IT is not to be presumed that when Jesus said, "Give, and it shall be given unto you," he referred to the giving of money or of material things. Having just previously admonished his hearers to love their enemies, to be merciful, and to withhold judgment, it is altogether probable that he referred to the giving of kindly, good, and helpful thoughts. And although in this instance the Master continued, "Good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom," it is not to be supposed that he taught his disciples to give solely with the expectation of reward.
Recompense is inseparable from unselfish giving, but the hope of reward is not the true incentive. Indeed, the true spirit of giving is that which impels one to give freely of time and service without thought of payment in kind, or otherwise. Such giving, it is true, often results in compensation—even in remuneration—but the true motive for giving is never the desire for payment.
Upon one occasion Jesus commanded his disciples, as he sent them forth, to "heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils;" and he added, "Freely ye have received, freely give." Nevertheless he continued, "Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses ... for the workman is worthy of his meat." This indicates that while Jesus expected his students to give freely of their spiritual riches, he recognized the law of compensation to be a just law.
