Freely you have received, freely give. (Matthew 10:8)
This statement is not fundamentally about the power of Christ to heal, but about the impetus by which Christ releases his power to heal. For in bringing healing to humanity, Christ does not merely release his power, but he freely offers his life. What we have freely received is not the power of Christ, but the life of Christ; he gave his life freely for us. The only way that we can freely receive that life and then give it to others is by freely releasing our right to rule our own lives. The greatest power is found in the place of complete abandonment.
For years I’ve been somewhat baffled by John’s insistence that perfect love casts out all fear. I always thought that John meant that if I love someone perfectly, I won’t be afraid to confront them when they need to be confronted, because my love for them will overcome my fear of their response to my correction. I also thought it meant that I cannot fear the feedback of those that I know love me. But now I realize that this passage means something more.
Fear is the anticipation that someone will take from you that which you are not willing to give. Perfect love is essentially the act of self-giving. If you have fully surrendered yourself in the act of love, you cannot at the same time fear that something will be taken away from you. Perfect love is about dying to self; its about giving yourself away so that God can use you.
Freely give. Give out of love, not out of obligation. Give without the expectation of getting something in return. Give without any sense of entitlement, or any sense of personal need.
The act of free giving is only possible when you have learned to rely upon a transcendent source. If I expect you to meet my needs, I’m not living like the Lord is my Shepherd. But if the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. If I depend upon the Lord to meet my needs, then I no longer need to depend upon those I serve. I can then become a servant in the true sense of the word.
