Luke 6.27-42

Luke 6:27-42

Next week is Good Friday and Easter! (Take a card and give it to a friend or family member)

Today, we continue in Luke (Next year on Easter we will be in Luke’s resurrection account/finishing the next week)

These are some difficult teachings… (NOT what does it mean?)… He’s joking, right?

We are surrounded by voices… teachers… what is right? What is good? What is the good life?… (SM/News/Music/Pop. Culture)

Read Luke 6:39-40- Be careful who you allow to be your teacher… you will become like them… (the newly chosen 12)

Jesus summarizes all commandments in Scripture as: (1) Love God, (2) Love neighbor as self (Matt 22)

The religious and secular understanding- “My neighbor”= those like me OR full acceptance of everything…(Or enemies)

(1) Love Enemies- Read Luke 6:27-28- The “upside down kingdom”… (If you don’t have anything nice to say…)

God came here/Jesus died for us… SO THIS SHOULDN’T SURPRISE US TOO MUCH…

Two examples- Read Luke 6:29-30- (1) Strikes you on the cheek, (2) The one who begs from you

What this doesn’t mean: Punched in the face and you ask for another (Jesus in John 18:19-24)

This is talking about retaliation… probably referring more to an insult than a physical hit (“Harms”)

What this doesn’t mean: If someone steals from you… offer all your other stuff too (wallet/car/house)

“Takes away your cloak” is tied to the one “who begs from you”… the needy person/The stranger…

This is about generosity/charity… not expecting to be paid back….

THESE ARE EXAMPLES OF SELF-FORGETFULNESS… I don’t need to get revenge… I don’t need to be paid back

Jesus summarizes: Read Luke 6:31- The golden rule

“Love” is used 6 times in this passage… every time it’s “agape”

Four types in Greek: Storge (natural affection, family)/Phileo (Friendship)/Eros (Romantic)

Agape is the odd one… it’s an unnatural one… it’s a choice… it’s a matter of the will.

Not based on merit… the others are: Part of my family? Do I want to be friends? I am romantically attracted?

Agape… NO MERIT… We are commanded to love this way regardless of who the person is… ENEMY!

Any non-Christians here this morning… I assume you might be thinking something like… (Not great at this…)

Some of this is fair… some not.

(2) Fake love- Read Luke 6:32-34- Love those who love you/do good to those who are good to you/lend to those who will repay

Self-interested love… You extend love because of what you get back…

V. 32= “what benefit?”/ V. 33= “what benefit?”/ V. 34= “What credit?” (All same word)… “Charis”= Grace…

What grace is that? Unmerited favor… undeserved favor… What grace is it if you do it for yourself??? (Agape is grace-based)

(3) Christian love- Read Luke 6:35- Do good/Lend… expecting nothing in return…

Certainly there are practical benefits- Read Luke 6:37-38- The way you treat people does affect the way people treat you…

A couple misunderstandings: (1) “You will be sons…” (35)- This DOES NOT mean do this to be saved… rather… “because you are”

(2) “Judge not”(37)… Some people’s favorite verse… People love to quote this… “Don’t judge at all…”

A family member- Marrying someone they should not/I disapproved/was accused of “judging.”

“Judge”= Discern/Decide… Christians are absolutely supposed to do this… Read John 7:24- “right judgment”

This is a judgmental attitude… delighting in other’s failures… being ungenerous… believing the worst…

The trouble we have with loving others is that we are too busy looking to them for a reason rather than God and in mirror…

(4) The Key- Read Luke 6:36- Be merciful, as your Father is merciful…

God is merciful & You’ve received mercy… Seeing God and yourself rightly is the key

Christ did not die for the godly, but the ungodly… Read Romans 5:6, 8, 10- We were ungodly, sinners, enemies… He loved

Those who have the best memories of self are the best at loving neighbor (counseling a hurting person)

Example: Read Luke 6:41-42- Speck and log (Twig/beam)(funny picture)

This is what we look like when we do not love… show generosity… show grace… We look ridiculous…

By removing the beam (admitting sin/confessing sin/seeing ourselves rightly)… graciously help others… love them…

You should see a pattern to the Scriptures… our gospel memory is key to the Christian life…

The upside-down kingdom… Our king dying for us… Now we show the world a glimpse of the upside-down kingdom…

Our political culture… our popular culture… movies, shows, music…

Read Luke 6:39-40- Becoming like Jesus…

Are you thinking of someone this morning? You haven’t loved well (forgiven, been generous with…)

Read Psalm 139:23-24- My prayer for us…