treasure of the poor
Courtesy of Henri Nouwen
The poor have a treasure to offer precisely because they cannot return our favours. By not paying us for what we have done for them, they call us to inner freedom, selflessness, generosity, and true care. Jesus says: “When you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; then you will be blessed, for they have no means to repay you and so you will be repaid when the upright rise again” (Luke 14:13-14).
The repayment Jesus speaks about is spiritual. It is the joy, peace, and love of God that we so much desire. This is what the poor give us, not only in the afterlife but already here and now.
I think I’d say this is *A* treasure not *THE* treasure but I think this is an important and valuable observation.
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Loving those unable to pay for it is really the heart of Christ, I think. And in the same way Christ calls us to be like children, I think we should consider loving one another in the same way we are supposed to love our own children — the kind of love that is never expected to be repaid.