That you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Matthew 5:45
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Rain for everyone
Jesus says this straight after calling his listeners to love their enemies. In a dry land like Israel, rain was not just weather; life depended on it. If the rain failed, so did the harvest. So it is no small thing that the same rain also falls on the field of a dishonest neighbour. God's generosity is as ordinary as the rain.
The Talmud has a saying that fits here: a day of rain is greater than the resurrection of the dead. The resurrection is for the righteous, the rain for everyone. That is how wide God's goodness is, and how wide his children's goodness can be.
Question for today
Where do I see God's generosity in ordinary things today?
Prayer
Father, I live every day on gifts I have not earned. Teach me to be just as generous to those I would rather pass over. Amen.
One of the 339 words of Jesus on this site, from the temple to Revelation. See all the words in order →