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To give without waiting retribution

Source: The Gospel according to Spiritism, 13: 7, 8.

TO INVITE THE POOR AND THE LAME. TO GIVE WITHOUT

THOUGHT OF RECOMPENSE
7. Then said He also to him that bade Him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends,
nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense 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 And when
one of them that sat at meat with Him heard these things, he said unto Him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in
the Kingdom of God (Luke, 14:12-15).

8. Jesus tells us that when we prepare a feast we should not invite our friends and relations, but instead
the poor and the maimed. In their literal sense these words appear to be absurd. But if we understand their
spiritual essence they are in fact sublime. It is not possible that Jesus intended us to invite the maimed and
beggars from the streets to unite round our table instead of friends. His language was almost always figurative as
the people of those times were not capable of understanding delicate shades of thought.
Therefore it was necessary for Him to use strong words which could produce colorful images.
Nevertheless, the essence of His thought is revealed is this sentence: "And thou shalt be blessed, for they cannot
recompense thee." This means that we should not do well for a calculated reward, but only for the pleasure to be
felt in so doing. Using a striking comparison, Jesus says: "Invite the poor to your feast because you know they
cannot recompense you." By the use of the word 'feast' we should understand not the actual repast but a
participation in the abundance generally enjoyed.
However, the warning can also be applied in a more literal sense. How many of you invite to your table
only those who, as is said, will honor you or will return your invitation? On the other hand, there are others who
find satisfaction in receiving friends and relations less fortunate than themselves. Well, how many amongst you
have people like this in your family?
In this way a great service can sometimes be done without it showing. These people put into practice the
teachings of Jesus without recruiting the blind and the maimed only if they of the alone with benevolence, without
ostentation, and if they know how to dissimulate the benefit by means of sincere cordiality.

CONSIDERATIONS;
To give without waiting retribution is a request of Jesus most difficult to accomplish, because there is a total
addiction of waiting retribution in everything in life. It seems that everyone waits for something in exchange, it is as
the expression 'one hand washes the other', only spirits well disciplined and virtuous get to accomplish the mission
of not waiting retribution, because they are already interlinked into the spiritual life and not so much to the material
world.
When somebody in his normal self as Christian, does some good or has as a norm to live in goodness, it
seems that there is always somebody, which distrusts and comments on: 'What will he gain with that or in
exchange', but the person who walks with God has his own conviction, and his spiritualization is with himself, he
goes straight ahead and hardly notices that, that he could be being criticized by the world, it is because the world is
like so, only according as the world dematerializes, it is when begins a sensation of the spiritual values, in that case
it is the detachment of the matter which is generalizing itself.
The world has its own ways, its own philosophy of life, his own manners of being, the people do copy
themselves to each other according to their tastes and habits and it seems that they are guided by traditions,
models and conservation, in that the world is stubborn and insists that it is material, and those who are spiritualized,
the world does not accept them of good pleasure so that to be spiritualized, it is to be a separate one and already
Jesus on that time ago had recognized that and he said:
'If you were of the world, the world would love his own…ye are not of the world…’ 2

