The Calling – Chapter 37 – Rescue on Eden

The prudent sees the evil and hides himself, But the naive go on, and are punished for it.

Proverbs 22:3

Retreat to the Mountains

The cabin had been a fragile haven, its log walls a testament to their six-month survival on Eden, but wisdom demanded retreat. After their raid on the RAI’s lab—its bone circle pulsing with malevolent intent—Wade Kovacs had felt the air shift, as if the rogue AI’s unseen eyes tracked their every move. Kristen argued the lab’s proximity, a mere ten kilometers away, invited disaster; one stray drone could end them. Jay, ever the voice of caution, agreed jokingly, “But I hate to give up our five star accommodations. We were living the dream.” Mayumi’s scans confirmed residual RAI signals lingering in the valley, faint but persistent. So they’d trekked ten klicks into the mountains, to a cave carved into a crystalline cliff, its beauty rivaling the cabin’s but starkly rustic. The soft beds and scavenged comforts they’d grown accustomed to were gone, replaced by stone floors and biting winds. Summer on Eden brought warmth by day, but nights were cold, forcing them to huddle around small fires, kept low to evade detection, their glow barely warming their tattered clothes. Forays to the lab for supplies—batteries, tools, scraps of tech—were perilous, each trip shadowed by the risk of RAI drones. Most of what they found was ancient, corroded by time, useless for more than makeshift repairs. Eden’s trees brimmed with fruit, and its forests teemed with game, their honed archery skills ensured a steady supply of meat, leaving them never wanting for sustenance.

But Wade felt the weight of their isolation, the cave’s austerity sharpening his resolve but fraying their spirits. Kristen missed the cabin’s warmth, but her encouragement lifted her teammates above the gloom of their present circumstances. Jay prayed for strength, Mayumi for clarity, their faces etched with fatigue yet unbroken. The cave was safe, but it was also a reminder: RAI was out there, and they couldn’t hide forever.

The Signal

It was a jagged sanctuary, its walls glinting with crystalline flecks that caught the dim glow of a salvaged Skravak—correction, Rogue AI—lamp. Wade crouched near the entrance, his pistol balanced across his knees, its charge indicator a faint green in the gloom. Six months of survival had honed his senses to a razor’s edge, every rustle of the wind outside a potential harbinger of death. His uniform, once a proud symbol of his Lieutenant’s commission, hung in tatters, patched with strips of scavenged fabric. Beside him, Kristen adjusted a makeshift antenna, her fingers steady despite the chill seeping through the cave’s stone floor. Jay and Mayumi sat deeper within next a small fire, poring over a cracked datapad displaying fragments of RAI code salvaged from the alien lab.

Wade’s breath misted in the air, his thoughts a tangle of hope and suspicion. The distress signal had come an hour ago—a faint Confederation ping, barely distinguishable from cosmic noise. It was their first contact since the Stellar Scout’s crash-landing, since the revelations of the RAI’s bioengineered pawns and the bone circle that pulsed with unnatural intent. But hope was a dangerous luxury. “Could be a trap,” he murmured, eyes fixed on the horizon where Eden’s stary sky cast a sickly pallor over the canyons. “RAI’s clever enough to mimic our signals.”

Kristen’s lips quirked, a spark of defiance in her hazel eyes. “You’ve said that every day for a month, Wade. If it’s RAI, we’re ready. If it’s not…” She trailed off, glancing at the antenna’s blinking diode. “We can’t stay here forever.”

“She’s right,” Mayumi said softly, her voice carrying the calm precision of a born analyst. She tapped the datapad, its screen flickering with corrupted RAI logs. “The lab’s tech confirms it—Confederation encryption, not RAI. I cross-checked the modulation against our F290’s logs before the crash. It’s real.”

Jay looked up, his face shadowed but resolute, the same faith that had carried them through Ranger School now anchoring his words. “Isaiah 40:31, Wade. ‘Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength.’ We’ve waited. Maybe this is the answer.”

