12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Luke 14:12-14
The other day I was in a lounge “studying” with a friend. Actually we were discussing plans after graduation, which turned into singing Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Dani California,” but the intentions were there.
Then all of a sudden a man walks into the room (calm down ladies…) and heads towards the vending machine, pulls out a key and UNLOCKS THE VENDING MACHINE.
He was counting and calculating and blah blah blah, blah. Then he turned to my friend and me and asked if we wanted something out of the machine while he had it open.
Tears.
This stranger gave us free saturated fats and hydrogenated oils expecting nothing in return. He knew the only thing we could offer him was a thank you.
He wasn’t looking to trade. He wasn’t expecting to get something in exchange for his giving. He was just giving.
This is how Jesus wants us to give.
When we give expecting something in return, we aren’t giving, we’re trading. God doesn’t trade with us, so why should we trade with his children.
When we give expecting nothing in return, we are acting like Jesus. We are allowing our hearts to drive our actions rather than our desire to gain.
So often we give because someone owes us something or we want something in return, or we volunteer at a homeless shelter because it will look great on our résumé.
But this is not the giving God intended for us to partake in.
For God so loved the world he gave His only begotten son.
No strings attached. No IOUs. No interest rates.
Just an act of giving. An outpouring of love.
God is letting you have anything you want out of the vending machine for free!
Let’s do the same for others.