"When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friend” nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." Luke 14.12-14

There are two great lessons in this passage. The first teaches us with regard to charity. We are not to do our alms for what we can get out of it, or what we expect to receive in return; not even the non-monetary returns such as fame or a reputation as a charitable person. Charity, if it is worthy of the name, is to be done toward those who cannot recompense us. If the recipients are able to pay us back, then it is not charity, but a business transaction.

The second lesson is spiritual and pertains to the gospel. It is the poor in spirit who are invited to the gospel feast. Those who feel to have a righteousness of their own have no real interest in hearing about salvation by grace alone. If they feel that they are able to "do something for the Lord" that would obligate Him toward them, then they are not fit subjects for the gospel message. Those who feel themselves to be deficient and defective in every aspect of their beings are those who are eager to hear about grace. “They hunger and thirst after righteousness because they feel to be so lacking in it.”

We should not take our Savior's words in the last clause to mean that God's people will be "paid back" in the Resurrection. Had we served God perfectly every moment of our lives we would have done no more than we were obligated to do. We need to consider, however, what a gracious God has already laid up for us in heaven, and consider that it is of infinitely more value than anything we could merit, even if we should do it out of a principle of love for Him. God has already reserved an inheritance for us that is eternal and of incalculable value, so we ought not to be worried about how we will get "paid back" if we do some small thing for the poor of this world. How can the greatest of our charitable acts be compared to our home in heaven?