Tuesday after the Ninth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on August 3, 2021 by under
Scripture: St. Luke 6:32-36 (NKJV)
6:32 “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.”
Devotion
The unjust steward in Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 16:1-9) did favors for others to help himself. But God’s children have a much better reason to do good, namely, because our Father is good, and we are called to be like Him.
St. Paul’s words to the Ephesian Christians reflect Jesus’ teaching in today’s reading: “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children” (Eph. 5:1). We are to love as God loves. But whom does God love? It’s true, He has a special love for His baptized and believing children. But Jesus reminds us that God loves also His enemies and does good even to those who hate Him, those who ignore Him, and those who offer Him no word of thanks or praise. That is a good thing for us, because we were once among His enemies. As Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). It was that very word of God’s love for unworthy sinners that brought us out of our natural hostility toward Him to become those who now love Him.
Those who love God are commanded to be like God in showing love and kindness to our enemies, to those who hate us, mistreat us, or ignore us, and to do it for no other reward than this, that we are privileged to be like our merciful Father in heaven.
Prayer: Let Thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of Thy humble servants; and that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please Thee; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
