SSL 11 - Luke 6:27-38 - LOVE YOUR ENEMIES
BACKGROUND: Last week Luke reported two episodes where the Pharisees and teachers of the Law accused Jesus with violating the Sabbath: in Luke 6:1-5 they claimed His disciples were engaging in unlawful "work" when they picked heads of grain and rubbed them to make them edible; and in Luke 6:6-11, while in a synagogue, Jesus healed a man with a withered hand. Jesus' interpretation of Scripture in both instances showed that: (1) God intended and designed the Sabbath to be a day of rest. When Jesus responded to the Pharisee's accusation that He had allowed His disciples to violate the Sabbath by engaging in unlawful "work"-picking heads of grain and rubbing them in their hands in order to make them edible-He cited the example of David and his men eating the consecrated bread when they were starving on the principle that God never intended the Sabbath to be a day governed by oppressive man-made rules (legalism) that made it impossible to meet basic human needs like hunger. (2) God established the Sabbath to be a day to do good things. When Jesus healed the man's withered hand in the synagogue, it wasn't "work" but an action wholly consistent with the theological principle of "doing good" on the Sabbath. Jesus said there are only two options when it comes to helping people: you can either save life (do good) or destroy it (do harm)-and there's no middle ground, not even on the Sabbath. Taking this line of reasoning a step further, you could also say that refusing to help another in need is the same as hurting them-a sin of omission.
This week, in 6:27-38 Jesus will teach us the huge difference between what is generally accepted "human" behavior and the much higher standard that represents "kingdom" behavior. On the natural human level, the idea of reciprocity-"Do unto others as they do unto you"-is an engrained principle. Stated another way, it simply means helping people who help you and hurting people who hurt you. But Jesus tells us that reciprocity is not acceptable kingdom behavior. Just as God goes beyond justice to mercy, we are to do the same thing. It's a hard lesson, one that might seem un-natural to us, because we can only move beyond justice to mercy with God's grace.
Note: The text of this lesson is a segment from Jesus' "Sermon on the Plain," which roughly parallels Matthew's much longer Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6-7).
Read Luke 6:27-31 - LOVE YOUR ENEMIES
27 "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. 31 Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.
v. 27: "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you" - While this is a shockingly simple command to understand, it is a difficult one to honestly put into practice. The Greek words here for "love" (agapé) and "do good" (poimeo kalos) are action verbs that aren't just passive feelings but purposeful actions. Because we live in a world opposed to God we are certain have a lot of enemies, but Jesus tells us to actively respond to them in love, trusting that God will protect us by transforming them into friends. Ask: Who are your enemies? Who hates or despises you? Sometimes they are people close to us who have been hurt. It doesn't matter who was wrong.
v. 28: "bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you" - These are general examples of putting the command of v. 27 into practice: (1) to speak well-that is, say good things, kind things-to or about people who say hateful or derogatory things about you; and (2) pray for them-for salvation or healing or simply God's blessings in their life. We all need that, don't we?
v. 29: "Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either" - In this verse, scholars suggest that Jesus is using hyperbole-exaggerated figures of speech-to make His point. A "hit" on the cheek is a term used to depict a deep personal insult, not a physical attack. The point Jesus makes is that we are not to retaliate-to avoid the natural human reaction to "hit" back. It's where we get the expression "to turn the other cheek." Just think for a moment how Jesus was insulted and berated, as a glutton, a drunk, an illegitimate child, a blasphemer, a mad man, etc. As He hung on the cross, He asked God to forgive the soldiers who nailed Him to it (Luke 23:34). He modeled Kingdom love to us, He lived it.
v. 30: "Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back" - This is a difficult verse. The ESV translates it as "Give to everyone who begs of you." The idea is to be generous with what you have, not stingy, especially if the one who asks is in need. And if they actually take (or keep) something they need (as opposed to outright theft), be generous again-let them keep it. Have you even "loaned" something to someone who didn't return it, and you later decided you didn't need it anyway?
v. 31: "Treat others the same way you want them to treat you" - Here we see Jesus anchor this section on kingdom behavior with the command known far and wide as the "Golden Rule." It pushes us to not only avoid the types of behavior that we would rather not experience ourselves but put into practice the types of behavior that we would like to experience. In modern terminology we would call this "proactive" behavior. Proactive means you've thought it out and are prepared to do it the best way. It reminds me of the old but very wise saying of "think before you act." But let's take the analysis a step further: Am I prepared to treat him or her as I would like them treat me-even though they consider me an enemy?
Read Luke 6:32-34 - EVEN SINNERS LOVE THOSE WHO LOVE THEM
32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount.
v. 32-34: In these three examples, Jesus moves from people who mistreat us to people who treat us in a good way. The "sinners" He refers to are unsaved people who don't have the Holy Spirit to guide them, making the point that even lost people can be kind, do good, and show love-that's reciprocity, right? But as Christian believers, Jesus is reminding us that kingdom behavior isn't mere reciprocity but agapé love that seeks no repayment. The example of lending (money or property) in v. 34 makes an excellent point. This doesn't mean that people aren't morally obligated to repay their debts, but a Christian should be willing to forgive a loan rather than allow it to rupture a relationship. I have seen this happen in families, especially loans made to children or siblings who never repaid them. In a nutshell, Jesus tells us that we should always be willing to give more than we receive.
