Over the last several weeks, we have been reflecting on the purpose of God sending His only Son to the world. John 3:16 has been an anchor for us:
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.
God loves
God gave
We believe = Eternal Life.
Jesus came on a rescue mission. The Cross represents the depth of His love for us. He was/is willing to die for us to save us from our sins. Reflect on that for a moment.
But we have a personal choice to make each day. Follow Him or not.
And today’s Gospel presents us with some radical one-liners that Jesus gave to the people and He also gives to us. To challenge us as His followers.
Fans of Jesus walk away from Him when the teachings get hard. As He teaches them in the Bread of Life Discourse in John 6, many walked away from Him because His teachings were hard. Jesus asks the disciples at the end of that chapter (and He also asks us): do YOU want to walk away too?
So how do we respond when we hear these radical one-liners:
“To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
Well, that’s difficult. When was the last time, you went out of your way to pray for someone who hurt you or wronged you. It’s not easy; it’s not natural. I want to strike back to those who hurt me or my family. Yet, our Lord challenges us to love them and pray for them.
bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic.
Another hard teaching, I get cursed at a lot in my profession. Across all sports, referees are not well liked. And fans can be cruel. And yet our Lord asks us to bless them. Come on, Lord, do you hear what they are saying. The mocking; the ridicule; the slander. Offer the other cheek when they are yelling or booing or screaming profanities. How am I supposed to bless them?
Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Give to everyone? I mean I try to give as best I can. Sometimes, I will donate my post-game meal or buy a sandwich for someone in need who is standing near the grocery store. I know I can do better. But everyone? How is that feasibly possible?
Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.
The Golden Rule: do to others as you would have them to do you. Well, I try my best, but I know I fail often when it comes to this. I try to treat others with dignity and respect, but I know there are times when I snap at someone or make a cruel or short response. It’s easy to love the people closest to me (most of the time); but, Lord, you want me to treat everyone the same. With dignity and respect.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount.
Another radically hard teaching, lend without expecting repayment? That makes no business sense at all. My business mind says No way; not a chance. I don’t mind lending people money. Even without interest. But if I have knowledge that there is a high likelihood they may not pay me back, I am still called to lend them money? Wow, Lord! I just don’t know if I can do that.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Ok; now how is this fair? You are kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. I am working so hard at following Your commands and yet You are kind to those who are not!
The Lord Jesus is not kidding when He challenges us in these hard and most difficult teachings that He lays out for us in Luke’s Sermon on the Plain. Luke’s audience that He was writing to was the Gentiles. A group that was often looked down upon and hated during Jesus’ time.
And that is precisely the point. What does Jesus say while He is hanging on the Cross after experiencing an absolutely cruel and brutal beating and crucifixion.
Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
Stunningly radical.
When was the last time, we prayed those words when we were hurt, mistreated, misguided, experienced wickedness and evil. I can tell you that is not usually my first response. I want to strike back and hurt the person who hurt me.
But Jesus lays out the challenge for us as we look at these final few lines of today’s Gospel passage:
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”
For the measure of MERCY
For the measure of JUDGING
For the measure of CONDEMNING
For the measure of LOVE
with which we measure, will in return be measured out to us.
I will be reflecting on these final lines of the Gospel this week. And asking Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit to help me and guide me to become more like Him.
When we spend time with Jesus; when we spend time with Him in His Word and in prayer, reflecting on these hard and difficult teachings, we WILL become:
More merciful
Less judgmental
Less condemning
More loving
We will become more like Him. As followers of Christ, when we spend time with Him, we can become more like Him. And when we become more like Him, we DO as He commands us to DO!
Radical challenge: Yes
Radical 1-liners: Absolutely
Are we willing to do it? If we want to follow Him, we know what the answer is.
For the measure with which WE measure, shall be measured out to us!
Amen 🙏!
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