Tuesday of Week 8 in Ordinary Time
Ecc 35:2-15
Mk 10:28-31
“…there is no one who has left house…for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who not be repaid a hundred times over…”
I have heard many who have quoted the passage above as they confidently talk about claiming God’s promises. Essentially, they believe that because they have offered sacrifices to God or were living a life honouring God, they had earned God’s favour and thus had claims to material wealth and success in life. I once even heard a Protestant pastor say that if he lost all his material wealth in the world, God would reward him and make him rich again in a short time. I found this disturbing.
Reflecting on both of today’s readings, I notice such sacrifices or offerings to God do not stand alone.
In the first reading, the writer tells us to “offer him no bribe; he will not accept it”. The whole meaning changes when we look at this with the first passage! Essentially, we cannot hope to buy our way to riches and success just by sacrifices and good living. As Christians, we need to be aware of what we are doing when we do ‘good’ deeds or offer sacrifices. When we do it in the hope of receiving rewards from God, these deeds become part of a transaction. It becomes a form of currency. Without an accompanying product that we receive in return, we run the risk of feeling cheated, and the deed, in itself, loses its intrinsic value.
I have realised that no matter what kind of actions we bring to the table, we will never be able to accumulate enough brownie points with God. Instead, all we have received from God, comes from His goodness and His grace. How arrogant are we to think that we are able to bargain and transact with God in order to receive wealth and success. This wealth and success, if we are to think about it seriously, only benefits us during our short time on earth!
Rather than doing good in order to hope to receive something else in return, let us do all that is good simply BECAUSE. We do good and help others…simply because we have been changed and converted by all the good that God has given us. We do good and help others…simply because we want to, and not because of some desire to be rewarded for all we have done.
I guess it is only human for us to want to do better in life, and to have only all the best outcomes. As children of God, however, we need to remember that our lives belong to Him, and all we are asked to do is to live our best lives that we can. Rather than trade and negotiate with God, we need to trust in His will; that God would do what is needed. We need to remember that our lives are more than just our time on Earth.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Paul Wee)
Prayer: Father God, help us to remember that all the good and sacrifices we need to do, comes because You were good first. Help us to never try to transact with You in order to ‘earn’ blessings.
Thanksgiving: Thank You, Lord, for all the blessings You have bestowed to me in my life. We are grateful for Your love and for the life You have given us.
OXYGEN 
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