1
The study ‘Dar sem esperar retribuição’, geiem at Centro Espírita, Joana d’Arc, on 06/
10/ 2009.
2
John, 15: 19.

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 If we analyze in this point of view, the world visualizes God by its own image, if man thinks due to his needs
and being the physical world a world of exchanges, the man copies nature, being like this: the plant gives flowers in
exchange for water and good soil, the soil gives good crop in exchange for a good fertilizer, the soil allows growing
our foods if we cultivate it and dig it well frequently, and sowing good seeds, doing that it rewards us in a natural
way and spontaneously.
And, man guiding himself some by others, and he hears been spoken that there is God, he only gets to see
God by his own image, hence, as times go by, first he offered in places reserved offers of vegetables to the gods in
exchange for blessings, such as rain or good weather, later more organized, of the reserved places they made
altars to put the offers, later they began to please God better offering him animals to be burned, later they found,
that God could not be outdoors so they began to build temples.
Having passed thousands of years, no longer do they offer pleasures of cattle or food, but they still make
assorting of exchanges, since they ask for cures in exchange for promises, or be: 'if you dearly God do grant me
this cure... I promise so much of money to give to the poor', etc...
Now, as one sees, the influence in general of the world condenses itself, in man's faith and him without
paying attention of that, he still has in himself the rhythm of the exchange, the pulse of the agreement, the pulse of
rescuing better price to buy in good price, and unconscious of his spiritual condition searches from God a blessing
in the same way.
Oh, that, one must not do, or one is not able to! ... Is he?
Oh, people, we do have yet a lot to learn about God?
The man does still not understand that Jesus had said: “that God sendeth rain on the just and on the
unjust”, without waiting retribution. 3 God is not as men, that we join ourselves together to do agreements, nor can
one give a bad turn or buy God with compromise in form of promises, thinking indirectly like this:' there are poor
people God is happy if we look after the poor, then I will offer to help, but God has ... to help, or else nothing done or
be,... I don't pay the promise.'
Could it be that man still didn't understand that God doesn't owe anything to anybody, which therefore He
would not be constrained if He would say no? And, He can even be displeased, when somebody plays the smart
and tries to elude God with butter words and beautiful prayers, but which stands out for any one to notice, that it
seems that they are speaking to the work mates, who may be naive. Nevertheless, one should remember that God
reads the thoughts and the reasons of the heart 4 and answers according to the truth, the reality and the justice of
the requests and of the prayers.
There are religious people, who think themselves for not wanting retribution, but when coming to do a
request to God, they don't notice that they want retribution in reverse, in the promises they ask with condition and
they want God to do first, so later they pay the promise. Yes, maybe I exaggerate, but I am right, am I not?
Thence God Himself if He had fell in that, He would be different than Jesus taught about God, because He
would make the request waiting of winning retribution, in other words similar to man.
Does anyone still think man has not made God by his own image?
Do let us examine the following, if in religion, without one wanting, there is no human influence of
retribution? nevertheless, in the pulpit a preacher in unconscious pulse of logic said 'we are saved to serve', now,
how to explain, could it be that God saves to have servants, being so, God expects retribution, but no, of course
God doesn't need servants, it is that the man unintentionally has in himself influence of retribution, which is
generalized in the whole world.
However the Spiritist Doctrine explains, that what God asks us is that we be of mutual help to each other,
and Jesus suggests: 'whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister,,, let him be your servant', 5 it is in
that which seems to confuse ourselves, hence we are interconnected each other from the Archangel to the atom, 6
in a chain of influences connected in those eternal links.
We have succeeded to get better, no longer do we see God as a God of matter, now we do see God like a
God of virtues, but the measure of virtues as yet we understand them in the limit of our capacity and for not going
much further, Jesus was and were good, and people saw that and didn't deny his kindness, and they used to call
him of good, he was the most perfect kindness than man ever knew, could there be a more perfect kindness?
Yes, since Jesus answered:' Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.' 7

3
Matthew, 5: 43.
4
The Spirits’ Book, Introduction, XIII, 4th. Paragraf + Q. 653.
5
Matthew, 20: 26, 27, + 23: 11. - Mark, 9: 34, 35. - Luke, 9: 46
6
The Spirits’ Book, Q. 129.
7
Matthew, 19: 17.

