First we are invited by the the words of the Gospel to consider the general love of benevolence. We should have the love of benevolence for every creature. The love of benevolence is the continuous intellectual decision to will the good for the other. This is the perfect love that we are commanded to have for God and neighbour. The love of benevolence mirrors God's love. It is God's love returned to Him in a synergy. St. Isaac the Syrian tells us:
Once an elder was asked, "What is a merciful heart?" He replied, "It is the heart's burning for the sake of the entire creation, for men, for birds, for animals, for demons, and for every created thing; and at the recollection and sight of them, the eyes of a merciful man pour forth abundant tears. From the strong and vehement mercy that grips his heart and from his great compassion, his heart is humbled and he cannot bear to hear or to see any injury or slight sorrow in creation. For this reason he offers up prayers with tears continually even for irrational beasts, for the enemies of the truth, and for those who harm him, that they be protected and receive mercy. And in like manner he even prays for the family of the reptiles, because the great compassion that burns without measure in his heart is the likeness of God."(Homily 71)
The love of benevolence is the general orientation towards all things that makes us Godlike. For God is not a God who rules OVER all things like a taskmaster. He is not the sinister and intimidating Allah of Islam, who delights in the destruction of the things he has made. He is the compassionate Ruler of all Creation in the sense that He is the basis and foundation of everything that exists. He does not rule OVER all things, but supports all things, seeking the lowest place, so as to be and become the ground of all things.
Though the love of benevolence is the beginning and the sine qua non of becoming like God, the Lord Jesus goes on to say that we must do good in order to be like God. We must do concrete works. It is not enough to bear universal benevolence in our hearts. We must do deeds that manifest the benevolence of God. They needn't be enormous things of great moment. They merely need to be works of love done specifically for those who are normally outside of our circle of benevolence. Reaching beyond our circle of benevolence is essential to understanding the Lord's words. It also plays an essential part in his next remark.
He next tells us that we must "lend," but that we must not lend according to the world's way of lending. It does not take very long to come to the conclusion that when He says "lend," He is actually inviting us to give in a sacrificial way. This is the only possible way to interpret his instructions to lend, expecting nothing in return. Lending, but expecting nothing in return, is not technically lending. It is giving, donating in a sacrificial way. It is selflessly sacrificing that which we have a right to.
The Lord directs us in this passage to form within us the love of benevolence for every creature, to do specific works of kindness to those who are normally outside our circle of benevolence, and to do those acts in a selfless and sacrificial way. We can form specific resolutions now to make these three aims a part of our daily life. First, we can resolve to pray with a greater awareness of the love of benevolence. Second, we can make a specific resolution to deliberately reach, in a personal way, beyond our usual circle of benevolence to embrace someone in need, whom we know slightly, do not know, or is one of our enemies. Further, we can resolve to do these things in a truly sacrificial way, so that our entire beings are involved in the love that makes us like God.
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