The End Game

then you will be blessed, for they have nothing to repay you. For it will be repaid to you in the resurrection of the just. Luke 14:14

Will Be Repaid – Yesterday we learned that the state of blessedness is entirely up to us. When we give to those who cannot give back, we align ourselves with the character of God. We experience ashre (the Hebrew word for “bliss”). Now Jesus tells us something incredible about the act of giving without getting. God doesn’t forget!

Repayment will come. But not in the form you expected. The Greek here is antapodothesetai. This long word is a combination of three other words; all of them important. First comes anti. We know this word as a prefix to many English words like antibiotic and antifreeze. It literally means “in turn”, and we use it in the sense of “turn against”. But here it means “turn back”. Next comes apo which means “from”. And finally didomi which means “to give”. All together these three words combine for the meaning, “to turn back from what is given”, “to repay”. God will give back to you all that you have given. Nothing is lost in the divine economy. No act of compassion is ever overlooked or forgotten. It’s all coming back.

When do you cash in on your investment? In the resurrection of the just. In the day when we must all stand before the Judge of all mankind, God is ready to repay those who have been reflections of His giving character. In that day, every act of kindness toward those who could not repay will be paid back by God Himself.

But wait! There is a twisted logic here that we cannot miss. God will not pay back those acts of kindness and generosity that expected a return before the day of the resurrection of the just. Those acts have already been rewarded. God repays only the unpaid debts. He does not pay interest on what you already have received. So, if your plan of giving and compassion is a plan that rewards you now, do not expect any payment then. In order to be granted God’s favor in that day, your current operating plan must be giving to those who cannot pay you back.

This is simply amazing. Ashre (blessedness) is the immediate reward of giving without getting and barak (God’s favor) is the final reward for giving without getting. But giving with the expectation of getting cancels all the debts now and later.

Now what does your investment plan look like?