THE PROPHET'S REWARD: PRICE OF GENEROSITY.

July 2, 2023.
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – A.

Readings: 2 Kgs 4:8-11, 14-16a; Ps 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19; Rom6:3-4, 8-11; Mt 10:37-42.

“Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward…” Mt 10:41

An Akan proverb says: “Generosity is white and pure like milk.” And a Chinese proverb adds: “When someone gives you a drop of water reward him with a never-ending source.”

God always rewards uprightness, kindness, and the generosity we show to others. No act of goodness goes unseen, and unrewarded by God's love. In Matthew 10:41, we can hear from the Lord Jesus: "Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet's reward..."

Generosity and hospitality are acts of great value. They speak of the inner being of a person. He who shows to be generous and hospitable is like making a long time-saving. He will harvest plentiful in the future.

Besides, uprightness and generosity mean in no way that one will not face hardships and tribulations. The Cross is never and will never be so far away from a genuine Sequela Christi. It is even at the foot of the Cross, that is, amid tribulations that we truly witness our belonging to Christ and our identity is proved. The Lord Jesus, in the Gospel, could emphasize: "Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me..." For, the Cross is the key to genuine Christian life and the source of all dignity in Christ.

The Catechism insists when it speaks of Christian Holiness: "The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. Spiritual progress entails the ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes: He who climbs never stops going from beginning to beginning, through beginnings that have no end. He never stops desiring what he already knows." CCC 2015.

Let's get back to our main theme, the rewarding generosity. In the first reading, through the Prophet Elisha, the Lord rewarded the hospitality of a Shunamite woman and her husband, who opened the door of their house and their heart to the prophet who uses to pass by. We read that upon the suggestion of the woman, she and her husband made a resting room for the man of God, even though they knew not his true identity. And this act of generosity will be rewarded with the promise of a baby son. Their open heart will be rewarded by a prophet reward.

In the Gospel, the Lord Jesus explicitly uses this expression while sending his disciples for the Apostolic mission. As we mention it last week, Jesus is sending out the Twelve, his core group ahead of him for an apostolic mission. He specified in last Sunday’s Gospel the content of their mission. It is before all to represent him by teaching his message and performing his miracles in his name (Matthew 10:5–8). They are thus, sent as ambassadors of Christ. The Lord specified in the instruction he gave them that they had not to worry about anything, nor make a provision for anything, but rather rely on God’s providence and the hospitality of people. So today, he says to them that whoever receives them will be rewarded for his generosity. That "whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward..." And Jesus goes further adding that no work of generosity will go unpaid, even the very little and simple one, such as giving a glass of water to the thirsty. Accordingly, the Lord says, "And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.” Generosity has a price. If not on earth, in heaven. No good work will ever remain unrewarded.

We live in a world and in societies where many people have grown ungrateful, and selfish, and take everything, even the effort one puts to serve them as granted. Nevertheless, God sees and knows all that we do for love and the service of others. And even if this, from time, is not well acknowledged by men, God will always reward the good action we do. There are always compensations and some benefits of true discipleship. Among those benefits, Jesus mentions: being honored by the Son in the presence of the Father; fully gaining one's life; to be given great rewards.

Before speaking of compensation, the Gospel also sets the conditions of genuine discipleship. It is all about making the Lord our priority: we are to love him and place him above all, even above our families. We are also to prove him our love in a concrete manner, that is, take up our cross and follow him. Without this exclusive love and the readiness to carry the cross, there is no discipleship, and so no reward. Following Christ requires sacrifices, but once we go through all these with him, we are assured of our share in his glory. If we die with him and are buried with him, says Paul, we also will have our share in his resurrection. It is always rewarding to be for Christ and with Christ.