Love, Forgive, and Give

Introduction

Today we read part of Jesus’ famous sermon in Luke’s gospel...referred to as “the sermon on the plain.” Similar to...although much more brief than Mathew’s “sermon on the mount”...the sermon on the plain is a teaching directed to Jesus’ disciples...it’s a teaching about the kingdom of God.

Dr. Darrell L. Bock...writes this about our reading this morning,

“One often thinks of 1 Cor. 13 as the “love chapter” in the Bible...but Jesus’ remarks on love in Luke 6:27-36 ...form the center of (Jesus’) ethic and are even more profound. Such sacrificial love is possible only through faith in God and a belief that God will balance the scales of justice one day.

In short...the sermon is a call to love all humanity in the face of the reality of God’s blessing...justice....and character. The experience of God’s grace requires that God’s children be gracious.”

According to Professor Bock...the scripture we read this morning is the center of Jesus’ ethic of love...that defines God’s kingdom...and is a call to you and me...and all followers of Jesus Christ...to live our lives in a way that reflects this ethic. But what a difficult teaching it is.

Who among us would do what that stick figure did in that short video clip...and take rocks thrown at us to build a bridge toward our enemy...in an attempt to reconcile with him? I may have used the rocks to build a wall...to protect myself...but Jesus’ ethic of love...is one that demands we seek to show God’s love...for God’s sake...and despite our being hated or abused by our enemy.

There is perhaps no more transformative teaching...or a more difficult teaching in all of scripture...than to love our enemies.

And don’t be like the lawyer who asks Jesus to clarify “who is my neighbor”...in an attempt to lessen his responsibility to his neighbor. I think we all know who our enemies are. We may even be good at making enemies ourselves. Regardless...we are not to ask “Who is our enemy”...that is obvious...the one throwing stones our way...we are called to love our enemy.

Last week

We got snowed out last week...so we missed the beginning section of the sermon on the plain. I titled last week’s sermon “Everything that glitters ain’t always gold.” Because Jesus begins his sermon with the beaitutudes. Here is the paraphrase Message version of...

Luke 6:20–26 MSG

Then he spoke to his disciples: You’re blessed when you’ve lost it all. --God’s kingdom is there for the finding. You’re blessed when you’re ravenously hungry. --Then you’re ready for the Messianic meal. You’re blessed when the tears flow freely. --Joy comes with the morning. “Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down or throws you out, every time someone smears or blackens your name to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—skip like a lamb, if you like!—for even though they don’t like it, I do … and all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company; my preachers and witnesses have always been treated like this. But it’s trouble ahead if you think you have it made. --What you have is all you’ll ever get. And it’s trouble ahead if you’re satisfied with yourself. --Your self will not satisfy you for long. And it’s trouble ahead if you think life’s all fun and games. --There’s suffering to be met, and you’re going to meet it. “There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.

The upside-down kingdom of God is not like our world and our human understanding of it. We think those who have it all in this life are blessed...but Jesus said just the opposite. When we are poor and have nothing of our own...God’s kingdom is right there. When we are hungry...we are ready to be fed with spiritual food. When we grieve...we will be comforted.

All the “thought-to-be” negative emotive states...are actually blessings in God’s kingdom. Because they expose what is true of all of us...we are in need of a savior...we need to be fed...we need to find the joy only God can bring in our lives.

Today

Today’s reading is literally the heart of the sermon on the plain. It is Jesus’ ethic of love.

Luke 6:27–31 MSG

“To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant's life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously. “Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them!

That’s it! Pretty simple right?

God’s upside-down kingdom can be summed up by the ethic of love...demonstrated (or lived out) by those who have experienced God’s unconditional love. Paul helps us understand this when he wrote in Romans 5:10-11

Romans 5:10–11 NLT

For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Closing

The bottom line here is when you and I experience for ourselves the love, forgiveness, and generosity of God in our own lives...we can’t help but pour that back out into loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves.

Is loving our enemies easy? No.

Were we once...or sometimes still are...enemies of God through our sin? Yes.

How did God respond to us in that state? With love...compassion...forgiveness...grace...poured out to overflowing in our hearts and souls.

We as disciples of Jesus Christ...are to live our lives...as enemies turned friends to God...and demonstrate with our lives that reconciliation...forgiveness and love are possible...even for our enemies.

May God’s generosity toward us...empower and encourage us to show our generosity to friend and enmy alike. Thanks be to God...AMEN.