Scriptural Reference:
"They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them."
Matthew 23:4

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them"
Ephesians 2:8-10

"You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?"
James 2:20

"know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified."
Galatians 2:16

Reflection: To begin with we need to unpack what the word Supererogation means..

In ethics, a supererogatory act is one that is good to do but not morally obligatory. It's an action that goes beyond what's necessary, even though a less demanding action would still be acceptable. This is different from a duty, which is something that is wrong not to do, and from morally neutral acts.

I remember my son had asked me why I was doing something. My reply was that I did something not because I had to or even that I wanted to but that I had the ability to do it and that was enough for me. He was not happy with my answer. After looking back on our conversation I believe he was of the mind that every action needed to have both a purpose and a reward or punishment. To do something without either was, to him, a waste of time and meaningless. I'm n longer in contact with him and from time to time I do wonder if he has ever changed his views on actions we each make in life.

We can look at what several faiths understand this word to mean. For the most part they will be either the same or very similar as to have few distinctions to separate them.

Roman Catholic: In the Roman Catholic theology, "works of supererogation" (also known as "acts of supererogation") are actions that go beyond what God demands. The Church believes that the counsels of perfection fall under this category, where certain Christians may choose to go above and beyond their moral obligations. It also emphasises that the importance of making reasonable efforts to determine the right course of action is important; stating that going beyond what is reasonable to overcome ignorance is commendable and praiseworthy.

So, the traditional view on indulgences says that all the good deeds done by the saints create a sort of treasure with God, known as the "treasury of merit." The church can tap into this treasure to help forgive repentant sinners, letting them skip some of the penance they would normally have to do to fully wipe away the consequences of their sins.

My Reaction: At the beginning this sounds like something Biblical and worthy of a Christians earnest consideration. Yet the second part sounds to me like justification by works to prove worthiness to have ones "consequences of sins: wiped away. So someone may look forward to a reward for the works beyond the call of Christian duty to cover the punishment of sins?

Protestantism: Martin Luther's challenge to this belief sparked the Protestant Reformation. The Church of England rejected the concept of supererogation in the fourteenth article of the Thirty-Nine Articles, which dismisses the notion of works beyond what is required (and the concept of a "treasury of merit"). People who act this way are basically saying they not only give God what they own, but they go above and beyond what's expected.

But Christ himself said, "When you've done everything you're supposed to, just admit you're only doing your duty" (Luke 17:10). Otherwise if we concur to the concept of a treasury of merit or a stockpile of good works we are essentially bragging about our works as being as good if not better than the redemption and salvation Jesus the Christ has purchased for each of us on the cross. Not a good thing to do as Jesus tells us.

Islam: Muslims are required to perform the five daily prayers, which usually take around 5 to 10 minutes each. Any extra prayers done voluntarily are called nafl prayers, and doing them is believed to bring extra blessings. In addition to these, there are other optional acts of worship in Islam, like fasting on days other than Ramadan or giving sadaqah (charity) that is not mandatory. People have compared the idea of mustahab in Islamic law to the notion of supererogatory actions in Western philosophy.

My Reaction: As with the Catholic interpretation of Supererogation I find the Islamic understanding to be a way of justification by works in place of the promise of salvation through the gesture of a loving and grace filled God. I am not really interested in Islam or their many and frequently crude rules of faith. Needless to say that the Koran was written well after the Torah and the first set of New Testament Letters. The content of the Koran seems to have been patched together through a series of copy and past efforts.

Judaism: In Rabbinic texts, this concept is referred to as lifnim mishurat hadin, which translates to "beyond the line of the law". Apart from its practical significance, this notion plays a key role in shaping the different sub-philosophies of Orthodox Judaism. Examples of situations where this principle is frequently utilised include: returning lost items; helping with a burden; compensating for damages; setting boundaries for competition in commerce.

My Reaction: Similar to both the Catholic and Islamic views on Supererogation, there's a stated requirement to do works above and beyond those that are expected. The bases of most of the Torah and the laws of the Jewish people seem to hinge on the Ten Laws as set down by Moses. The Hebrew Bible says Moses led the early Israelites out of Egypt, and traditionally, he's credited with writing the first five books (the Pentateuch) of the Hebrew Bible. Yet as Christians we know that this had changed with Jesus the Christ.

In short, we can see that any works done to pay or create a spiritual resource in heaven is not supported by the Bible. Christians are of course called to do good works as a way of pleasing God. And in doing so we are glorifying His Holy Name. As we shine a light on God and the gospel message of His grace for all who turn to Him seeking salvation. To brag is to turn your back on the price that was paid by Jesus the Christ.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

All that I have I owe to your grace alone.
All that I can do I do only with your strength.
All that I seek I seek only that which you give.

As I walk my by faith on the way of the cross
May I never brag of things I do for your glory.
May I never count a prize that you alone deserve.
May I always seek each day to give you glory.

For I know my frail weakness of heart and soul.
So my words will always reflect your gospel.
So my acts will always be done in your name.
So my life will be a living testimony of you.

I pray these things in your loving name,
Jesus the Christ of my salvation.

 

Amen