Love Your Enemies – Luke 6:27-36

A rioter in D.C. who was photographed hanging from the balcony of the Senate Chamber has begged for forgiveness, saying he got “caught up in the moment.”  But he was wearing riot gear and who knows what was in his backpack.  A Capitol Hill police officer was surrounded by the rioters, some threatening to kill him, instructing others to get his gun and kill him with it, when he appealed to them by saying he had children.  Then, some circled him and tried to shield him.  He survived and said, “Thank you,” to those who helped him survive.  Love and forgiveness.  Can we live it?

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other 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. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But 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. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.  (Luke 6:27-36 ESV)

The hallmark of Jesus’ moral instruction is love.  Love is unconditional desire to seek God’s good for others, but, frankly, none of us really expects we can give or receive that.  But Jesus does.

Jesus commands us to love our enemies, and this means praying a blessing for them, meeting their persecution with unexpected generosity, being sensitive to their needs, and unselfish with your resources.  In short, it means doing for them what you would wish they do for you.

To settle for a lesser love will not bring you the reward you hope for.  Conditional love is the hallmark of the world, but we must be different than the world because we know Jesus and his Father.  The Father loves those who are ungrateful and evil, He loves those who we would say deserve no mercy.  And thank goodness He does, for that has been all of us.