“Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give,” says Jesus to his disciples. It’s a beautiful phrase that expresses the open-handed reception and prodigality with which a Christian is called to live.
Yet this phrase can run up against our resistance. We might think, “Wait a minute, I worked hard and sacrificed a lot for everything that I now have.” And this attitude might be all the stronger if we feel that we received little to no help along the way. Sometimes we’re left feeling like the only thing we can count on is ourselves and our accomplishments. It’s hard to live with eyes fixed at the source of all good things, which can sometimes feel so distant.
What might it take for us to live with hands that are more open? Perhaps the affirmation that open hands leave us in a position not only to give, but also to receive more than we ever imagined.