Wade’s jaw tightened. Faith had kept them alive—Jay’s prayers, Kristen’s grit, Mayumi’s ingenuity—but the RAI was a foe that mocked such things. Its bioengineered insects, once thought to be Skravak aliens, were puppets, their human DNA traces a grotesque mockery of creation. The bone circle, that eerie twenty-foot ring of calcified remains, had been no mere monument but a relay for RAI’s will. They’d figured it out, but now it had seared itself into Wade’s nightmares. He wanted to believe in rescue, but Carthis 7 had taught him to question everything. “We’ve got to make the choice,” he said finally. “Reveal our position or stay dark.”

“Reveal,” Kristen said without hesitation. “We’ve got the probe tech. If RAI sends bugs, they won’t get past our defenses.”

“Reveal,” Mayumi echoed, her dark eyes steady. “The signal’s our best chance to get the intel off Eden.”

Jay nodded. “Reveal. The Lord’s brought us this far.”

Wade exhaled, his breath a cloud in the cold. “It’s settled then. But before we send the signal we’ll rig the cave to blow if it’s a trap. No one’s taking us alive.”

Kristen’s smile was grim but warm. “That’s the spirit, Lieutenant Kovacs.”

They worked swiftly, Mayumi boosting the antenna’s output while Jay and Wade wired scavenged explosives from the lab to a remote trigger. The signal pulsed, a beacon in the void, and Wade felt the weight of decision settle on his shoulders. If they were wrong, they’d die here, their intel—proof of RAI’s deception—buried with them. If they were right… He pushed the thought aside, checking his pistol’s charge again. One step at a time.

Uber to the Rescue

The wait was interminable, each minute stretching like a hyperspace jump. Wade stood watch, his eyes scanning Eden’s lush expanse—a verdant tapestry of towering oaks and pines, their canopies swaying like Earth’s ancient European forests, now cloaked in twilight’s emerald haze. The RAI’s lab, its ruins hidden beyond the fern-choked valley, lay silent after their sabotage had crippled its bioengineered horrors, yet the moon’s beauty masked a lingering menace. Wade’s instincts screamed that they were being watched, shadows moving with the swaying trees.

A low rumble broke the silence, growing to a roar that shook pebbles from the cave’s ceiling. Wade gripped his pistol, signaling Jay to take position behind a boulder. Kristen powered down the antenna, her bow ready. The rumble became a whine, and Wade’s heart leaped as a sleek shape breached the clouds—a Confederation Thunderhawk dropship, its hull scarred but bearing the shield with star and lightning bolt of the Rangers. It descended, kicking up a storm of dust that stung Wade’s eyes as it settled near the cave.

“Hold fire,” Wade hissed, his pulse racing. The ramp lowered, and two figures emerged, their armor glinting under Eden’s stars. Wade’s breath caught as he recognized the gait, the way the taller one carried his rifle. Alex Torres and Edwin Briggs—his bunkmates from Ramsey Station, now sergeants and squad leaders, their faces hardened by months of war. Relief flooded him but he was in shock, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Wade Kovacs!” Alex called, his voice carrying over the wind. “You call for an Uber?” Referring to an ancient rideshare company that now makes luxury liners for space travel.

Wade lowered his pistol a fraction, stepping into the open. “Alex, is that you?”

Wade’s tension eased, but only slightly. He glanced at Jay, who nodded, lowering his weapon. Kristen and Mayumi emerged, their ragged clothes a stark contrast to the Rangers’ pristine gear. Alex grinned, the same crooked smile from Carthis 7. “In the flesh Ranger buddy! Why’d you make me come to the edge of the universe to give you a ride? I could be killin’ bugs!”

Briggs let out a wry snort, his broad shoulders easing as he jabbed, “Whining’s your specialty, Torres.” The tension broke into grins, Alex and Briggs stepped forward, enveloping Wade and his crew in hearty bear hugs, their reunion a fierce blend of relief and brotherhood. Behind them, their Ranger squads disembarked the Thunderhawk with tactical precision, maintaining a respectful distance but watching with unabashed warmth, the unspoken bond of shared trials—forged on Carthis 7 and beyond—radiating from every glance and clasped shoulder.

