Love Your Enemies

Pearl Harbor

Scripture:

Luke 6:27   “But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. ²⁹ If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. ³⁰ Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. ³¹ Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Observation:

In his sermon Jesus first addressed the disciples’ relationship to God through the blesseds and the woes. Now, he shifts and the focus is on love of others. He doesn’t begin by talking about those who are easy to love, but rather encourages his followers to love those who will hate them. Jesus knows the difficulties that they are going to face in ministry and he is trying to prepare them for the way in which they are to live their lives. 

Yes, many would hate the disciples, but they were to continue loving those people. They are to bless those who will curse them, and pray for those who are going to persecute them. 

Some have tried to explain the “strike” on the cheek as a type of slap of dishonor, but the Greek word really means a blow to the jaw. In other words, this is someone that really does harm you, but you do not retaliate. This is hard to imagine, but when you are physically harmed, you are to turn the other cheek to them, offering the other side to be injured as well. 

Jesus is striking at the core of discipleship, which must be seen in a community where loving service of others is on display. “Maddox describes John Wesley’s ‘relational anthropology’ as one in which loving service to others is ‘central to true human existence’ (1994, 68). Certainly, this activism of love is a central feature of the thought and practice of Wesleyan theology” (Neale, NBBC). 

This section ends with the golden rule. 

Application:

These lessons on discipleship are challenging. The great command that we receive from Jesus, to love God and to love others, is defined here by Jesus. It’s easy to think about loving others who love us back, but Jesus is talking specifically about loving those who do not love you. He’s not suggesting that we do all we can to avoid the individual, but to sincerely engage with them. That engagement is not necessarily going to be pleasant, but could have some pretty negative consequences. That being said, you are not to avoid the confrontation, nor the consequences. Instead, in spite of the retaliation which we may receive, we are to love. 

The love that Jesus is talking about is generous — and again, not a generosity to those who give to us in return. This is a heart overflowing with holy love that is willing to generously share with those who would seek to bring you harm. After spending time in the presence of Jesus, a disciple lives and responds in this world as if they were the living presence of Jesus. 

Jesus would be mocked and abused by those he was trying to save, and yet, he saved them anyway. This is the way of the cross and the cost of discipleship. No one is promised an easy path when they embrace the words of Christ and “do to others as you would have them do to you.” Only in this way can you love your enemies. 

Prayer:

Lord, I truly want to be your disciple and faithful in following you. Amen.