Page 18 - Florida Sentinel 10-9-20

Love Your Enemies LUKE 6:27-36 (KJV)
SCRIPTURES
Luke 6:27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the
other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.
30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
32 For if ye love them
which love you, what thank have ye? for sin- ners also love those that love them.
33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
34Andifyelendto them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to re- ceive as much again.
35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the chil- dren of the Highest: for he is kind unto the un- thankful and to the evil.
36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
God’s People Are Called To Live A Distinctive Lifestyle (Luke 6:27-30)
Just as Moses established a “constitution” for Israel at Sinai (Exodus 20), Christ sets forth the foundation of Christianity as He begins His ministry (Matthew 5-7). An important part of this foun- dation is the principle, “love your enemies.” The Phar- isees thought they knew the full implication of Moses’ Law when they said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy” (Matthew 5:43; cf. Leviticus 19:18).
However, Christ showed that true righteousness ex- ceeds what the law demands. When others wrong us, we ought to respond with pa- tience — but more than that, Jesus wants action. He com- mands us to actively do good to those who hate us. It takes a great amount of trust to perform this simple com- mandment.
Jesus’ Strategy (v. 31)
Perhaps the best-known principle in the New Testa- ment is this “Golden Rule.” Jesus’ guideline sums up the main way that His followers will live a distinctive lifestyle: “Do to others as you would like them to do to you” (v. 31, NLT). It is the guiding principle of seeking an- other’s goodwill. We must follow this rule even when it hurts. Today’s society has several common misconcep- tions about this verse. One is that to be gracious and lov- ing in the face of hostility is a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it takes a great deal of strength to control the urge to fight back.
Someone might also claim that these verses will lead to letting evil take over. However, Jesus is demand-
ing that we fight vigorously against evil by setting a good example
The Total Unselfishness Of Love
(v. 32-36)
Jesus makes it very clear that Christians have no cor- ner on good deeds (v. 32). The non-Christian does good to those who will return the favor, and lends to those who can repay. This kind of be- havior does not distinguish us as Christians. Good for good is a fair exchange. Good for evil is the mark of a be- liever.
Jesus lays it all out in verse 35. His followers are to completely sacrifice them- selves in love, energy, and possessions — even for the enemy. The basis of this is God and the very nature of His character. God is kind to the unthankful and the evil. He is merciful, bestowing His love for those who don’t deserve it. The proof: Christ loved us and died for us while we were still sinners (Rom. 5:6, 7).
Following the example of loving our enemies shows that we are “children of the Highest.” In that relation- ship, we show that God is our Father. We show mercy to others because he showed mercy to us. The reward for our obedience is not in the favor of men but the favor of God.
Conclusion
As followers of Jesus, one of the ways that we live a dis- tinctive lifestyle is by practic- ing radical love. We can love those who are considered unlovable because we are loved by God. In this way, we point the way to Jesus and His radical kingdom.
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