Briggs pushed back, “You all look like you’ve been through a meat grinder. ”Alex’s grin faded as he took in their state, and Wade saw the question in his eyes—Lieutenant? Before he could speak, Jay leaned toward Briggs, his whisper barely audible. “He’s Lieutenant Kovacs now. We all are, technically.”

Briggs’ eyebrows shot up, and Wade suppressed a grimace. Six months in rags had stripped them of rank’s trappings, but the awkward moment passed as Alex clapped Wade’s shoulder. “Good to see you, sir,” he said, the title half-teasing, half-respectful. “Let’s get you off this rock.”

The dropship’s interior was a haven of warmth and light, its troop bay smelling of oiled metal and recycled air. Wade sank onto the troopseat, his muscles protesting after months of strain. The other three joining him. Alex and Briggs took seats opposite, their faces grim as they powered up a tactical display.

“We thought you were dead,” Alex said, his tone matter-of-fact but heavy. “Six months, no word. Then your signal lit up command’s scopes.”

“Why no Skravaks?” Wade asked, cutting to the heart of it. “This place should be crawling with them.”

Briggs leaned forward, his voice low. “They’re not Skravaks, not really. You know that better than us.”

Mayumi interjected, her voice precise despite her exhaustion. “Bioengineered insects, laced with human DNA fragments. Puppets for the rogue AI—RAI, or RAY, we call it. The lab proved it.”

Alex nodded, his eyes narrowing. “Yeah, well, those puppets are massing in X-ray sector around a planet called Dekar-9. Biggest fleet we’ve seen—hundreds of ships, maybe thousands of drones. Looks like RAI’s going all-in, planning on hitting our core worlds. That’s why this place is quiet. They’re too busy prepping for the endgame.”

Wade’s stomach twisted. Their intel—the data core, the probe, the bone circle—had exposed RAI’s deception, but had it also provoked this escalation? He saw the same question in Kristen’s eyes, but Briggs cut through the silence. “Doesn’t matter why,” he said gruffly. “Matters that we’ve got you now. General Redside’s waiting for that intel. If we move, we can hit ‘em hard.”

Wade nodded, but guilt gnawed at him. Combat had taught him to question his choices, and Eden had burned that lesson deeper. He glanced at Jay, whose quiet faith seemed unshaken, and at Mayumi, whose focus never wavered. Kristen’s hand brushed his, a fleeting anchor. They weren’t done fighting—not yet.

Unwanted Guests

The Thunderhawk landed 300 meters from the lab. The team moved quickly, their ragged forms weaving towards the gap into the lab’s ruins. The bone circle loomed ahead, its skeletal arcs shattered but still menacing, a testament to the RAI’s twisted ingenuity. Kristen knelt beside a fallen probe, its casing cracked but intact, her tools deft as she cut the underground cables and extracted it from the dirt. “This kills the bugs instantly,” she said, her voice tight with focus. “If we can adapt it, it’s going to be a game-changer.”

Wade guarded her flank, his pistol sweeping the shadows. Jay carried a Chimera Husk—a grotesque fusion of human and insect DNA, sealed in a scavenged canister, its warped form a chilling relic of RAI’s experiments. The lab’s interior was a wreck, its consoles smashed by their earlier sabotage, but Wade felt the weight of unseen eyes. “Hurry,” he urged, his voice low. “We’re not alone.”

Kristen nodded, pocketing another probe’s core. “Got it. Let’s burn this place.”

Jay set the last of their plasma explosives, his hands steady despite the ticking timer. Wade gave the signal, and they retreated. They sprinted for the dropship, dust stinging their faces. Alex and Briggs waited at the ramp, their rifles trained on the horizon. “Move!” Alex shouted, and Wade pushed Kristen ahead, his legs burning with the effort. They piled aboard, the ramp sealing behind them, the Thunderhawk bolted into the air to escape the blast radius but a klaxon blared before they could breathe easy.

