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How can Jesus reconcile his demand for self-denial with his frank promises of reward?
[b:2rjd8hws]C. S. Lewis, in his book The Problem of Pain, answers this way:[/b:2rjd8hws]
[i:2rjd8hws]We are afraid that Heaven is a bribe, and that if we make it our goal we shall no longer be disinterested. It is not so. Heaven offers nothing the mercenary soul can desire. It is safe to tell the pure in heart that they shall seek God, for only the pure in heart want to. There are rewards that do not sully motives. A man’s love for a woman is not mercenary because he wants to marry her, nor his love for poetry mercenary because he wants to read it, nor his love of exercise less disinterested because he wants to run and leap and walk. Love, by definition, seeks to enjoy its object.[/i:2rjd8hws]
Let me know your thoughts.
The Least
~Victor
[quote:2y5j9djc]Heaven is a bribe[/quote:2y5j9djc]
Oh man! I used to get thoughts like this one very often a few years ago. Say, if I was heading for Mass I would invariably get in my head “you¬¥re only doing this for the reward”. It used to really bother me a lot, until I figure out it was the devil using one of his favorite lies.
Now I´m not bothered by this anymore, I guess the devil has moved on to others of his many lies. Unfortunately he´s got a lot of them
Dear Jesus, Prince of Truth, Please help us recognize the lies of the enemy so we can´t fight them with your help and the help of Our Dear Mother, Amen
God´s Peace and Love
Juan
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