What It Means To Give Until It Hurts

Letter to Romans: If Jesus was right about those being “last will be first” and “those who would be served must serve” why do I serve others so often and always seem to end up last?

Of course, Jesus was talking about “how things work” in His Kingdom of Heaven and not how things realistically and typically work out here on earth. The dynamic and dichotomy of outcomes is well-depicted not only in the 4 Gospels but in the marvelously enlightening tv/film series “The Chosen.” Jesus, we can see, is repeatedly frustrated by the jockeying for “position” by His own Disciples whom he was preparing for His impending crucifixion and resurrection. For example, the two “Sons of Thunder” at one point ask Jesus if they can sit on His right and left  hand when He enters His Kingdom … after all, they rationalized, Jesus already assigned and renamed Simon as “The Rock” upon whom His Kingdom would be built upon … Jesus understandably grasps his hair & wonders if His hand-picked team has heard let alone understood a word He had uttered up to that point.

All of us Christians have been there. Upon baptism & confirmation we have been Graciously imbued with the Spirit of giving (as well as forgiving) until it hurts. And being human, like the Apostles (and a part of Jesus Himself), when our good works, big or small, go unappreciated by others … or, maybe even wrongly derided as self-serving or whatever … it naturally hurts. But isn’t that part of the Christian mission, too? That is, to “think as God thinks,” not as imperfect humans think. As Jesus also often urged, “Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” Consider too, as Jesus also constantly reminded, that that Divine approval is far greater than any earthly praise; and it’s the only thing that counts in the end.

Davd Soul