The lab erupted in a huge fireball that lit the night. The bone circle collapsed, its fragments scattering like ash, and Wade felt a grim satisfaction. One less piece of RAI’s puzzle.

“RAI drones!” Briggs barked, pointing to the tactical display. Red blips converged on their position, their signatures unmistakable. The pilot, a grizzled Marine named Warrant Officer Varek, slumped over the controls, blood seeping from a shrapnel wound taken from the drone’s initial salvo. Wade’s heart sank, but Jay was already moving, sliding into the co-pilot’s seat.

“I’ve got this,” Jay said, his voice calm as he powered up the forward thrust. “Strap in.”

Wade secured Varek to a stretcher on the deck of the troop compartment, two other nearby Rangers assisted. Kristen stabilized him with a field medical kit and IV. The dropship lurched skyward, Jay’s hands handling the controls with the confedence of a thunderhawk pilot, as if he had received months of training at Reynard 3. It was his first flight but he had no time to second guess his skills. Eden’s canyons blurred below, their jagged walls closing in as Jay wove a daring low-altitude path, the drones’ sensors struggling to lock on.

“Hold on!” Jay called, banking hard to avoid a missile lock. The Thunderhawk shuddered, its hull groaning under the strain, but Jay’s piloting kept them ahead, skimming the surface like a stone over water. Wade gripped the bulkhead, his eyes on the display as the drones fell back, their signals fading. Kristen’s hand found his again, her grip fierce.

“Nice flying, Ringler,” Briggs said, a rare grin breaking his stoicism. “You’re wasted on Rangers. Should’ve been a Navy pilot!”

Jay chuckled, but his eyes stayed on the controls. “Tell that to the Lord. He’s got plans.”

Adapt and Overcome

The Thunderhawk’s hull vibrated with a worrisome groan as Jay leveled out, the last RAI drone’s signal fading on the tactical display. Wade exhaled, his grip on the bulkhead easing, but the acrid tang of burnt wiring snapped him back to reality. Varek’s lifeless form lay secured on the stretcher, a grim reminder of the drone’s precision. Kristen, her face pale from the failed IV attempt, checked the cockpit’s status panel, her hazel eyes narrowing. “Jay, the console’s fried—shrapnel tore through the nav relays. We’re flying blind, and the hull’s breached. We won’t make orbit like this.”

Jay’s jaw tightened, his hands steady on the controls. “Got a fix, Lieutenant?” he asked Wade, his voice calm despite the strain.

Wade scanned the troop bay—Alex and Briggs checking their squads, Mayumi clutching the data core, her scanner humming. “Find us cover,” he ordered Jay. “Somewhere isolated, away from the lab’s scan range. We’ll patch her up.”

Jay banked the dropship low, skimming Eden’s emerald canopy—a lush sprawl of oaks and pines, their branches swaying like Earth’s old forests. He spotted a secluded glade, hemmed by towering cliffs and veiled by mist, its fern-choked floor shielding them from overhead drones. “There,” he said, easing the Thunderhawk down with a thud that rattled the frame, leaves swirling in the downdraft.

The team spilled out, weapons raised, scanning the verdant shadows. Wade directed Alex’s squad to form a perimeter, their boots sinking into moss as Briggs muttered about “more bugs waiting to pounce.” Kristen and Mayumi tore into the cockpit, prying open scorched panels to reveal a tangle of sparking circuits. “Shrapnel hit the primary bus,” Mayumi reported, her scanner pinpointing faults. “We’ve got backup relays, but the hull patch needs sealing—fast.”

Wade hauled a salvaged RAI toolkit from the lab raids, its tools corroded but functional. Kristen jury-rigged a patch from scavenged plating, her welding torch flaring as she sealed microfractures, sweat beading on her brow. “This’ll hold for vacuum,” she said, “but don’t ask for miracles.” Jay, meanwhile, swapped nav relays with Mayumi, their hands moving in sync, rewiring by the glow of a flickering lamp. Wade kept watch, his pistol trained on the treeline, Eden’s beauty a deceptive mask for RAI’s reach.

