“Without cost you have received; without
cost you are to give.” (Matthew 10:1-8)
As I read
this line in Matthew’s gospel, I asked myself, “What is it that we’ve received ‘without
cost?’” The answer came to me almost as
soon as I asked the question. We have
received every good thing for free. All
that is good is a gift from God. And
it’s a free gift from Him. There is
nothing we can do to earn His blessings in our lives.
The above
Scripture quote is part of Jesus’ exhortation to His Twelve Apostles as He sent
them out to preach, heal and cast out demons in His name. He reminded them that all they have received
from Him is a free gift and that they must, in turn, give the Gospel free of
charge to everyone.
Advent is a
time for putting a special focus upon the coming celebration of the Gift of
Christmas. Christmas is a time when we
give and receive gifts, but it’s important to understand the difference between
a “gift” and a “present.” A present is
something that’s expected. For example, a
spouse or a child expects a present on their birthday or on Christmas. But a gift is something that’s much
more. A gift is something that’s freely
given, unearned and undeserved. It’s
given out of love with no strings attached.
This is what the Incarnation is all about.
Advent is a
time when we ponder the truth that God came to Earth to give us Himself in an
unmerited and free manner. His life is a
totally free Gift to us and is the greatest Gift we have ever received. In turn, Advent must be a time when we also
reflect upon our calling to bring the Gift of Christ Jesus to others.
As we have
received God's love "without cost," we’re able to give "without
cost." This doesn’t mean that the
gift being shipped from Amazon won't show up on the credit card bill, but it
does remind us that we’re loved and loved abundantly, and we’re able to love
abundantly—freely, joyfully—in return.
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