LOVE YOUR ENEMIES
Luke 6:27-42
Key Verse: 6:27
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you….”
In the last week passage, Jesus called his disciples to him, chose twelve of them, and designated them apostles. Just as he was sent to be a shepherd, Jesus called them to send to shepherd people suffered like sheep without a shepherd. Though they were actually hated, rejected and insulted because of the Son of Man, Jesus called them blessed. It was because their reward, the Kingdom of God is much greater than any wealth or comfort, joy of the world.
In today’s passage, Jesus turned his attention to all those who were listening. It includes not only his disciples, but also crowds of people who had come to hear him, to be healed of diseases or demon possessions. This teaching is not only for Missionaries or shepherds, but all who are listening here today. To all, Jesus teaches what it means to follow Jesus as his disciples. It is much more than learning some subjects and earning degrees. It is to imitate Jesus – to become like Jesus, learning his character and his lifestyle, like children resembles their parents. Jesus wants his disciples to become like him to the depth of their heart. We all know that these teachings are hard to practice. All these are how Jesus loves, how he serves, how he gives, how he forgives, how he accepts. Let‘s accept these teachings, so that we may grow to be like him.
First, Love your enemies (27-36)
Let’s us read verse 27-28. “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” What is your honest reaction when you read these words of Jesus? No way! We hate those who hate us; we curse those who curse us; for those who mistreated us, we pray that God may strike them with fire from heaven. Isn’t our natural response? Otherwise, we will be sick with burning anger in our hearts. We love to obey the Old Testament law which teaches that justice should be done by taking life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. (Ex 21:23-25)
However, Jesus teaches us “Love your enemies.” What is Jesus calling us to do? Sometimes we get that hostility just because we’re the wrong political party or we disagree with others or we’re Asian, Africans, or American. Out there, there is a lot of hostility. Even “Love your neighbors” is great challenge. We are struggling to love our brothers and sisters, our friends, our own kind of people. Jesus is calling us to Love our enemies. This Love we should do is not ordinary love. It is the love of God for sinners. The word for love is “agape,” which describes God’s love for sinners, which made himself nothing and sacrificed himself to save sinners. Jesus calls us to Love our enemies just as God loves us. Jesus calls us to respond to our enemies with the kind of love that God demonstrates to us in Jesus. Everyone might ask at least 2 questions – Can we do such love? Why should we do so?
The first question all we may have is “Can we do such love?” There is no humanly possible way for any of us to love our enemies in the way that Jesus loved us when we were enemies of God. We sinners cannot produce such love. The only way to do so is let God’s love flows through us by surrendering to the love of God for us fully. 1 John tells us that God loved first and God lavished his great love on us. Why? So that, we love: So that we become like him and love even enemies as God loved us. The ability to love our enemies comes from God’s love for us. “We love because he first loved us.” (1Jn4:19)
Hating a brother or sister and husband or wife, we cannot say that we know God or we know God’s love or we love God. Knowing God’s love for sinners deeply, we cannot hate anyone. If we do so, we are liars. (1John1:19-20) As much as we know God’s love for us, we love others. The more we deeply know God’s love, the more we love others because God’s love flows through us.
Look round! Are there your enemies or neighbors? Either way, God command us to love them. Who are our enemies? See how Jesus describes one’s enemies in verses 27-30. Jesus said that enemies are those who; hate you, curse you, mistreat you, slap you on the cheek, and take your coat or something belongs to you. These things happen between people in our daily lives due to differences. People can hate, curse, mistreat, abuse or steal from people within the same family or home. Our enemies are not far away. Our enemies can come even in the same household.
How should we love enemies? How should we respond to those hostilities? Look at Jesus’ teaching. “Doing good to those who hate us; Blessing those who curse us; praying for those who mistreat us; allowing them to slap us again rather than fighting back; and giving those who take our belongings more.” These are how we should love our enemies. Jesus summarized these actions in what has been called the Golden Rule. “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (31) These are the new principles and action steps to take in order to demonstrate God’s love for sinners as we go through our day-to-day lives. In fact, these are how Jesus lived. These are the life Jesus called his disciples to follow. Think about Jesus’ life.