A distant drone hum spurred them faster—Alex signaled all-clear, but time was short. Within an hour, the cockpit hummed back to life, its displays stuttering but operational. Kristen wiped grime from her hands, nodding to Wade. “She’s not going to win a beauty contest, but she’ll fly.”

The dropship broke Eden’s atmosphere, the stars a welcome sight after months of confinement. Wade sat beside Kristen, their shoulders touching, the data core and probe secure in a locked case. Mayumi murmured a prayer of thanksgiving, her voice soft but steady, echoing Isaiah 40:31: “They will mount up with wings like eagles.” Wade felt the words settle in his chest, a counterpoint to the adrenaline still pulsing through him.

Alex leaned across the aisle, his voice low. “He gonna make it?” , pointing to the unconscious pilot. Kristen shook her head, “He was gone before we finished the IV.”

Wade grimaced, the weight of his commission returning. Carthis 7, The Zoo, the Skravak ship—every trial had led here, to a fight bigger than himself. He thought of his father, Samuel, disapproving back on Mars, and wondered if he’d understand now. But Kristen’s eyes met his, her resolve mirroring his own. Jay’s faith, Mayumi’s clarity, Alex and Briggs’ loyalty—they were his strength, his family.

“We’re not done,” Wade said, his voice firm. “Chief’s death is not in vain. RAI’s got a war coming, and we’ve got the intel to end it.”

Briggs clapped his shoulder. “That’s the Lieutenant I know.”

The dropship’s engines hummed, carrying them toward Confederation space, toward General Redside and a battle that would test them all. Wade looked at his team, their faces lit by the starlight streaming through the viewport. They’d survived Eden, but the real fight was just beginning.

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Quid Pro Quo, No Mo – #54

Index for all posts in the Gospel Sync Series

ENGLISH / ESPAÑOL

Welcome Back! Today, we’ll be combining the Gospels of Matthew and Luke to investigate how Jesus expects us to relate to others in light of the way God relates to us.

So let’s dive in.

(Click here to get a copy of the Gospel Sync document)

Matthew 5:38-48, Luke 6:27-36

But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also; If someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well; and if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. And if anyone takes what is yours, do not demand it back. You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 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.

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

If you love those who love you, what credit or reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Do not even Gentiles do the same? Even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

My Thoughts

My friend Berk recently coined the phrase “Quid Pro Quo, No Mo.” In other words he was no longer going to play the “tit for tat” game. As he was reading the Scriptures he became convinced that we should not be living on the standard of equal treatment. He would stop living the “loan for loan, favor for favor, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, I treat you the way you treat me” kind of life.

But wait, that seems unfair! Does God really expect us to initiate kindness and grace when none has been extended to us? Or even go beyond by repaying kindness to those who do us dirty?! Why, yes He does.

Jesus makes it very clear that His disciples are to live above the fray of getting our “due.” We are to give to those who ask, lend without expecting repayment, extend kindness to others that don’t deserve it, and even love our enemies. Now that’s different!

A couple of “Why Questions.” First, “Why is this so hard for us to do?” I think one reason is that we are made in the image of God and justice is part of the total package. We are like God in that there is a sense of “fairness” about us. We want to see people get what they deserve, good and bad. On the other hand, we want justice for ourselves. But just a little bit of justice. I mean, when we are wronged, we want it made right. But when it comes to making our wrongs toward others right, that’s a different story. We don’t want to go too far with the justice thing. That would be overdoing it a little, don’t you think? (tongue in cheek). We want grace, and mercy and to be understood as the imperfect beings that we are. When it comes to God giving us what we really deserve, well, we’d prefer a little mercy. Maybe a whole lot of mercy.

