"LBTS meets the Preacher"

What do people get for all their hard work?

About a month ago I preached about “LBTS”.

Then I said that, “To live by the Spirit is living following the simple Law of Christ, ‘Love God with all our hearts, minds, and spirits, and love our neighbors as ourselves.’

“So, the invitation” – I said – “is to live each day intentionally, examining how our choices reflect the love of God in us, and how, through even the smallest acts of kindness, we might echo God’s generosity and love.”

It seems to me, that living in such way, or as St Paul would put it in today’s second lesson, is seeking God’s ways in all our undertakings.

But today, it appears that the author of our first lesson, “Kohelet” (Original Hebrew), “Preacher” (English translation), or “Ecclesiastes” (Latin translation) seems intent in quenching such vision.

For he writes, “What’s the use of toil and a good life if in the end not only one is going to die, but some half-wit may inherit all that we treasured?  I decided to give up in despair, and I questioned the value of all my hard work in this world.” 

And then, to drive in his complaint, he insists, “What do people really get for all their hard work?  I have seen the burden God has placed on us all.”

So, is “LBTS-ing” worth?  What one gets out of living a righteous and exemplary life?

Those are the question that the author advances and, let me suggest, are quite relevant for us even today.  Such questions were not new, and in fact were voiced by poets and sages as recorded in the Scriptures.

And such questions were not only relevant all along human history but all the way to our own present days.  In fact, it is the question lurking in the minds of both the common folk and the minds of those who should know better.  Indeed, it seems that for far too many people “acting nice” is not worth it.

Now, such attitude is not only seen in human relationships but spills into the spiritual world in particular when people try to define their relationship with God in the same transactional terms. 

Actually “What’s in it for me” is probably the most often asked question – if not necessarily voiced! – in contemporary relationships.  From networking meetings to workplace connections to being friends with benefits all involve some form of transaction.

In the realm of the world of the spirit, some believe that if God is nice to me, I should offer praise.  If God is not pleased, one has to offer penance.  If I want to be successful in whatever I try to accomplish, then I have to offer God something so to be in good terms and perhaps squeeze a blessing.

Now, if you look at the history of humankind through the pages of the Scripture, from the early days of civilization people approached God or their local deity in the same terms.

So much so that, by the time of Jesus, religious life was already well regimented, both in the Jewish as well as in the secular world.  From a “price list” of sacrifices required according to the seriousness of the offense to understanding God as someone who found pleasure in micromanaging our daily lives.

And of course, in the other religions – and even in the cult of the emperor – the idea of “What’s in it for me” was and still is very well ingrained.

However, what Jesus came to make clear that what pleased God most were not sacrifices, but mercy; righteousness rather than great worship functions and that for God, living a just and honorable life was more important than fasting.

Jesus like the ancient prophets came to affirm that there is no place for a transactional relationship with God.  Indeed, Jesus taught that certain practices were meaningless without a foundation of mercy, compassion, and genuine love for God and our fellow human beings.

And so, Jesus highlighted the importance of inner transformation and a right relationship with God and with our neighbor over religious nit-picking.  And that part of such transformation should be expressed as acts of love and compassion, without the expectation for rewards – or to appease an angry God!

In other words, Living by the Spirit, LBTS, is not a spiritual strategic move to get a better deal with God or to pay past dues.  Living by the Spirit is meant to align us with the true character of a loving and merciful God – A God who seeks nothing from us, needs nothing from us, and gave everything for us.

So, our Lord’s teachings cut through the veneer of transactional piety and condemned the search for reciprocity that so often colors institutional religion.

Instead, Jesus taught that we are called to practice virtue not because it guarantees security, status, or blessings, but because it will align us with the very Spirit of God.

So, in this context “LBTS” shifts the question from “What will I get?” to “Who will I become?”  

For the shaping of character through compassion, selflessness, and unwavering integrity becomes the lasting fruit of a life positioned towards goodness. 

It is indeed the kind of life that, according to Jesus, truly pleases God.  A kind of life which, as if it were possible, we can take with us beyond the grave.

Let us pray:  Heavenly Father, you are the source and giver of all that is good.  By your Spirit help us to attune our lives to your perfect will, so that we can become true ambassadors of your kingdom of love, mercy, grace, and joy.  In Jesus Christ’s name, we pray.  Amen.

Fr. Gustavo