August 16, 2026

Does God Owe You?

Jesus tells his host to invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind—people who have nothing to offer in return. It's a strange kind of guest list, and it raises a question that goes beyond party planning: what do we actually expect back when we do good? Is there a reward for this kind of generosity, and if so, does that make grace transactional?

John Piper wrestles with that tension directly. On one hand, Scripture clearly speaks of God rewarding faith-filled obedience. On the other, we're rightly wary of turning our relationship with God into a business deal, as if he owed us wages for services rendered. Piper's resolution is worth sitting with: reward isn't God settling a debt, it's God delighting. When he empowers us to obey—to invite the very people who can't invite us back—the joy that follows isn't a paycheck. It's a celebration of grace working itself out in us.

That shifts how we might read Jesus' instruction here. Hosting the poor and the disabled isn't a spiritual transaction where we bank credit with God. It's an act made possible by grace, and one that God takes pleasure in because it reflects his own character back to him. The reward, whatever it looks like, flows from that delight rather than from some ledger being balanced.

This is a freeing way to think about obedience. We're not earning our way into God's favor by throwing generous feasts or doing quiet kindnesses no one will repay. We're simply living out the faith he's already given us, and he loves to honor that. If you want to think through this more fully, Ask Pastor John's piece "Does God Owe You?" is a good next stop for untangling reward and grace.