach us that all we have and all we give is from the grace which you make abundant for us.  Made upright by your grace, let your light shine in the midst of our darkness.