The relationship of Christians with their God is not contractual. Even though there exists a covenant between them and their God, they do not serve him essentially because of rewards, or fear of punishment if they do not. A profound Christian faith is not driven by the desire for heaven nor the fear of hell. This mean that, if there were no heaven or hell, a Christian would still opt to serve God. Otherwise, his relationship with God would be trade by barter, a form of business relationship. A mature Christian serves God rather because he loves God unconditionally for the wonder of His Being and for the beauty of His works, knowing that He “created all things for His pleasure” (Rev. 4:11).
For this reason, a seasoned Christian does not despise God when his prayers are not “answered”. He does not stop serving God because things did not turn out according to his prayerful expectations. The commitment of a Christian to the service of God should not depend on his success or failure in life. He should love God and serve Him selflessly in good and in bad times alike. This is perfect love and defines the nobility of Christians.
Relationship
Jesus calls our attention to this form of relationship with God in the gospel of today. He advised his rich host not to do good works because of a reward, like inviting friends and relatives to dinner or lunch, because he knew they would reciprocate his gesture. He encouraged him to do good selflessly, that is, without any attachment to expectations of reward.
The three young men in the book of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, epitomized this form of selfless love for God. When Nebuchadnezzar threatened to throw them into a burning furnace if they refused to worship his image, they replied to him: “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Dan 3: 17-18). This is an unconditional love for God.
Our faith in God should be built on nothing less than on such unconditional love for Him. We should serve Him for who He is and not necessarily because of His blessings. With or without these blessings, we should pledge to serve Him still. Surely, there is reward for our good works, as Jesus pointed out in today’s gospel. God will, no doubt, supply every need of ours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19), for He is faithful. However, this should not be the essential reason why we are in a relationship with Him. Our love for Him should be sublime and unconditional.
