Luke 6:27-36

Don’t miss reading this.  If anyone other than Jesus said it, I’d skip it.  This is hard stuff, but here it is, so let’s go.  Here’s the passage for your reading pleasure (and/or discomfort). https://www.bible.com/bible/116/LUK.6.NLT#:~:text=27%20%E2%80%9CBut%20to,Father%20is%20compassionate.

Did you just read all that? These are ten short verses, but if we are honest about what they teach, this feels more than mildly insane.  

It’s funny. I have often heard the claim that “the golden rule” is kind of a universal teaching.  Ok, yes, a lot of religions and world views espouse some karma-esque belief that we earn the good and bad things that happen to us.  If you are kind, you earn kindness.  I guess by the time you get to verse 31, you get around to something that sounds familiar in a lot of religious and social contexts.  “Treat others the way you would like to be treated.” 

But Jesus prepares the foundation for that little proverb with some major excavating.  LOVE your enemies. Show kindness to someone who actually hates you.  Pray that the people who hate you will experience rich blessing.  Pray God’s help and forgiveness for the people who are cruel to you.  When someone mistreats you, slather them with kindness and grace in response.  If you’re feeling especially brave, examine your heart.  Who is cruel to you?  Who hates you?  Who has no respect for your values, beliefs, convictions.  Those are the people Jesus is talking about here.  

In the second half of this passage, Jesus makes absolutely certain that we aren’t missing this.  He isn’t saying be nice to your neighbour so they will be nice in return.  What he is saying is, Love that person who deliberately and maliciously makes your life miserable in spite of the fact that they will probably never reciprocate.  

Why?? Because he wants you and me to be more and more like him. And quite frankly, the people God loves very frequently treat him like crap. 

The more I learn of my Heavenly Father and the way he treats me, the less I understand him. His grace is next level. His kindness is frivolous, scandalous, extravagant. He doesn’t treat us as we deserve. I love that line, “He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” (FYI – I qualify as both of those more often than I’d like to admit). And we are called to demonstrate that we are his children by acting the way our dad acts. 

God loved his enemies so much that he gave his only begotten son…we are called to treat people like God has treated us. 

 Oof.

So ya, no problem!  I’ll get right on that. 

Stick with me.  The next passage is no easier.