Good News Week 13. Love Your Enemies

Good News. Love Your Enemies.

So many of us Christians love the salvation of Christ but not the teachings of Christ.

Let’s be honest, his teachings are hard, challenging.

We much prefer the idea of salvation from our sin than the command to obey his teachings.

Salvation reminds us that Christ died for us, for our sin.

His teachings remind us that following Jesus costs us something.

Salvation is free, but its costs us our life.

We can’t earn it but we can’t excuse it.

The 80’s Christian Band DeGarmo & Key out if this way, The called it The Pledge, He Died For Me I’ll Live For Him.

Jesus teaches us who to love in a way that shows the goodness of the Father.

Look at the end of Luke 6:35

Luke 6:35 CSB

But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil.

When we live out the teachings of Jesus we are truly living as children of God.

When we live out the teachings of Jesus we are then revealing the character and nature of the Most High.

The Most High God is gracious to the ungrateful and evil.

That kind of blows my mind.

But maybe it shouldn’t.

Maybe it blows my mind because I don’t think I’m that evil.

Maybe it blows my mind because I think evil is what someone else does.

Maybe it blows my mind because I don’t take Jesus words seriously enough.

But if I would recognize the evil in my heart, the pride, the selfishness, the rebellion, the self-righteousness, the rebellion… If I would recognize the evil in my own heart I would truly grasp the goodness of God toward the ungrateful and evil because I know he has been good to me.

Think about how good God has been to you.

And you’re evil.

Don’t believe me that your evil?

Who’d you talk bad about this week?

Who’d you hate in your heart?

Evil.

Jesus said hatred is internal murder.

Guilty.

Evil.

But the goodness of God is goodness because He’s good to those who don’t by nature deserve it.

Luke 6:33 makes this point clear.

Luke 6:33 CSB

If you do what is good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.

The goodness of God is goodness toward those who have done evil to God.

Ungodliness is anything that is contrary to the nature of God.

It’s actually ungodly to only do good to those who deserve it.

So what does godliness look like?

Well for one thing it looks like loving your enemies.

But what does loving your enemies look like?

Maybe one way to answer that question is to ask ourself what does loving our friends look like?

What does love look like?

What Does Love Look Like

Sandwiched between 2 chapters on healthy vs unhealthy church life in 1 Corinthians Paul gives us a definition of Love.

This passage is often read at weddings, but it really wasn’t intent to give us a nice wedding reading.

Paul was telling us what love should look like inside the church.

And what kind of love the Church should be known for.

1 Corinthians 13 CSB

If I speak human or angelic tonguesD but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known. Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love—but the greatest of these is love.

Love expressed within the church and love expressed by the church should look like this.

Patient.

Kind.

Not envious.

Not boastful.

Not arrogant.

Not rude.

Not self-seeking.

Not irritable.

It lets go over wrongs.

It rejoices in righteous truth.

It bears all things.

Believes.

Hopes.

Endures.

It acts like a grown up and not a child.

Here’s a problem.

Too often church folk act childish when they should grow up.

Too often church folk look like the child in the nursery having to be reminded over and over to share.

Too often church folks are not patient.

Are not kind.

Are proud.

Are arrogant.

Are rude.

Are self-seeking and irritable.

Too often we are still holding onto that thing that rude person said instead of bearing with them in patience and confronting in truthful humility.

But love is hopeful.

Love endures.

Love believes.

Love grows up.

What does love look like?

It looks like what Jesus looks like.

It’s the kindness of God that brings repentance.

Jesus is the perfect revelation of Love of God and the perfect demonstration of what love looks like.

Jesus is God loving His enemies.

Romans 5:10 CSB

For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.

Jesus is God doing good to His enemies.

Love Your Enemies

Back in the heyday of what is called CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) there was a Christian Punk band called Smiley Kids.

To fully get the feel of the song I want you to hear some of it.

You ready?

Any punk fans?

I mean real punk, not that Blink 182 stuff.

Here we go.

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES - SMILEY KIDS (1:21-2:09)

So we they gave us our scripture text for the day, but I want you to hear the lyrics to verses

You looked me in the eye

Just as you stabbed me in the back

And I was so angry so scared, ya

You humiliated me and smashed my pride

Down to the ground and I'm so thankful, so lucky

Love your enemies!

Even though they hate your guts, ya!

Love your enemies!

Even though they make me cry

Love your enemies!

Even though they hate your guts, ya!

Love your enemies!

