Here are some Bible sayings you know by heart:
- Do unto others
- Turn the other cheek
- Better to give than receive
- By the grace of God – which we find in 1 Cor. 15:10
We know these phrases from the Bible. They are in our minds, etched in our memory, and in our hearts, a part of us (Dt 30:14). As are the ten commandments, especially, the greatest commandments – to love God above all else, and to love our neighbors as ourselves – which we read in Sunday’s Gospel passage in Luke 10:27. These instructions are very near to us, in our mouths and in our hearts. How do we put them into practice?
We show mercy as the Father has shown us mercy in His forgiveness. We live lives of generosity in response to all the blessings God gives to us. We love and give and serve, even when it is costly or inconvenient as it was for the good Samaritan – the parable of the rest of our Gospel reading (Luke 10:30-37). And we obey God’s commands to put Him first in every area of our life, to give our first fruits to Him. We read these commands in:
Ex 34:26 The choicest first fruits of your soil you shall bring to the house of the LORD, your God.
Dt 18:4 The first fruits of your grain, your wine, and your oil, as well as the first shearing of your flock, you shall also give him.
Dt 26:2 You shall take some first fruits of the various products of the soil which you harvest from the land the LORD, your God, is giving you; put them in a basket and go to the place which the LORD, your God, will choose as the dwelling place for his name.
Pv 3:9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with first fruits of all your produce.
Just as we know in our hearts to be obedient to God, we know intuitively that we need philanthropy. Generosity is good for our spiritual wellbeing. Obedience to God’s commands is how we gain true peace and enjoy happiness in our lives.
Photo Credit: Robert Davis
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