Loving the Unlovable (Part II of II)
Luke 6:27 & 28 (Jesus speaking), “But I tell you who hear Me: Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, bless those that curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Or despitefully use you.)
There is a meanness of spirit that has captured the hearts of many people in our time, with people retaliating against one another over just any reason. But our Lord knew we would never have peace in our souls as long as we carried hate in our hearts. There is healing in generosity. There is healing in compassion. There is healing in mercy. There is healing in forgiveness.
Let us never forget that the difference between the redeemed and the sinner is Godly forgiveness, mercy, compassion, and generosity. We who are redeemed have a holy responsibility to respond to others with the same Godly attitude of mercy, forgiveness, compassion, and generosity.
Luke 6:32 & 33 (Jesus speaking), “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that.”
The message of this passage comes through with overwhelming impact: Jesus demands His followers, His disciples, to demonstrate a quality of love and helpfulness that exceeds everything that may be observed in natural man. The Christian ethic is based on going beyond the expected. Once again, the Christian ethic is based on going beyond what is expected by the unbelieving world.
This means not just loving and having compassion on those who love us and show us compassion. But like our God who sends his rain on the just and the unjust, and who loves the saint and the sinner alike, so must we imitate our God and do the same.
Christians should be different in that they love more than others, will do more than others, are ready to go the second mile and to turn the other cheek if necessary.
Someone hates you? No problem, do good to him. Someone is cursing you? No problem, offer God’s blessings to him.
Someone is despitefully using you or mistreating you? No problem, pray for him.
As you struggle to get through situations such as these, consider: What Would Jesus Do?
My faith tells me Jesus would first and foremost remember verse 31 of this sixth chapter of Luke (Jesus speaking) “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.”
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Chris Voss is a pastor at First Christian Church, 317 S. Main, Donna.