What’s In It for Me?

My alter ego, Ecaroh Gnik, believes that every person has his/her price.  I’d like to dismiss this as typical cynicism, but it sometimes does seem that even the most altruistic among us can yield integrity to a bauble dujour.  Certainly our path of discernment as we ponder any new project includes the question which marks us as human, “What’s in it for me?”  Which Future should we bank on?  Why behave responsibly when there’s so much fun to be had?  Why waste precious commodities on someone else?  Lessons read during worship this weekend will acknowledge these life-questions.

Just as everything is going OK, in walks Jeremiah.  Hananiah, one of the Temple Prophets, had told the crowd that God would restore the exiles and the sacred vessels from Babylon (Jeremiah 28:5-9).  But is this idle dreaming, or has God really promised this?  “…when the word of that prophet comes true, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.”  Trace Haythorn comments, “…such moments compel us to invite God into our discernment, to listen more deeply than we have ever listened before, to pray that we may get far enough out of the way that God’s will may find its way in.” (FEASTING on the WORD, A 3:174)

Paul’s address to the Christians at Rome speaks to the “Who’s On First?” question (6:12-23).  His logic is perhaps too simple, for he describes the Human Person as either in or out of God’s camp.  This binary formula has caused despair in many, and a few (?) have given up integrity as too saintly to realize.  Yet Paul continues to tell of those who like himself have been dragged into the Kingdom by a persistent God. “But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification [being made righteous].  The end [of this long journey] is eternal life.” (v.22)  That’s what’s in it for me…

“What’s a Reward?” is a question we may well ask Matthew.  The Gospel (10:40-42) mentions “a prophet’s reward”, “the reward of the righteous”, “and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple–truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”  In the old Westerns, a reward was sort of a bribe offered to someone who would rat on Black Bart or Nasty Canasta.  In the daily paper, a reward is offered to someone who could shed light on the whereabouts of a missing pet.  Jesus’ words here are pretty misty:  in Greek, they seem to indicate “just wages/recompense/just desserts”.  Should I offer cool refreshment to a believer?  What’s in it for me?

So what’s the incentive?  Will I have an advantage over my fellow-travelers?  Will there be stars in my crown?  Better News is that Doing Right FEELS good, and somehow ties us together with others in the lifeboat.  Is that the reward?  Being part of a holy mission, knowing that Creation is a bit better because I followed through?

God Bless Us, Every One                        Horace Brown King

My ponderings on assigned lessons for the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at this spot on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com