Even though they make me cry

You hit me on the cheek

So I turned the other one and you spit on me

You spread these rumors about me

And say bad things behind my back

And I'm so happy, I'm still smiling!

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES. EVEN THOUGH THEY HATE YOUR GUTS.

That’s really hard.

But it’s also really beautiful.

Luke 6:27–36 CSB

“But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don’t hold back your shirt either. Give to everyone who asks you, and from someone who takes your things, don’t ask for them back. Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do what is good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil. Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Loving our friends looks like…

Doing Good

Blessing them

Praying for them

Not solving arguments with violence

Giving of yourself

Love our enemies looks like

Doing good even when they hate us

Blessing them even when they curse us

Praying for them even when they hurt us

Not retaliating with violence after an offense

Giving to a need and not demanding repayment

Loving is merciful just as the Father is merciful.

Loving your enemies demonstrates that the Kingdom of God is in your heart.

Loving others is GOOD NEWS in action.

It’s CCM Sunday here, but dcTalk had a classic song that said Love Is A Verb.

Love is action.

Love is GOOD NEWS doing good.

Turn The Other Cheek

While we are here, we have to talk about this statement.

It has to be one of the most difficult teachings of Jesus.

Is Jesus promoting passivism?

Is Jesus requiring victims to stay in abusive situations?

Is Jesus saying we should not defend ourselves?

Now, there are good arguments that Jesus is promoting passivism.

There‘s actually a history of Christian passivism.

But I don’t believe Jesus is talking about passivism in the way way would talk about passivism today.

I also do not believe Jesus is requiring victims to stay in abusive situations.

Jesus defended the woman against stoning, he didn’t pick up a stone an join in.

I also don’t believe Jesus is demanding us to allow ourselves to be treating violently.

So what does it mean to turn the other cheek?

He is saying, look at verse Luke 6:29-30 for context

Luke 6:29–30 (CSB)

If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don’t hold back your shirt either. Give to everyone who asks you, and from someone who takes your things, don’t ask for them back.

He’s saying don’t look to avenge.

If you are mistreated don’t look for ways to get back at them.

Don’t look to repay violence with violence.

If someone takes your cloak, look to understand why. Maybe they need even more.

In Matthew’s account of this teaching he talks about not reading an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth.

He’s talking us that there’s a better way than vengeance.

There’s a better way than judgment.

Theres a better way.

Kindness Is better.

Romans 12:9–21 CSB

Let love be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Take the lead in honoring one another. Do not lack diligence in zeal; be fervent in the Spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord. But If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

(Proverbs 25)

Do you see?

When we love our enemies, we are doing good to them.

We are not seeking vengeance.

We are not looking to repay evil with evil.

That’s not what God does in Jesus.

And that’s not what God in Jesus has called us to do.

We are to turn the other cheek, to give them more than what they took.

Isn’t that what God in Jesus has done for us, He has given us more than we took.

We took the life of Jesus, and not only did that give us life, it gave us adoption as sons an daughters of God, it gave us the Kingdom, it made us kings and priests of God.

Jesus is God giving us more than we took.

Jesus is God turning the other cheek.

Jesus is the love of God revealing mercy instead of judgement.

Jesus is the love of God revealing goodness over vengeance.

Jesus is God Overcoming Evil with Good.

Overcome Evil With Good

That’s how Paul ends this section of his letter to the Roman church.

And it’s an echo of Jesus words in Luke 6:35-36

Luke 6:35–36 CSB

But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil. Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Love you enemies.

Do what is good simply because its good.

THEN YOUR REWARD WILL BE GREAT!

THEN YOU ARE YOUR FATHER’S CHILDREN!

God overcomes evil not by evil but by good.

God overcomes Satan not by out-evil-ing him, but by out-good-ing him.

Want to overcome evil do good.

Want to overcome evil change the response.

Want to make your enemy your friend, be kind.

Does it always mean they will become your best friend?

No.

They may just keep on hating you.

But you know what? God will deal with.

And the evil you have in your heart towards them can only be overcome by doing good to your enemy.

Here’s the Good News, Jesus is God overcoming our evil with Hid good.

That’s the Gospel - Kingdom Good Is Overcoming

Overcoming sin, injustice, brokenness, war, hatred, racism, abuse, death, hell, and the grave.

JESUS IS GOD OVERCOMING EVERY EVIL WITH KINGDOM GOODNESS.

Jesus is God turning the other cheek.

Jesus is God giving us more than we took.

Jesus is God loving His enemies.

That’s the GOOD NEWS.

Let’s be people who live out the GOOD NEWS.