Jesus did good to those who hate him. On the night Jesus was betrayed and arrested, the soldiers laid hands on Jesus and seized. In response Peter cut off the right ear of a soldier. But Jesus healed the ear of his enemy.
Jesus prayed for his enemies. Jesus was whipped, mocked, scourged and had a crown of thorns shoved down on his head. He was brutalized and crucified. Hanging on the cross, Jesus pray for his abusers, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they were doing.”(Lk23;34) Dying for his enemies, Jesus prayed for their forgiveness.
At his trial Jesus was slapped by one of the officers. It was illegal, insulting and shaming. Jesus responded, “But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?” (Jn18:23) What was at stake was the officer’s eternal destiny, so that Jesus helped this officer to focus on the truth of Jesus’ ministry and message even though it might cause him to be slapped again.
Coats or cloaks were outer clothing. To the poor, a coat was an essential for life. Jesus taught that if someone takes our coat, give them your shirts as well. Jesus did not hang on his property or demanding his rights. As the son of God though he had all authority and power, he gave up all and came down for the salvation of sinners. Moreover, Jesus gave himself as a ransom for the forgiveness of sins.
Look at verse 30. “Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.” Jesus does not want his disciples to fight with evil people like cats and dogs over personal rights and material things. Rather, Jesus teaches us to overcome evil by doing good. Giving himself to be sin offering, Jesus yielded all his right, did not demand any justice or any reward. Rather, what he sought for was the salvation of sinners| only.
Look at verse 31 again. “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Loving enemies is not passive, but proactive. Instead of just avoiding doing bad things, Jesus wants us to do good things. We can figure out what good to do for others by putting ourselves in their places. We want to be treated with respect and dignity. Then we should treat others with respect and dignity. We want others to be understanding of our mistakes and to forgive us. Then we should understand and forgive others. When we love others and do good positively, others are happy. Then they will likely be kind and good to us.
Please do not misunderstand this golden rule as “give-and-take” rule. It is much more than natural or ordinary “give-and-take love” which we love those who love or do good to those who are good to us.
Look at verses 32-36, Jesus explains that his disciples’ love should be distinctively different than that of “sinners,” which is “give-and-take” love. Jesus’ disciples’ love is not ordinary love. It is unconditional love. Jesus loved this sinner when I was an enemy of God with rebelliousness. Jesus loves this sinner though I did not love him back. He loved this sinner though I crucified him on a cross. He loves this sinner still I am a sinner even now. As Jesus loves us unconditionally, our love for others should be unconditional. Even though our friend or husband or wife don’t love us back; even though they hate us more, we may love them always. That is the love we received from God. Then, the love of God we have received will flow through us. This is also absolute love that does not expect any repayment or any reward. That is actually how God loved us. When we practice this kind of love, then enemies will see and acknowledge God’s love for him through us and come to repentance.
Look at verses 35-36. Here Jesus gives the answer for the 2 question. Why should we do so?
Jesus gives reason for us to love enemies. “Then, your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your father is merciful” The reason to love our enemies, to be kind to ungrateful, and to be merciful is because that is exactly what God does all the time to sinners. God is merciful, kind, patient and full of grace toward sinners, not treating us as our sins deserve. When we treat others like, we are living as children of God. As we practice the love of Christ, something amazing happens: we begin to reflect the character of God himself. We are recognized as children of the Most High God (35-36).
- Do not judge, forgive and give (37-42)
Look at verses 37-39. “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Along with hating enemies, we have the tendency to judge and condemn others. “Do not judge.” It does not mean to abolish the judicial court system. Jesus is saying that we should not pass personal judgment on people. The words “do not judge” refer to an inner attitude of criticizing and condemning others out of self righteousness and pride. We tend to see others’ weak points and mistakes instead of their virtue and greatness. However, we should never wish that someone would be condemned to hell, which is eternal separation from God.
Why must we not judge others? Other reason not to judge is that we are not God. We do not know or see all the facts and we do not know the motives of peoples’ hearts. But God knows and sees all. Only God is qualified to make a true and right judgment of people’s intentions. Another reason is our judgment and condemnation will damage others. Words of judgment and condemnation carry no love or hope. Critical words without love or hope are like a poison to others’ souls. Another reason is what goes around comes around. God is very fair. The way we have treated others is exactly we will be treated in the end by others and by God. We should see others with compassion and seek to build them up in the love of God.
