Devotions: The Blessing of Selflessness

But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.

Luke 14:13-14 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

This is another teaching of Jesus, while He was a guest at someone’s house. He said earlier that we should not entertain those who are wealthy or friends of ours, because they are in a position to return the favor. But instead we should entertain those who have no way to repay, for then our reward will be in heaven. We have two options for guests: the poor and needy, or the rich and familiar. We also have two options for reward which correspond to the previous choice: heavenly or earthly. This is not saying that we should never have our friends and family over for dinner, but that we will be blessed when we entertain the lowly. When we entertain our friends, we will likely receive an invitation from them, and we will have our reward. But when we entertain those who are incapable of giving us anything back, we will receive our reward in heaven, which will be much greater than any earthly reward. When this world ends and the dead are raised to life, God will reward each for their deeds, good or bad. That reward will be eternal and vastly greater than anything we could have here. So while entertaining those who are needy or disabled may not be as enjoyable as having our friends, we will be blessed for helping those who can give nothing back. It is that selfless act which is rewarded because we gave when we didn’t have to, when we would not gain from it, desiring to help others rather than meeting our own needs and desires. Our motive in this should not be for that reward, but for the benefit of those we are helping. Nothing motivated by selfishness will be rewarded. And that is the whole point in this lesson; a motive of serving self vs. serving others. So when you have some free time consider who you could entertain? A foster child, a family struggling to get by, an elderly couple, sick or disabled people at a nearby nursing home or hospital. They could be from your church or school, people you pass after work or at the store. Entertain the less fortunate and be blessed!