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Something that always grabbed my attention as a youngster, wandering our neighborhood, was the occasional “lost” poster affixed a power pole, stop sign, or tree. It was usually seeking help for a wayward dog, independent cat, or some other household pet. Sometimes it was a for a beloved item that had been snatched from a yard or garage like a bike or scooter. Being more than a little nosy, I always had to look and see what was missing and I never failed to see if there was a reward for the return of whatever was being sought. I was always more motivated to keep my eyes open for the pet or personal item that meant enough for it’s owner to pay the lucky finder. I was also a little suspicious of the posters that promised a reward but wouldn’t say what or how much. I guess I wanted to know how much my charity and efforts would result in! Perhaps some of the cases wouldn’t be worth the effort! Sort of like getting a butterscotch candy instead of a jolly rancher after helping your grandparents!
Perhaps we have the same motivation when it comes to spiritual things, wanting to know, “what’s in it for me?”, wondering if our efforts are worth the promised reward. In the gospel today, Jesus demands that we love him more than anyone and anything else in our life, even more than the most intimate and sacred family relationships. But he follows it up by saying that the simplest act of kindness and hospitality, receiving a prophet because he is a prophet, means that we also get the prophet’s reward. Welcoming a righteous man because he is righteous entitles us to a righteous man’s reward. If we don’t know what that means, if the reward of the righteous and the prophet seems like little more than empty words, we might fail to pursue that prize and settle for something far less valuable and satisfying.
So what is the reward of the righteous man and prophet? For that, we must look to the beautiful story in the first reading. An influential woman welcomes Elisha whenever he visits to do the Lord’s work. He receives a good meal at her home and she even sets up a little apartment where he can stay and rest. For her, Elisha represents God and his message. She treats him and his mission with respect and generosity, not out of obligation but because of love. A prophet’s reward is what is given to those who put God first and offer the best of themselves rather than what is left over. A prophet’s reward is whatever truly satisfies our heart’s desire after we have made God our highest priority. A prophet’s reward is God himself because a faithful prophet has made everything second to God. For the righteous woman of the first reading, what she truly wished for was the gift of a child. For her kindness and generosity to the prophet Elisha, for putting God above all else, she receives what her heart desires from the Lord of Life.
Now back to the gospel! If Jesus is willing to give so much for the simplest gesture of charity and hospitality, how much more will he offer for the significant sacrifices to put him first? Jesus is not telling us to hate the good things and people God gives, whether that be our lives, our families, or our fortunes. These are the most precious, sacred gifts we receive from the Lord and they are truly good. But Jesus is reminding us that he deserves first place. He is not and cannot be just one more good thing in our lives. He is God and he must be everything or he will end up being nothing; with Jesus, there is no middle ground. And if we are to properly love the gifts he gives us, we must first properly love the giver of those gifts. And so, if you want to truly enjoy the things and people in your life, if you don’t want that insecurity and nagging worry about losing what you have, exalt Jesus and put him first, always and in everything. When we love him in all things and above all things, death, loss, sickness, and misfortune never gets the final word. Why? Because Jesus has triumphed over it all and we will receive his reward.
Today’s Scriptures teach us to put everything in its proper place. Doing so allows us to enjoy what we have and everyone we are blessed to love. Jesus wants us to be happy and he wants to shower us with blessings. Only God truly understands our hearts and only he has the power to know and give what it wants. He is waiting to give us the the rewards of the prophets and righteous. For that to happen, he must be our all in all, our first and foremost, the one who has claim over our hearts. The reward of the righteous and prophets is promised to anyone interested. The question we have to answer is whether or not we want it; whether or not, we think it’s worth the effort.
