Daniel (Greek) 5:13-17: a reflection

When the king offers Daniel rich rewards to interpret the mysterious writing, Daniel tells him to keep his gifts, yet says he will read the writing and make it known, doing what is right for its own sake, not for reward. Let your gifts be to yourself, Daniel tells the king, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation. The king had promised Daniel purple, a chain of gold, and high rank if he could interpret the writing. But Daniel declines the rewards, while still agreeing to do the task, to read and interpret the writing. He would do what was asked, and speak the truth God gave him, not for the reward, but because it was right; the rewards were beside the point. This shows doing what is right and speaking the truth for its own sake, not for reward. Do what is right and speak the truth for its own sake, not for reward. Let rewards be beside the point; do the right thing regardless. Your service and truth-telling need not be bought or paid for. Be free enough to decline the reward and still do what is right.

Notice Daniel's response to the offered rewards. The king, unable to have the mysterious writing interpreted by his wise men, turns to Daniel, and offers him rich rewards, purple robes, a gold chain, high rank in the kingdom, if he can read and interpret it. Daniel's response is striking: keep your gifts, give your rewards to another; nevertheless, I will read the writing and interpret it. He does not refuse the task, only the reward. He will do what is asked, and speak the truth God gives him, whatever it is; but he will do it not for the reward, which he declines, but because it is right. The reward was beside the point. This holds a picture of a certain freedom and integrity in doing right. Daniel was free enough, and his integrity secure enough, that he could decline the reward and still do what was right, still speak the truth. He did not do the right thing for the reward, nor did the reward have any hold on him; he would have done it either way, because it was right. This is worth aspiring to: a doing of what is right and a speaking of the truth that is not for reward, not bought or paid for, but done for its own sake, from integrity. When we do right only for the reward, our integrity is for sale; but Daniel shows a freedom in which the reward is beside the point, and the right thing is done regardless. We do well to do what is right and speak the truth for its own sake, free enough that rewards are beside the point. Do what is right and speak the truth for its own sake, not for reward. Be free enough that rewards are beside the point in doing right. Do not let your integrity be for sale, done only for the reward. Speak truth and do right regardless of what it gains you.

That is worth taking to heart, for we are to do what is right and speak the truth for its own sake, not for reward, as Daniel declined the king's gifts yet did the task. We can do right only for the reward, our integrity for sale; but Daniel told the king to keep his gifts, yet still read and interpreted the writing. Do right regardless. Do not let your integrity be for sale, doing right only for reward; be free enough that rewards are beside the point, doing what is right and speaking the truth for its own sake. Do what is right and speak the truth for its own sake, free enough that rewards are beside the point, rather than letting your integrity be for sale, as when the king offered Daniel rich rewards to interpret the mysterious writing, Daniel told him to keep his gifts yet said he would read the writing and make it known, doing what was right not for reward, telling the king to give his rewards to another but that he would nevertheless read and interpret the writing; for the king had promised Daniel purple, a gold chain, and high rank if he could interpret it, but Daniel declines the rewards while still agreeing to do the task, doing what was asked and speaking the truth God gave him not for the reward but because it was right, the rewards being beside the point, which holds a picture of a certain freedom and integrity in doing right, since Daniel was free enough and his integrity secure enough that he could decline the reward and still do what was right and speak the truth, not doing the right thing for the reward nor letting it have any hold on him but doing it because it was right, which is worth aspiring to, a doing of what is right and speaking of the truth that is not for reward or bought or paid for but done for its own sake from integrity, since when we do right only for the reward our integrity is for sale, but Daniel shows a freedom in which the reward is beside the point and the right thing is done regardless, so that we do well to do what is right and speak the truth for its own sake.