Yesterday I spent some time reading and writing out Luke 6:27-26. After writing the verses out in my journal I took them with me in meditation through the day.
These verses have a lot to say about living and loving differently from the world.
Jesus says some things in these verses that must have sounded pretty outlandish to His disciples and those that were listening to him.
He says…
love your enemies
do good to those who hate you
bless those who curse you
and pray for those who abuse you.
This is counter to not just the worldly culture that surrounds us, but to even the church. It doesn’t make sense to our human minds.
He goes on to give examples of what this kind of love looks like in a very practical sense.
To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other cheek also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods, do not demand them back.
I read these verses and I can feel my spirit balk…REALLY??!! That just can’t be so.
I want to write them off and reason my way out of them.
They sound too extreme.
Jesus follows them up with this, “And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.”
I wish that others would be forgiving of me and my sinful outbursts.
I wish that others would give to me when I was in need…even if it wasn’t the first time.
I wish that I could receive without being beholden to give back in return.
In the next several verses Jesus asks, “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.”
We are called to live and love differently from the sinners. We are called to live and love differently from the world around us. We are called to live and love differently from even the comfortable church.
To love only those who love us back is easy. Even sinners do this.
To give with an expectation to receive in return is easy. Even sinners do this.
To do good expecting that good will be done to us is easy. Even sinners do this.
We are to live and love differently.
Jesus tells us to…
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 is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
We are to model the same love that God extends to us. Our Father is kind to us. He loved us while we were still sinners and sent His Son to die in our place. He is kind to us when we are so ungrateful to Him for His kindness and goodness. He is kind to even the evil.
We are to be the same.
This is not something that we can ever do in our own strength and power, but we can seek to live this out through the help of the Holy Spirit working in our lives.
This challenging passage ends with the words in the image above, “Be merciful, even as your father is merciful.”
That is my challenge.
I am seeking to live and love differently, just as my Father does.