In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen.
“I must assert my rights,” I say to myself, “I must get what I deserve.” And in whatever sphere of my life I happen to be—my professional life, my family life, my society life, my Church life—I protect my privileges, I hold onto what I ought to have. And I expect others to do the same. But in the ensuing mess and misery we bring on ourselves, others continue to take what is mine: so I act pre-emptively, I act against them before they can act against me, and my wealth is preserved. “Do unto others,” is our motto, “before they can do unto us.”
When I act in such a way, I am taking part in a long tradition of humanity: from as far back as we can tell, members of our race have been trying to preserve their rights over others. Yet there are still the oppressed, still the marginalised, still the afflicted: further, despite all the scientific and technological advancements we have made, we are still subject to death. This way of life just does not work.
“As you wish that men would do to you,” says the Lord, “do so to them.” Christ turns on its head the paradigm of life in this world. Lest there be any confusion in what he is commanding us, he goes on,
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
All these things—whatever their value and whatever their worth—do not mark us out as Christians. If we are to be worthy of the name Christians then we must not live according to the standards of this age but according to the Kingdom where we may partake of Life. So the Lord explains to you and he explains to me what we must do to receive life, “love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.”
I must change, I must repent, I must turn to the living God. Because, if I try with all my might to hold onto what I deserve, I will discover that what I deserve is death. But if I follow the path set out for me by the Lord, if I follow his commandments, I can unite myself to him and he will say to me, along with all the citizens of the Kingdom, “your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.”
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, give. Give your time, your attention, you affection, to God and to your neighbour. Give your energies, your talents, your abilities, to God and to your neighbour. Give your heart, your mind, your soul, to God and to your neighbour. Because in giving we, paradoxically, receive from the Lord and that which we receive is far greater than anything we offer—we receive Life and Immortality.
To our crucified and risen Saviour, who has shown us the path to salvation, Jesus Christ be all glory, honour and might, together with his Unoriginate Father and the All-holy, Good and Life-giving Spirit. Amen.
Brethren, working together with him, we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, “At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation.” Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in any one’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labors, watching, hunger; by purity, knowledge, forbearance, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
— Second Corinthians 6:1–10
The Lord said, “As you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”
— Luke 6:31–36