Overcoming the tendency to judge and condemn is important. If we think that we are better than others, we are unwilling to forgive others their sins. However, If we recognize that we are the same sinners, we can be merciful and forgiving. When we receive Jesus’ forgiveness by acknowledging we are sinners, we can practice the same forgiving love. And then, grace grows among us. As we forgive, we will be also forgiven.
On the other hand, to have an unforgiving heart damages our relationships, and our own inner life. Someone said that having an unforgiving heart is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. An unforgiving heart leads to anxiety, stress, sleep and eating disorders, and general misery. Let’s deeply meditate the wonderful grace of Jesus forgiving all our sins.
By the power of God’s love and grace, we may also forgive so that we may be healthy and sleep well tonight.
Jesus also wants his disciples to give generously. He said, “Give, and it will be given to you.” Everyone likes to receive a nice gift, or some award, thinking, “If I receive something I will be happy.” But in reality, it is more blessed to give than to receive. When we receive something from others, we can easily become spoiled and demanding. On the other hand, when we practice giving, it requires sacrifice. But we can experience abundant God’s blessing.
Jesus said, “A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (38b). As described, the container is filled and then shaken and pressed down so that the grain may fill every empty space and the container hold as much as possible. God is not stingy; he is rich and very generous.
He is ready to bless us. Numbers 6:24-26 says, “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Proverbs 11:24-25 also encourage us to give generously, “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever blesses others will be refreshed.”
Jesus had hope for his disciples to grow to be shepherds like himself. To motivate them to grow, Jesus told a parable. Look at verses 39-40. He said, “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher” (39-40). It would be a bit foolish to appoint a blind guide to lead other blind people. Obviously both will stumble. Jesus, our teacher, is not blind for he knows the way, the truth. In fact, he is the way, the truth and the life. As a student, the disciples must learn from Jesus, the true teacher who lead us to the kingdom of God. Students who learn well and study a lot and trained fully will become like the teacher.
To Jesus, the disciples were very promising; they just needed to be fully trained. Thank God for previous 12 disciples of Jesus. When they are fully trained, they will grow to be spiritual leaders.
Just like the disciples. When the disciples were fully trained after being with Jesus for three-and-a-half years, they became powerful bible Teacher like Jesus, a shepherd like Jesus, and servant of truth like Jesus, spiritual leader like Jesus. As students, our goal is not only learn about Jesus, but also learn Jesus himself – his personality, mindset, lifestyle, value system, faith, love and so on.
We must no judge others for we are not God; we are too sinners. Look at verses 41-42. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Jesus is speaking with exaggeration and humor. It is funny to picture a person with a plank or a long stick out of their eyes. Such a person should go to the Hospital Emergency Room. They are actually blind, and not able to see clearly, nor help others. Such person does not see their own faults, even though they think they can easily see other’s flaws. Jesus called them “Hypocirte.”
In order to grow, the disciples needed to apply Jesus’ teachings and struggle to follow Jesus. To do so, we should first remove the obstacles from our eyes. How can we do so? It is through repentance. There are two ways to read the bible. One way is to find ammunition against others, to point out all their errors and faults. And then blast them with the truth. The other way is to see our won sins – to see how we are terrible sinners before God, humbly repent of our own sins. In this way, the bible is like a mirror to show us our own flats that need fixing and healing.
To be useful for others, they should first solve their own problem. So instead of trying to correct others, we should examine ourselves before God and repent of our sins. Then we can serve others with the mind of Christ. We are called to be Jesus’ disciples. Jesus called us to grow and to be like him. “Love your enemies, do not judge, do not condemns, forgive, give” Let us come to the cross of Jesus, we may surrender fully to the love of God and we may be filled with the wonderful grace of forgiveness of sins. Then, we can love our enemies by depending on God’s love. In this way, the love of God and the grace of God can flow through us. We may overcome our sinful tendency by putting word of God into practice. Let’s decide to overcome evil with good. Let’s pray that this love may flow and spread around the world and that God’s kingdom may come on earth as it is in heaven.