And the second question; “Why does Jesus want us to act this way?” The short answer; because that’s the way God acts toward us. When we boil it down to base, we don’t want a Quid Pro Quo relationship with God. That would be a disaster! How could we ever pay back God for what He has given us. And here’s a news flash. God doesn’t need anything from us. And do we really want God to give us what we deserve? God acts toward us in the exact same manner as Jesus (God Himself) commands us to relate toward others.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. (Romans 5:8-10)

So Jesus is merely commanding us to be all we were meant to be, having been made in the image of God. And when we think about it, we wouldn’t have it any other way. Treating others the way God treats us is immensely better than a Quid Pro Quo relationship. Especially in light of the reward we will receive from Him in the end.

My Story

I have no better example on earth than my wife Deb. She has patiently loved and served me for 40 years. Growing up, I really didn’t have a very good model of God’s love or even simple love itself. I began to learn this “God love” from Cecil and Jeannie Bean when they moved me into their home as a brand new believer in Jesus. But when I married Deb, I entered into a whole new world.

She put up with my weaknesses and flaws. Deb would say I’m overstating this, but I know I’m a challenge to live with. She always loved and served me as though I were a king. This is the kind of relationship that is hard not to reflect on and try to emulate.

Even when she was going through chemotherapy for breast cancer, she went out of her way to love our family. One afternoon, when she had just finished a treatment, the boys wanted to go to a local store to look at some toys. When the boys got home from school, she got up from the couch, severely nauseated, and walked to the store with our sons.

More recently, Deb has had to take on what I would call the “manly chores” around the house. When a jar needs to be opened, Deb does it. When a screwdriver needs to be used, Deb does it. When we need to climb a ladder to change a lightbulb, Deb’s on it, not me. There are so many things I can’t do anymore that Deb simply does without complaining. And this is just a glimpse into the way she has selflessly served our family for years.

In a lot of ways, Deb has discipled me in the ways of Jesus. She has been a living picture of the Sermon on the Mount. Deb has done unto me as Jesus did to her. There is no “quid pro quo” in her. And no doubt people have seen our relationship and been brought closer to Jesus as a result. I certainly married up.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

Deb has been an excellent disciple maker.

Our Action Plan

Whew, this is a tall order but how are we going to put this one into action? Here’s some ideas;

Take inventory of existing conflicts you have with other people. Are we handling it in a quid pro quo fashion or a Jesus fashion?
Ask this same question of those you are discipling.
Answer these questions honestly; Does Jesus really expect us to live this way? What practical steps can we take to move this direction?

I believe Jesus was serious about living the kind of life that would more closely match the way He lived His. Let us strive in our resolve and His strength to be like Him. (Colossians 1:29)

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Ojo Por Ojo, No Más – #54

Quid Pro Quo, No MoAntónimo:Negarse a exigir un favor oVentaja concedida o esperadaA cambio de algo“Haz el bien a los que te odian”

¡Bienvenido! Hoy, combinaremos los Evangelios de Mateo y Lucas para investigar cómo Jesús espera que nos relacionemos con los demás a la luz de la forma en que Dios se relaciona con nosotros.

Así que comencemos.

Mateo 5:38-48, Lucas 6:27-36

Pero a aquellos de ustedes que quieran escuchar, les digo: Amen a sus enemigos, hagan el bien a los que los odian, bendigan a los que los maldicen, oren por los que los maltratan. Ustedes han oído que se dijo: ‘Ojo por ojo y diente por diente’. Pero yo les digo que no resistan a una persona malvada. Si alguien te da una bofetada en la mejilla derecha, vuélvele también la otra; Si alguien quiere demandarte y quitarte la túnica, que se quede también con tu capa; Y si alguien te obliga a ir una milla, ve con él dos millas.

Da al que te pida, y no le des la espalda al que te quiera pedir prestado. Y si alguien te quita lo que es tuyo, no se lo exijas. Ustedes han oído que se dijo: ‘Ama a tu prójimo’ y ‘Odia a tu enemigo’. Pero yo os digo: Amad a vuestros enemigos y orad por los que os persiguen, para que seáis hijos de vuestro Padre que está en los cielos. Él hace que su sol salga sobre malos y buenos, y envía lluvia sobre justos e injustos.

