THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: - Vital Christianity

149Rewards are motivated not by what we deserve, but by God’s goodness.“We have done what we were bound to do” (17:10). When it comes to the entireobservance of the law, the most perfect of all people fall short of that righteousness which thelaw demands. Therefore the observance of the law is not meritorious. If rewards are due to theobservance of the law in respect of merit, it will not therefore follow that any man is justified bythe merits of works since we all failAPPLICATIONWe should not expect anything in return since all we are and have is because of God.We should be filled with gratitude because God who is love calls us His children andheirs and co-heirs with Christ (Ro 8:14-17) whom He will fully redeem one day (Ro 8:23) andfor whom He is preparing a place in heaven (Jn 14:2-3).Humility and obedience are to characterize our lives since even our best efforts fallshort of God’s standard.NOTE1Calmet, St. Augustine, lib. ix. Confessions and Sermons, 131.