We Must Not Seek Repayment

Gospel Reflection for November 4, 2024

“Then he said to the host who invited him, ‘When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’” (Lk. 14:12-14 NABRE)

We all experience the temptation to carry out certain acts which appear to be good on the surface, all while knowing that our intentions are centered on ourselves. Whether such acts lead others to viewing us more highly and praising us, or whether they simply give us the opportunity to “show off,” we’ve all sought out these self-centered rewards in one way or another.

Jesus teaches, however, that we must live and act without seeking repayment. We must not seek to receive anything in return when we do good to others.

Rather, when we care for others and serve them in various ways, may it be with the pure desire to pour out God’s endless and unconditional love onto them. As God’s instruments, we are called to lead others to God by helping them to see and experience His love, as well as feel the peace of Christ’s light upon them.

It can be so easy to embrace the attitude of: “why should I do this for so and so, what have they done for me?” But as Christians, we are not called to love and serve only those who seemingly “deserve” to be loved. We are called to love and serve everyone, just as Jesus does.

Jesus did not say, “why should I suffer and die for them, what have they done for me?” Rather,

“God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8)

May we adopt this same spirit of sacrificial love and service. May our intentions be selfless and without pride. We must unite ourselves to Jesus’ excruciating suffering on the Cross by humbling ourselves and seeking out opportunities to purely love and serve without repayment of any kind.

“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Mt. 23:12)

“If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit [is] that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.” (Lk. 6:34-35)