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“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.” Luke
14:12–14
This Gospel passage goes to the heart of our motivations in life.
Because of our fallen human nature, we can easily do what we do for
selfish reasons. We want payment for our labors and acknowledgement
for our acts of kindness. We want to get ahead in life and try to
elevate ourselves over others. But Jesus makes it clear that our
motivation for everything we do must only be the glory of God and
the love of others.
The poor, crippled, lame and blind in this passage refer to those
who are in need of our love. This certainly will include friends
and family. When we encounter those in need, we must offer our
love, not because we get something out of it, but because it is the
right thing to do. The payment we receive in this case comes
directly and exclusively from God. It’s not a payment of societal
recognition or praise. It’s not a payment of material things. It’s
not a payment that helps us get ahead in life. It’s a payment of
grace that makes us holy. This is the only motivation we should
have in life—a motivation for holiness by glorifying God through
our love of Him and others.
Think about your motivations in life. Why do you do what you do
every day? Clearly we all have certain responsibilities that must
be met, such as earning a living, caring for the home and family,
strengthening our relationships, etc. But why do you do these
things? What is the source of your motivation? Is your motivation
based on pure love?
When our love is pure, we are motivated to act in one way or
another because we see that it is our holy duty toward God or an
act that will benefit another. For example, a loving and holy
parent will work hard to earn a living not because they want to get
rich so as to indulge in the things of this world, but because they
love and care for their family and want to provide for their
material needs. Or a friend will seek to be there and listen to
another friend not because it is advantageous for them, but because
they love their friend and want to provide a listening ear when
they need it. True love always looks at the good of the other,
looking for the ways they are spiritually poor, crippled, lame and
blind so that they can help them in accord with God’s will. True
love always seeks to fill a void with what is needed at that
moment.
The good news for us is that when our motivations are pure and
selfless, looking only to glorify God and care for others, God will
lavish upon us eternal rewards that begin now. We will grow rich in
virtue and rich in the fruits of the Holy Spirit. We will obtain
joy, peace, strength, courage, love, goodness and so much more.
These good things are the true riches in life and can only be
bestowed by God upon a soul whose motivations in life are pure,
selfless, sacrificial and merciful.
Reflect, today, upon what motivates you each and every day. Do you
think more about yourself when acting or more about God and others?
Hopefully you will discover within your motivation a burning desire
to serve others and glorify God in everything you do. But where you
do see selfishness, know that this motivation can never fulfill
you. Humble yourself by turning your attention to the love of God
and the needs of others, and make serving them your exclusive
mission. Doing so will result in God lavishing upon you more than
you could ever imagine.
My merciful Lord, You came to earth to serve, not to be served,
and to give Your life to others in an act of the most pure and holy
love. I open myself to that gift of Your divine love and pray that,
as I receive Your love, I may love You and others in the same
selfless way. Jesus, I trust in You.
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