Strange Love, Part 2
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Jesus says simply in verse 44, “But I say to you, love your enemies.”
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
this was just a devastating statement in the society in which Jesus lived, because there was so much hate.
Neighbor defined very narrowly. [at odds with the old testament / law]
Jesus statement is contradictory to their entire lifestyle. They hated. They hated the the tax collectors, who had sold out to Rome. They hated the Gentiles. They literally despised them. And Jesus gives them a simple command that lays bare all that hate. “Love your enemies,” He says.
Who does He have in mind? Everybody.
25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Luke 10
Good samaritan.
the good Samaritan came along, and saw this man who was a Jew, and Samaritans and Jews didn’t have any dealings – there was tremendous hatred between the two of them. And yet he went over, and he saw that man, and he said, “That man is my neighbor,” and he bound up his wounds, and he cared for him, and wrapped him, and he put him on his animal, and took him to the inn and paid his bill, and did the whole thing. He made a sacrifice, didn’t he? A sacrifice of time, a sacrifice of energy, a sacrifice of money, a sacrifice of prejudice, a sacrifice of all of the factors of his life to stop and do all of that, because the man was in need. And that’s the way it is; your neighbor is anybody in your path with a need.
Jesus turns the tables in a way, Go and BE a neighbor.
Instead of going through life and trying to pick out who your neighbor is, He asks, “Are you a neighbor? “
Love?
Jesus doesn’t mean affection. God doesn’t expect you to love them philia, like a friend. He doesn’t expect you to love them storgē, like you love someone in your own family. He doesn’t expect you to love them eros, affectionate, desiring love. But what He does say is to love them agapaō, which is a love that seeks their highest good and seeks to serve their needs. When Jesus said in , “Love one another as I have loved you,” He had just washed their dirty feet. He we giving his life for their salvation, even as they argued among themselves about who the greatest among them was, misunderstood the things he did and said, and lashed out at their enemies.
At that point, He wasn’t saying, “You know, these disciples are so wonderful, they’re just irresistible.”
No, they were cantankerous, ugly, arguing over who would be the greatest in the Kingdom. They were acting sinful, they were self-motivated and self-centered, and couldn’t even be considerate enough to consider Christ going to the cross and comfort Him. They were acting about as ugly as they ever acted in the New Testament, and yet He said, “Love each other like I’ve loved you.” What did He do? He washed their dirty feet.
And that’s what He’s saying. Love is an act of service to one in need, not necessarily an emotion.
also, Pray for those..
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
It’s what Jesus did.
It’s what Stephen did.
“What do you mean pray?” …pleading for their highest good; forgiveness, compassion, mercy, their redemption.
restoration of relationship with God.
The cruel torture of crucifixion couldn’t silence Jesus’ prayer. The crushing stones couldn’t silence Stephen’s prayer, but I wonder what has silenced your prayer for your enemy. So love your enemies, pray for your persecutors.
why love? Why pray? So that.... [Is purpose]
45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
God is Love. And as his children, we should also be characterized by love. It’s not a status we earn, it is the evidence of our sonship.
evil and the good!
10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
1 John
It’s kind of like Peter said; we are partakers in the divine nature, we've escaped the corruption of the world because of sin.
4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
2 Peter 1:4But to make our calling and election sure, we have to add to what we’ve received virtue, and so forth. In other words, we’ll never convince anybody we belong to God unless we’re like Him, and He loves.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,
2 Peter 1:5
10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
2 peter 1:But to make our calling and election sure, we have to add to what we’ve received virtue, and so forth. In other words, we’ll never convince anybody we belong to God unless we’re like Him, and He loves.
But to make our calling and election sure, we have to add to what we’ve received virtue, and so forth. In other words, we’ll never convince anybody we belong to God unless we’re like Him, and He loves.
To make our calling and election sure, we have to add to what we’ve received virtue, and so forth.
In other words, we’ll never convince anybody we belong to God unless we’re like Him, and He loves everyone.
We’ve got to exceed the standard of mankind… [matt 5:20]
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
what more are you doing?
What makes you different?
Why should you be rewarded for being like everybody else? Why should God reserve His Kingdom for you? Why should God reserve His crowns for you? Why should God pour out His blessings on you?
47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Integrity. Complete. “love as God loves...”
Be in character with God...
Love and Law (as summed by Jesus beginning with anger).
Sets a standard met by our saviour.
Sets an attitude for the sons of God / Citizens of the Kingdom.
12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Phil 3:12