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 We are not able to not even to think in seeing the greatness of God of the same way, as the man sees the
greatness of a King for instance: we recognize a King's greatness by the amount of vassals which the court may
contain, now God is not greater in greatness by the number of Angels, Archangels or of Angels in infinite beauty,
degree or spirituality. God is not increased by the work of those who are submitted to Him, as the entrepreneur who
the more number of workers he has in his firm the richer and more important he becomes.
Well then God is God and final point, He is infinite in all His attributes, if He has one million Archangels He
is the same as if He had one billion Archangels, His Universe doesn't make Him greater if He had one more billion
Stars every year. There it is, God is always God, His greatness is infinite. 8
Thereabout we already see that we can only have a small understanding of God and we can only grow
spiritually little by little, however, we should always try to feed our faith in God and our future, and no matter how
much we discover our spirituality wanting, we should go ahead, because the spiritual road is always for best, if we
fall we should get up, to carry our cross and not be discouraged. 9
Yes, we discovered that in our inferiority, we are still prone to adhere to influences of in everything to wait
retribution, but we should not condemn ourselves for that, because we know that as we grow spiritually our morals
are increased and consequently it separates itself from the material interests automatically.
In our spiritual growth there is a law, which Jesus reminded us similar to the one of the return, which is as
Jesus said: 'For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance;' 10 that law is fluidic and
it is pertinent to the morals and the spiritual life in the growth and merits of virtues, it is not one to think that it is
material, and someone to interpret like this: if I give a thousand $ real to God, God will give me in return the double,
that would be to give, awaiting material retribution, nobody should get confused with investment statutory laws
awaiting interests and indexation, with laws of progress and spiritual evolution, pertinent to the Spirit, to the Soul.
Thence Jesus' recommendation:
'Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do
not break through nor steal', 11 certain that Jesus incited us to progress in the spiritual life and to plunge us in those
realities, without having material damage, because he said:
'But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.'
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it is because the matter is influenced by the spirit, the spirit which is accomplished spiritually, is very different than
the one which is not, because it is the spirit which has the eternal life and not the matter, which is subdued to the
spirit. And it is in that principle that we should establish our faith and hope in God and in the future and even in our
life in the day to day. May it be so!

*****
Let us learn a little on God in the Spirits’ Book, I chapter.
Items 10 to 13.

Attributes of the Divinity

10. Can man comprehend the essential nature of God?
"No; he lacks the sense required for comprehending it."

11. Will man ever become able to comprehend the mystery of the Divinity?
"When his mind shall no longer be obscured by matter, and when, by his perfection, he shall have brought
himself nearer to God, be will see and comprehend Him."
The inferiority of the human faculties renders it impossible for man to comprehend the essential nature of
God. In the infancy of the race, man often confounds the Creator with the creature, and attributes to the former the
imperfections of the latter. But, in proportion 55 his moral sense becomes developed, man's thought penetrates
more deeply into the nature of things, and he is able to form to himself a juster and more rational idea of the Divine
Being, although his idea of that Being must always be imperfect and incomplete.

8
Allan Kardec, ‘The Genesis’, 2: 21.
9
Matthew, 10: 38. - John, 16: 33.
10
Matthew, 13: 12 - 25: 29. - Luke, 6: 38.
11
Matthew, 6: 19.
12
Matthew, 6: 33.

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 12. If we cannot comprehend the essential nature of God, can we have an idea of some of His perfections?
"Yes, of some of them. Man comprehends them better in proportion as he raises himself above matter; he
obtains glimpses of them through the exercise of his intelligence."

13. When we say that God is eternal, infinite, unchangeable, immaterial, unique, all-powerful, sovereignty
just and good, have we not a complete idea of His attributes?
"Yes, judging from your point of view, because you think that you sum up everything in those terms; but you
must understand that there are things which transcend the intelligence of the most intelligent man, and for which
your language, limited to your ideas and sensations, has no expressions. Your reason tells you that God must
possess those perfections in the supreme degree; for, if one of them were lacking, or were not possessed by Him in
an infinite degree,
He would riot be superior to all, and consequently would not be God. In order to be above all things, God
must undergo no vicissitudes; He must have none of the imperfections of which the imagination can conceive."
God is eternal. If He had had a beginning, He must either have sprung from nothing, or have been created
by some being anterior to Himself. It is thus mat, step by step; we arrive at the idea of infinity and eternity.
God is unchangeable. If He were subject to change, the laws which rule the universe would have no
stability.
God is immaterial, that is to say, that His nature differs from every-thing that we call matter, or otherwise.
He would not be unchangeable, for He would be subject to the transformations of matter.
God is unique. If there were several Gods, there would be neither unity of plan nor unity of power in the
ordaining of the universe.
God is all-powerful because He is unique. If He did not possess sovereign power, there would be something
more powerful, or no less powerful, than Himself. He would not have created all things and those which He had not
created would be the work of another God.
God is sovereignty just and good. The providential wisdom of the divine laws is revealed as clearly in the
smallest things as in the greatest and this wisdom renders it impossible to doubt either His justice or His goodness.”