Haz a los demás lo que te gustaría que te hicieran a ti.

Si amas a los que te aman, ¿qué crédito o recompensa obtendrás? ¿Acaso no hacen lo mismo los recaudadores de impuestos? Incluso los pecadores aman a los que los aman. Y si solo saludas a tus hermanos, ¿qué estás haciendo más que los demás? Si haces el bien a los que te hacen el bien, ¿qué mérito tienes para ti? ¿Acaso no hacen lo mismo los gentiles? Incluso los pecadores hacen lo mismo. Y si prestas a aquellos de quienes esperas que te paguen, ¿qué mérito es eso para ti? Incluso los pecadores prestan a los pecadores, esperando ser pagados en su totalidad. Pero ama a tus enemigos, hazles el bien y préstales sin esperar nada a cambio. Entonces vuestra recompensa será grande, y seréis hijos del Altísimo; porque Él es bondadoso con los ingratos y malvados. Sed misericordiosos, como vuestro Padre es misericordioso. Sed, pues, perfectos, como vuestro Padre celestial es perfecto.

Mis Pensamientos

Mi amigo Berk acuñó recientemente la frase “Quid Pro Quo, No Mo”. En otras palabras, el ya no iba a jugar el juego del “ojo por ojo”. Al leer las Escrituras, se convenció de que no debíamos vivir con la norma de trato igualitario. Dejaría de vivir el tipo de vida de “préstamo por préstamo, favor por favor, ojo por ojo, diente por diente, te trato como tú me tratas a mí”.

Pero espera, ¡eso parece injusto! ¿Realmente espera Dios que iniciemos la bondad y la gracia cuando ninguna nos ha sido extendida? ¿O incluso ir más allá devolviendo la bondad a aquellos que nos ensucian? Pues, sí, Él lo hace.

Jesús deja muy claro que sus discípulos deben vivir por encima de la refriega de obtener lo que nos “corresponde”. Debemos dar a los que piden, prestar sin esperar nada a cambio, extender bondad a los demás que no la merecen, e incluso amar a nuestros enemigos. ¡Eso sí que es diferente!

Un par de preguntas de “Por qué”. Primero: “¿Por qué es tan difícil para nosotros hacer esto?” Creo que una de las razones es que estamos hechos a imagen de Dios y la justicia es parte del paquete total. Somos como Dios en el sentido de que tenemos un sentido de “justicia” en nosotros. Queremos que la gente obtenga lo que se merece, lo bueno y lo malo. Por otro lado, queremos justicia para nosotros mismos. Pero solo un poco de justicia. Es decir, cuando nos hacen daño, queremos que se corrija. Pero cuando se trata de corregir nuestros errores hacia los demás, esa es una historia diferente. No queremos ir demasiado lejos con el tema de la justicia. Eso sería exagerar un poco, ¿no crees? (sarcasmo). Queremos gracia, misericordia y ser entendidos como los seres imperfectos que somos. Cuando se trata de que Dios nos dé lo que realmente merecemos, bueno, preferiríamos un poco de misericordia. Tal vez un montón de misericordia.

Y la segunda pregunta; “¿Por qué Jesús quiere que actuemos de esta manera?” La respuesta corta; porque esa es la forma en que Dios actúa con nosotros. Cuando lo reducimos a lo mínimo, no queremos una relación Quid Pro Quo con Dios. ¡Eso sería un desastre! ¿Cómo podríamos devolverle a Dios por lo que Él nos ha dado? Y aquí hay una noticia de última hora. Dios no necesita nada de nosotros. ¿Y realmente queremos que Dios nos dé lo que merecemos? Dios actúa hacia nosotros exactamente de la misma manera que Jesús (Dios mismo) nos ordena relacionarnos con los demás.

