Selfless Giving

by FLL Editorial Team
2013-11-04


耶穌向邀請他的一個法利塞人首長說:「幾時你設午宴或晚宴時,不要請你的朋友、兄弟、親戚及富有的鄰人,怕他們也要回請而還報你。但你幾時設筵,要請貧窮的、殘廢的、瘸腿的、瞎眼的人。如此,你有福了,因為他們沒有可報答你的;但在義人復活的時候,你必能得到償報。」
路加福音 14:12-14

主耶穌基督在這之前才教導人作為客人赴宴時,不要坐在首席,現在進而教導設宴的人:「幾時你設午宴或晚宴時,不要請你的朋友、兄弟、親戚及富有的鄰人……(但)要請貧窮的、殘廢的、瘸腿的、瞎眼的人。」這是有點不合常規,因為人設宴,多數會請自己的親友和鄰人,但耶穌想我們明白的是,甚麼才是真正無私的愛和奉獻。

正如祂曾說:「你們善待那善待你們的,為你們還算什麼功德? 因為連罪人也這樣做。」「但是,你們當愛你們的仇人,善待他們……」(路6:33-35) 祂引導我們去愛得更肖似天主,因為天主無條件地愛世人,無論善人、惡人、富強的人、貧弱的人,祂都先愛了他們。

為了某些原因和賞報而善待他人,並不是真正的愛和仁慈;因此如果我們能毫不保留、不問收獲地作出愛的表現,例如善待一些無法回報我們的人,這才能顯出真正無私的愛和慷慨,也是天主樂見的。

這篇默想由生命恩泉文摘編輯小組撰寫,內容以下列文章為根據: Commentaries on the daily readings by Sacred Space, 常年期第三十一週星期一


On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees. He said to the host who invited him, “When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters 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

Just before this, Jesus taught people how they shouldn't take the place of honour at a wedding feast but as guests they should take the lowest place. Now He moved on to teaching the hosts, that when they hold a lunch or a dinner, they shouldn't invite their friends, family, relatives or wealthy neighbors, but should invite the poor and disabled ones. Through this teaching, He wants us to understand what is genuine and selfless love and giving, an attitude that be applied generally and not limited to just being a lunch or dinner host.

As He has said, “And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.” “But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.” This teaching extends to those who cannot repay us. God wants us to be merciful as He is merciful, and genuine love and mercy does not expect anything in return.

If we're kind to others because we have some hidden intention or expect some reward, that is not genuine love and mercy. However, if we give without holding back nor expecting anything in return, especially when we give to people who will never be able to repay us, that shows our intention is pure, and God who knows our heart will be happy and pleased.

This reflection is prepared by the FLL Inspire editorial team as a digest of the following two articles: Commentaries on the daily readings by Sacred Space, 常年期第三十一週星期一.

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