Most
Expected Reward for Serving God
(See
Mt 10:37-42)
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
We are living in a society that is oriented
by market economy. On the one hand, all
kind of relationships are based on an interest exchange principle, as the
Romans put it: “Do ut des”, meaning
“I give you something so that you will give me something back.” On the other, it becomes harder and harder to
find someone who serves people just for free whether or not they openly claim
so.
That mentality of interest trading has
entered the Christian community and deeply affected their worship of God. Do we do our best in serving God and neighbor
just for free? Do we do everything
necessary in keeping God’s Commandments and the Church’s disciplines without
expecting something back?
It is better for us to find the right answer
to the abovementioned questions by just listening to the prayer said by
churchgoers either orally or mentally.
Are they not doing selling and buying, bargaining and trading with the
Almighty and Most Holy God? Are they not
trying to deceiving the All-knowing God with their empty promises? Are they not shamelessly forcing the
All-powerful to pay them back for what they claim having done for Him?
The disciples of Jesus Christ our Lord and
Savior once bluntly asked Him the same question:
“We
have given up everything and followed you.
What there will be for us?”[1]
You can guess how sad and painful and even
hurt our Lord felt hearing such business-oriented friends of His speak.
Forgiving and patient enough, however, Christ
our Lord told them:
“Whoever
receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and
whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a
righteous man’s reward.”
That means that to those only looking for an
exchange of interest in the service of God a reward will be given, a reward
worthy of what they want to take in return.
Merciful and loving God indeed, Christ our
Lord encourages His disciples to go further and higher than doing trade of
interest in their worship of God. He
tells them:
“Amen,
I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age when the Son of Man
is seated on His throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And
everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or
children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more,
and will inherit eternal life.”[2]
Carefully pondering the Lord’s teaching, we
find out that the core of the reward which will be given does not consist of
different forms of material comfort but only and mainly of eternal life.
More carefully and thoughtfully reflect on
what Christ on another occasion said to His listeners:
“Do not
rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names
are written in heaven.”[3]
We should in the worship of God and service
of people look for nothing other than the Lord God Himself.
Saint Thomas Aquinas during his meditation
saw Jesus the Crucified Lord appear to him and say: “Thomas, you have done good job in my service. What reward do you wish me to grant
you?” Without a second thought the
saint replied: “O Lord, I want nothing
else but you.”
In fearless
expressions of love and confidence, a woman believer prayed:
“O my Lord, if I worship you from fear of Hell, burn me in
Hell. If I worship you from hope of
Paradise, bar me from its gates.
Fr. Francis Nguyen, O.P.
