Читать книгу Adult Christian Life - R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation - Страница 25
2. Kingdom Rewards (Luke 6:32–34)
Оглавление| King James Version | New Revised Standard Version |
| 32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. | 32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. |
| 33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. | 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. |
| 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. | 34 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. |
In these three verses Jesus began to further challenge our motives as Kingdom members. He asked three rhetorical questions, all with the same aim. What makes us different? Jesus made it clear that anyone can be loving to people who love them. In fact, even people not yet walking in the truth of God nor filled with the Holy Spirit find it in their hearts to love those who love them.
Jesus then extended His teaching to doing good deeds for the people who are good to us and lending to those from whom we can expect repayment. Jesus said even sinners can practice quid pro quo (Latin for “something for something”). Christ followers should be different, however, offering something for nothing. Jesus introduced the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37) to explain the concept of doing good or being neighborly when nothing is to be gained in return. Jews and the Samaritans did not associate with each other. In fact, Jews despised Samaritans because of their mixed heritage—the progeny of exiled Jews and their Assyrian and Babylonian captors. Yet, the Samaritan in Jesus’ story did not allow his race to blind him to the human bond he shared with an injured Hebrew man. While the Jewish priest and the Levite ignored the man who had been physically assaulted by robbers, the despised Samaritan went out of his way to provide loving and much-needed care. He also promised to take care of any additional medical expenses the injured man incurred. Jesus commended the Samaritan because he dared to see the Hebrew as a brother rather than as an enemy.
