A reward from Jesus

"Have you seen this man? REWARD to the person who helps the police find him," one poster says.

"Missing: white cat. REWARD for finding him," says another.

Lots of kids wish they could do something important and get a reward. You dream about finding the lost cat or capturing the bad guy, and getting a million dollars for it! You even know what you'd do with the money.

But the police aren't the only ones who give rewards. In this week's Gospel (Matthew 10:37-42), Jesus talks about the rewards God gives -- and how to get them!

"Whoever doesn't love me more than anyone and follow me is not fit to be my disciple," Jesus taught. "Whoever welcomes God's followers, welcomes God -- and even if they just give a drink of water to one of my followers, they will be rewarded."

Jesus' rewards might not sound as exciting. You'd rather climb to the very top of a tree to get a lost cat than earn a reward by "giving a drink of water to one of Jesus' followers"!

But sometimes, things can be harder than they look. When Jesus said we had to welcome His followers to get a reward, He meant everybody -- homeless people, people who look different, people who say things we don't like.

It's easy to get a reward by returning something lost that you found. But to get a reward from Jesus, we have to love Him so much, we'll help people even when we don't feel like it.

And Jesus' rewards are a lot better than money: He rewards us by taking care of us and saving a space for us in heaven!

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK: Jesus, help me work for your rewards, instead of other people's. Amen!

(06-24-99)