Read Luke 6:35-36 - BE MERCIFUL JUST AS YOUR FATHER IS ALSO MERCIFUL
35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
v. 35-36: In these two verses, Jesus gives us the theological basis for non-reciprocal, kingdom behavior. We are to love unselfishly, to do good, and to act generously toward others because we will be "sons of the Most High." As children of the Most High, our reward (in the next life) will be great, because we are co-heirs (with Christ) to God's kingdom, which entitles us to live under the king's roof and eat at His table. And even in this life, we are entitled to enter into the king's presence and enjoy His protection-eternal life insurance. And we didn't deserve or earn it but received it by grace because God was merciful to us. The command, "Be merciful," (Gk. eleémón, lit. to pity and show compassion) means we should imitate God by decisively demonstrating sympathy, kindness, and compassion even "to ungrateful and evil men." This is kingdom behavior.
Read Luke 6:37-38 - GIVE, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU
37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure-pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."
v. 37: "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned" - Judging has to do with the process of gathering factual information and evaluating and forming opinions about something, whether positive or negative. Condemning implies a judgment has been made and guilt pronounced. On the other hand, a pardon is forgiveness for wrongdoing. Jesus is not relieving us of the need for discerning right and wrong, and applying discipline or correction where it's needed, but is telling us to avoid making uninformed, snap decisions about other people. And often a better result is gained from a pardon-forgiveness-rather than an accusation of guilt.
v. 38a: "Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure-pressed down, shaken together, and running over." - With this declaration, Jesus wants to set us free from the fear of giving too much, of somehow coming up short. This statement has been tested when it comes to generosity in giving material resources: In one way or another, God will return more to you than you give to Him-you simply can't out-give God. The illustration (refers to a type of floor-length Jewish garment that could be folded-up to form a large front pocket) of pouring something into your lap until it runs over gives you a picture of how this process works. However, the most profound application of this principle is not so much the giving of material resources but the giving of love, blessings, and forgiveness. We can never lose if we give these all of these things-material and expressive-according to God's pattern of generosity.
v. 38b: "For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return" - This goes hand-in-hand with "Do not judge, and you will not be judged," above. God will measure unto us according to the same measure we use for others. This serves as a powerful motivator for us to be generous with love, forgiveness, and goodness to others. Expressed another way, if we want more of those things from God, we should give more of them to others.
APPLICATION:
1. Jesus commands us to love our enemies and cites three ways to show it. Since Jesus loves our enemies, we must, too. This will entail both a change of heart and mind, and in many cases won't be easy. The examples cited are very general and require some creative thought and practical ideas. I go back the question I asked in v. 27: Who are your enemies? Who hates or despises you? Are they people you know, maybe even family members? Let's look at the three examples for showing love.
(a) Do good. I think the first step in this is being prepared to humble yourself. As I said before, it really doesn't matter who was wrong in the first place. If you take any positive action steps to rebuild a broken relationship, you are "doing good." You must forgive him or her in your heart and ask them for forgiveness. An easy way to do this is to send a nice card with a note explaining that you want a relationship with them. Even if you try and are rebuffed, you are still showing love.
(b) Bless them. When you speak well of someone-say good things, pay compliments about people who say derogatory or hateful things about you, you are, in effect, blessing them. You can also bless them by being nice to and/or doing kind things (be creative) for their family members, friends, or fellow workers, etc. Again, you do these things without expecting anything in return. This is agapé love...selfless and sacrificial.
(c) Pray for them. This is the easiest and what I recommend as the real starting place. You've got to get your heart right, prepare yourself, before you take other active measures. If they are lost, pray for their salvation-that God would use you to lead them and heal the relationship. Pray that God would bless them in a way that brings attention to Him, His glory.
2. If a person insults you in some way, don't reciprocate (v. 29). Silence is the best initial response in many cases (i.e., turning the other cheek). You might need time to consider the best and most loving way to respond to them. (I didn't say this would be easy.) Or you might say, "I'm really sorry you feel that way. Can we talk about it?" The goal is to avoid confrontation and try to defuse the situation, then take steps to reestablish communication.
3. Treating others the same way we would like them to treat us (the "Golden Rule") requires us to be prepared (v. 31). This involves careful thinking-sanctification-before taking action, what we call being "proactive." Proactive means you've thought it out and are prepared to do it the best way in both your speech and your actions. And here's the challenge: Am I prepared to treat him or her as I would like them to treat me-even though they consider me an enemy?
4. Jesus raises the bar even higher when he tells us to be "merciful" to "ungrateful and evil men" (vv. 35-36). The reason for non-reciprocal kingdom behavior-giving better to people than they deserve-is that as Christians, we are "sons of the Most High," and are co-heirs with Christ to the kingdom of God not only the next life but this one in the her and now. Quite simply, we are to be merciful because God is merciful. We do this by imitating God in demonstrating sympathy, kindness, and compassion toward those who don't deserve in human terms.
5. When Jesus says "Do not judge," He's telling us not to make rash, uninformed snap-judgments about people (v. 37). Jesus isn't relieving us of the responsibility for discerning right and wrong, and applying discipline or correction where it's needed. He is also telling us that we need apply Christian discernment to situations where the best remedy is to pardon and forgive.
6. When Jesus says, "Give, and it will be given to you," He's telling us that to free ourselves from the fear of giving too much. When we give to God of our material resources, God will return more to us than we give to Him-you simply can't out-give God. Even more even than our material resources, we should be generous in our giving of love, blessings, and forgiveness. Finally, in terms of generosity, God will measure us according to the same measure we use for others. So, if we want more of those things from God, wee must be willing to give more of them to others.