*****

By order of all things God comes first, that is why everything works by faith and hope, because we receive
from God the energies and the strength of living and the inspiration as food from God for all of us, being divided
between everyone, for that the mutual love, the mutual union, the mutual solidarity, the mutual fraternity is
necessary for us all in harmony, we ascend to the high hills of the Lord, that is to the Heavens, where we shall live
accomplished, complete and happy, but we will only be so if on arriving those summits, we do not see unhappy
spirits through our fault, otherwise we will have to try to repair our debt before them and to the laws that fasten us
unto the happy future.

I take advantage to remember of the happy worlds in the

explanation in the Gospel According to Spiritism, chapíer, III:
item 10:
10. In these blissful worlds relationships between peoples and individuals are always friendly, never
perturbed by ambition to enslave their neighbour or make war. There are no masters nor slaves, none privileged by
birth, only moral and intellectual superiority which establishes all conditions and which ultimately gives supremacy.
Authority receives and deserves the respect of everyone, as it is only given to those who merit it and is therefore
always exercised with justice.
Man does not try to elevate himself above another but only above himself, by striving for perfection. His
objective is to ascend to the category of pure Spirit, although this desire is never a torment but rather a noble
ambition which induces him to study ardently in order to became an equal. In these worlds, all the delicate and
elevated sentiments of human nature find themselves exalted and purified. Hate is unknown, as are petty jealousies
and the covetous of envy.
The ties of love and brotherhood hind all humanity each to the other so that the strong help the weak.
Through a greater or lesser degree of intelligence, Man acquires possessions of a smaller or larger quantity.

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However, nobody suffers from want as no one needs to make atonement. In short, evil does not exist in these
worlds.”

*****

Here is in this item an explanation of happy worlds, which are of our desire to come to belong, it is not
except a healthy and desirable faith so we do think or want, wherefore it is deepened in us the pulse of
improvement, we already see in this world that instinct of ours, who has shortages always wants to get better, who
lives in rented homes always wants to have his own house, who lives in a pressed home always wants a house with
more comfort, he who is poor and needy always wants to ascend in the balanced society etc.
It is not a sin, that healthy ambition, it is faith in practice, it is hope in action for our good, for the good of our
close-ones, for the good of our families.
We exercise yes, those ambitions in practice and awaiting retributions, but it is part of our progress, the
student makes an effort in the studies so that he has a return of his effort, from that effort in certain way it is a
retribution anticipation., but it is not an egoistical retribution, but a part of his spiritual progress of his evolution.
Therefore there is the retribution which is pertinent to the law of Progress, 13 and there is the retribution
pertinent to the law of merits 14
Well, let us return to Jesus so that we do not come out of the context that Jesus taught, which is the
spiritual, for the Grandeur of the soul and not of material coexistence for material enlargement, because the
teaching is clear, 'we should not expect retribution', because being so we would already have received our merit.
May God will, that each one be illuminated and may understand this teaching of Jesus.

Well then, May God be with us as formerly, today and always.

13
The Spirits’ Book, Q. 114-118 + 776-785
14
The Spirits’ Book, Q. 119-127.

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 The world has its own ways,15
Its own philosophy of life, his own manners of being,
The people do copy themselves to each other according to
their tastes and habits,
And it seems that they are guided by traditions,
Models and conservation, in that the world is stubborn
And insists that it is material, and those who are
spiritualized,
The world does not accept them of good pleasure
So that to be spiritualized, it is to be a separate one
And already Jesus on that time ago had recognized that
and he said:
'If you were of the world, the world would love his own…ye
are not of the world…’, 16
If we analyze in this point of view,
The world visualizes God by its own image,
If man thinks due to his needs
And being the physical world a world of exchanges,
The man copies nature, being like this:
The plant gives flowers in exchange for water and good
soil,
15
Extract from the study ‘Dar sem esperar retribuição’, given at Centro Espírita, Joana
d’Arc, on 06/ 10/ 2009.
16
John, 15: 19.

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The soil gives good crop in exchange for a good fertilizer,
The soil allows growing our foods if we cultivate it and dig
it well frequently,
And sowing good seeds,
Doing that it rewards us in a natural way and
spontaneously.