New Testament 63

Last updated on: February 5, 2015 at 8:35 pm by Dan Peterson

New Testament 63 2015-02-05T20:35:25-07:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Dusk on the Sea of Galilee, from Tiberias
(Click to enlarge.)

Matthew 6:16-18

A straightforward principle here:

Simply put, don’t do good things in order to garner praise from others. Do them because they’re good things.

A corollary principle, if you really must think about extrinsic pay-offs:

Our Father in Heaven is watching. You won’t miss out on a reward.

But it’s a reward for which you must have trust, or faith, because it won’t necessarily come immediately. There won’t be an instant pay-off, in the form of admiration from the opposite sex, wealth, fame, pats on the back, and/or gratifying public praise. For those who do their good deeds in order to receive such immediate gratification, they’ll be done when they get it. The score will be settled. Nothing more will be owed to them. They’ll have their reward.

I suppose, as a parallel, that you could think of acting in a move and demanding your pay-off now. So you take your $1000 check instead of the 1% of gross ticket receipts that was first offered you for the part that you played in that odd soon-to-be released film called Star Wars.

Among the marks of maturity, I suppose, is the capacity to delay gratification in order to do better in the long term. A young child, if he doesn’t get his candy right now, thinks it’s the end of the world. Even a slightly older child, offered an ice cream now or, alternatively, unlimited ice cream in perpetuity if she’ll just wait for ten minutes, will very likely choose the immediate single scoop. Mature people, by contrast, know that a lengthy period of vocational training, or of law or medical school, or of investing rather than consuming, will pay off handsomely in the long term.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

February 5, 2015

Responding to "The Book of Mormon" in Naples, Florida

Next Post

February 5, 2015 The Wisdom of Experience

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does the Bible say about giving?

Select your answer to see how you score.

God loves a cheerful giver Never give Give to get rich Only give under pressure