I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.
Today, I am reading and commenting on Luke 17-18.
When His disciples asked Him how to increase their faith, Jesus told them that they could increase their faith by expecting no reward for doing God’s will. I do not know that I have ever heard anyone comment on that. Our faith will increase as we recognize that what we have done in service to God is merely our duty in response to what He has already done for us. No matter what we have done, we should not feel that we are owed any further recognition or reward than what God has already done for us. Our faith will increase as we come to see each act of service we perform for God as nothing of note, when we do not understand why others might take note of what we have done. You are on the path to increased faith when your response to those who praise your actions is surprise that anyone noticed.
I want to skip ahead to Jesus with the wealthy religious leader. When the Jesus told the man that he should sell his possessions and give them to the poor, the man became sad. When Jesus said that this indicates how hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God, that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter Heaven. I have never understood why some people find it necessary to soften what Jesus said here. His disciples immediately understood that He was saying it was impossible and wanted to know who could do so. At which point Jesus told them that although it is impossible for humans it is possible for God. Finally we get to the reason I skipped ahead to this. Jesus told His disciples that those who have sacrificed their relationships in order to serve God will be repaid many times over.
I see these two as related. We should expect no reward for serving God; serving God is our duty, not something we do to obtain reward. However, God will reward us for serving Him. It is only when we stop doing things for “what’s in it for me” that we learn to appreciate the much greater rewards which come from doing God’s will.