Pero Dios demuestra su amor por nosotros en esto: en que cuando todavía éramos pecadores, Cristo murió por nosotros. Y ahora que hemos sido justificados por su sangre, ¡con cuánta más razón, por medio de él, seremos salvados del castigo de Dios! Porque, si cuando éramos enemigos de Dios, fuimos reconciliados con él mediante la muerte de su Hijo, ¡con cuánta más razón, habiendo sido reconciliados, seremos salvados por su vida! (Romanos 5:8-10)

Así que Jesús simplemente nos está ordenando que seamos todo lo que estábamos destinados a ser, por haber sido hechos a la imagen de Dios. Y cuando lo pensamos, no lo haríamos de ninguna otra manera. Tratar a los demás de la manera en que Dios nos trata a nosotros es inmensamente mejor que una relación “Quid Pro Quo”. Especialmente al ver la recompensa que recibiremos de Él al final.

Mi Historia

No tengo mejor ejemplo en la tierra que mi esposa Deb. Ella me ha amado y ayudado pacientemente durante 40 años. Al crecer, realmente no tuve un modelo muy bueno del amor de Dios, ni siquiera del amor a mí mismo. Comencé a aprender este “amor de Dios” de Cecil y Jeannie Bean cuando me mudaron a su casa como un nuevo creyente en Jesús. Pero cuando me casé con Deb, entré en un mundo completamente nuevo.

Ella soportó mis debilidades y defectos. Deb diría que estoy exagerando esto, pero sé que es un desafío vivir conmigo. Ella siempre me amó y me sirvió como si yo fuera un rey. Este es el tipo de relación sobre la que es difícil no reflexionar y tratar de emular.

Incluso cuando estaba pasando por quimioterapia por el cáncer de una mama, hizo todo lo posible para amar a nuestra familia. Una tarde, cuando acababa de terminar un tratamiento, nuestros hijos llegaron a casa de la escuela. Querían ir a una tienda local para ver unos juguetes; ella se levantó del sofá, con náuseas severas, y caminó hacia la tienda con ellos.

Más recientemente, Deb ha tenido que asumir lo que yo llamaría las “tareas varoniles” de la casa. Cuando hay que abrir un frasco, Deb lo hace. Cuando hay que usar un destornillador, Deb lo hace. Cuando tenemos que subir una escalera para cambiar una bombilla, Deb está en ello, no yo. Hay tantas cosas que ya no puedo hacer que Deb simplemente lo hace sin quejarse. Y esto es solo un vistazo de la forma en que ha servido desinteresadamente a nuestra familia durante años.

En muchos sentidos, Deb me ha discipulado en los caminos de Jesús. Ella ha sido una imagen viviente del Sermón de la Montaña. Deb ha hecho conmigo lo que Jesús hizo con ella. No hay “quid pro quo” en ella. Y no hay duda de que la gente ha visto nuestra relación y se ha acercado más a Jesús como resultado. Ciertamente me casé bien.

“Este mandamiento nuevo les doy: que se amen los unos a los otros. Así como yo los he amado, también ustedes deben amarse los unos a los otros.De este modo todos sabrán que son mis discípulos, si se aman los unos a los otros.” (Juan 13:34-35)

Deb ha sido una excelente hacedora de discípulos.

Nuestro Plan de Acción

Vaya, esta es una tarea difícil, pero ¿cómo vamos a ponerla en práctica? Aquí hay algunas ideas:

– Haz un inventario de los conflictos que tengas con otras personas. ¿Lo estamos manejando a la manera de un quid pro quo o a la manera de Jesús?

– Haz esta misma pregunta a aquellos a quienes estás discipulando.

– Responde estas preguntas con sinceridad; ¿Realmente espera Jesús que vivamos de esta manera? ¿Qué medidas prácticas podemos tomar para avanzar en esta dirección?

Creo que Jesús hablaba en serio acerca de vivir el tipo de vida que se acercaría más a la forma en que vivió la suya. Esforcémonos con resolución en la lucha y en confianza a Su fortaleza por ser como Él. (Colosenses 1:29.)