Luke 6:27-38

Love for Enemies

27 “But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

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 hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.[a] Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Judging Others

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

Reflection/Sermon:

I. Sometimes you read these words that Jesus spoke in one of the Gospels and maybe think they sound wonderful but there’s no way anyone actually thinks it’s possible to live like that. I’ve told you before that some people read this and laugh and say that either Jesus was using hyperbole again — like the he said we have to hate our parents — or that a rich person entering the kingdom of heaven is like a camel going through the eye of a needle. “Jesus didn’t actually intend for us to love our enemies or turn the other cheek when hit in the face or not only allow someone to steal from us but to actually make sure they get more. Jesus likes to exaggerate.”

II. How do you apply this in real time? Once my high school best friend Marco and I were walking in a parking lot. We were seniors. And he knew I was starting to go to church and was interested again in Jesus. Without notice he turned and hit me hard in the stomach. I was surprised and said, “Why did you do that?” He said, “Don’t you want to hit me back?” I said “No.” He said he was testing me — to see how serious I was about following Jesus.

III. I don’t know if that proved anything. These “rules to live by” seem to go beyond human nature. Even the Ten Commandments don’t ask us to love our enemies. I don’t think there’s anything in the Old Testament that teaches this — it’s original to Jesus. Deuteronomy and Leviticus teach us to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves. They don’t say “Love your enemies. And if someone steals from you, don’t worry about it, but give them more.” So we are to love Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-un, and whoever replaces Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi (who the US just killed) in ISIS? We are to love Donald Trump AND Hilary Clinton? Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez AND Marjorie Taylor Green? What does Jesus think we can do? Walk on water?

IV. Yes. Jesus wants us to do the impossible — to walk on water with him. Listen — here’s how it happened in the Gospel of Matthew: Jesus Walks on the Water: Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side of the lake, while he dismissed the crowds. He went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It’s a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. Jesus said, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” Peter said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus reached out his hand and caught him and said, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

V. Jesus telling us to love our enemies — and not judge each other — is like commanding us to walk on water, and we can only do this with the faith that God will make this possible. So Jesus stands in the middle of the lake, motioning to us with his hand. “Get out of the boat,” he tells us, “the boat of our culture, our security, our world that divides people. “Come over here and join me in the kingdom of heaven, where the only law is to love. You’ll have to walk on the water and have faith in the power of God to change you to get to me — but get out of the boat and walk to me.” We will fall, like Peter did. But Jesus will catch us. Love is like riding a bicycle. We keep trying — and eventually it just happens. With God, even loving enemies and not judging is possible.