Trick or Treat… Back At Ya!

Matthew 7:12 “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

In a message on Shabbat, Rabbi Philip Lanning, reminded me of a word (thank you Rabbi Lanning) I hadn’t heard in “forever”…  Reciprocity!

The dictionary (on my Apple computer) gives a very unimpressive definition as “the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit, especially privileges granted by one country or organization to another”

Yeah, very mundane. Not at all a clarion call to PRACTICE the life YOU WANT in exchange for LIVING the life with the community you’ve got.

When I think of law of reciprocity I think of the same volatile law described by Sir Isaac Newton in his laws of motion… “three fundamental laws of classical physics. The first states that a body continues in a state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line unless it is acted on by an external force. The second states that the rate of change of momentum of a moving body is proportional to the force acting to produce the change. The third states that if one body exerts a force on another, there is an equal and opposite force (or reaction) exerted by the second body on the first.” (copied from the dictionary on my Apple computer)

So, when I think of reciprocity, my vision is not just AN EXCHANGE, but more a FORCE to be reckoned with… the BACK AT YA force! Not a threat so much as a FACT OF LIFE. Whatever I GIVE to my world… my community… to my fellow creatures – created in the image of God and powered by His breath of life… I will RECEIVE “something” back.

There is no guarantee you will receive back only good and not evil. It’s not a tool for manipulating your own bag of candy! It is a guarantee that you WILL receive back from life.

It could be tricks from the likes of the witches in Macbeth Act 4, scene 1: “Double, double toil and trouble Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.”  …our world is like a cauldron bubbling with toil and trouble rather than a community. The fire of division and divisive words and actions causes double, triple and infinite multiplication of reaction upon reaction, triggering not love and encouragement but the bubbling mess of hate and revenge.

It is what it is… each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34) What I want to know is… do we ever step back and assess OURSELVES and OUR MOTION as both the trigger and the bubbling mess? Do we ever take even a small portion of responsibility for the trouble (ours &/or someone else’s) in each day? (!ok off my soapbox and back on message point!)

Trick or Treat! It doesn’t matter.. our choice isn’t determined by the getting or giving (or at least it shouldn’t be – that would make us a slave to our an insatiable appetite).

Enter Jesus… Luke 6:31 “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.”

Notice He isn’t talking about terms of the exchange, He’s talking about YOU.CHOOSING.ACTION/REACTION and about the person you are becoming.  Luke 6:32-34 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. BE DIFFERENT!

Notice He isn’t offering a reaction to someone or something. He’s offering THE WAY to live! Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be “Like Father like son“… In other words don’t fall far the apple tree!

Notice He tells you it is up to you – the same way you want.

Choose for yourselves today (Joshua 24:15) What kind of world… community… fellowship… relationship… do YOU want to live in. LIVE IT!

Trick or Treat…

Nope, there is NO GUARANTEE that you will GET the response you wish for. The principle of reciprocity does not promise a “fair” or “desired” exchange. But it does promise an exchange… Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

I’ve always used this as a positive blessing. But then, with Rabbi Lanning’s Holy Spirit inspired counsel, I realized Jesus stated this in conjunction with actions/reactions – “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. (Luke 6:37) – not so much a blessing as an example of the physical principle of reciprocity.

No, the exchange does not guarantee the desired outcome – that might provide a tool of manipulation but not a foundation for building YOUR WORLD i.e. the Reason for the Season of choosing well the gifts you give in exchange?

You We are building the world – the community – we live in! We choose the design… by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” We choose the size and shape… pressed down, shaken together, and running over.

Do we want to live in a world (community) of Trick or Treat? Always blaming (judging someone else), always complaining (condemning the imperfect exchange), always threatening to destroy the enemy of our happiness (killing relationship opportunity).

Let’s take off our witch’s mask… let’s stop cooking the witch’s brew… Let’s not just go for the bag of treats…

Let’s choose for ourselves today TO BE the way WE WANT others to be…

Matthew 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden (they will know you by your light/darkness); nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

YOU ARE… the light of the world… Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

YOU WILL RECEIVE… poured into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over.

What do YOU have in your wallet of wishes?

May we all remember the principle of reciprocity the next time we decide to berate someone for their opinion… the next time we slander someone we do not know… the next time we are ungrateful for the service offered to “we the people”… the next time we praise evil and laugh at his victim…the next time we are tempted to retaliate with a TRICK because we believe someone REALLY REALLY deserves it.

Trick or Treat! The next time… may we think of it as OUR OWN BAG of “candy” being POURED OVER US…

The principle of Back at Ya!… pressed down, shaken together, and running over!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible