The Country Church Bourbon Indiana

Text: Luke 6:27-36

Link: Today’s verses are some of the most well known in the Bible. And they are some of the hardest verses to put into practice. But when believers obey Christ’s teaching in these verses they become radiant lights and powerful forces for good.

Theme: Be loving, gracious, and merciful to everyone, including your enemies. X2

Link: To your enemies? Yes, even your enemies.

Verses 27-29

“But I say to you who hear” – this statement transitions from the “woes” of verses 24-26. The people whom the “woes” are directed to do not hear.

Last week we talked about how verses 20-23 are directed at one group of people – namely, Christians. And verses 24-26 are directed at a second group of people, namely non-Christians. The Christian group was identified by phrases like “he lifted up his eyes on his disciples” and “on account of the Son of Man” and “for so their fathers did to the prophets.”

The non-Christian group was identified by the lack of “on account of the Son of Man” and “for so their fathers did to the false prophets.”

We’re back to the first group again, the Christian one, the group who hears.

To us Christians Jesus gives some radical commands:

Love your enemies.

Do good to those who hate you.

Bless those who curse you.

Pray for those who abuse you.

Turn the other cheek when harmed.

And do not resist a robber.

Boy, if those aren’t the scariest and hardest commands in the Bible then I don’t know which are. So much of our being rises up in protest at these teachings.

“Love my enemies? But what about what he did to me?”

“Doesn’t following these verses make me even more liable to suffer abuse?”

“Won’t my enemies take advantage of my kindness to torment me even more?”

“If I turn the other cheek, now I just have two cheeks that have been smacked.”

Well, I’d love to say that following these verses will make your life easier, but the opposite is true. It’ll make the life to come easier, but the life here and now will almost certainly be harder. Yes, there is a good chance that following these verses will make you more liable to abuse. Turning the other cheek is likely to result in having two cheeks that are smacked. Most thieves will be happy to have both your cloak and your tunic.

Let me share a couple stories.

*Missionary Story from VBS*

Mary Slessor, missionary to Kalibar, assaulted by young people. Turned out OK.

*Columbine*

Rachel Joy Scott, the first student killed in Columbine High School and a girl who was targeted for her Christian faith, will be released October 21.

Columbine killers and students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, knew that Scott, 17, was Christian. Moments before her death, they asked her, “Do you still believe in your God?”

With a gun at her head Scott replied, “You know that I do.”

She was murdered then and there.

Both stories are true. Both outcomes are possible, though I know of more stories like the second one than the first. They just go to show that your results can vary. And why these verses are hard and scary.

But though they are hard, though they are scary, our faith in a brighter day in heaven and our relationship with Christ make obedience possible.

And these are extreme examples. More likely, you will be called to put these verses into practice in more routine day to day stuff. Like on the road driving and someone develops road rage toward you, or cuts you off, or gets right up on your bumper.

Come to think of it, these might be good verses for me to stick on my dashboard! Driving is a trial sometimes.

Verse 30

This verse simply says “everyone” it does not include any “buts.” But, we do find an exception to this rule in 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13.

*Read 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13*

It’s important to examine your heart and be balanced. There is no small amount of people who will use 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 as an excuse to not give anything to anybody. 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 is the exception. Luke 6:30 is the rule. Our standard mode of operation should be Luke 6:30. It should be one of gracious giving. We should only hold back from gracious giving if we know that giving will reinforce sinful behavior such as laziness.

The second part of Luke 6:30 there is no exception found. If you are a victim of theft, vengeance is not to be sought. This is a hard command to swallow, but it is made sweet with faith and knowledge. You see, God is the avenger and will right every wrong, reward every good deed, and work all things for good for those who love Him.

And if you recall from the beatitudes that we covered in our last sermon in Luke, those who are poor, hungry, and thirst now will be satisfied with eternal reward later.

Taking all those facts together, the stuff that was stolen from you wasn’t going to last very long anyway. God will punish the thief and you will receive a heavenly reward instead.

It takes great faith, but in the grand scheme of things, if you are robbed, you will come out of it richer than you were beforehand if you respond to it biblically.

Verse 31

This verse is called “the Golden Rule” by many. It sums up many, many of the Bible’s commands. It’s said several different ways in different places. In Leviticus 19:18 we read “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

In extra biblical literature we also find “what you hate, do not do to anyone” And “whatever you would not like done to you, do not do to another” and “what is hateful to you, do not to your neighbor.”

But Jesus takes it a step further than all of his contemporaries and other religious teachers with his emphasis on doing. Other writings stress not doing to others what you don’t want done to you. Here, Jesus stresses doing to others what you want done to you. This is much harder because it takes activity, sacrifice. You have to involve yourself, use your time, plan, spend your money, and do something. Not doing what you don’t want done to you merely involves abstaining from doing bad things to other people.

Verses 32-36

Verses 32-36 teach us why we should behave in this radical way.

The primary motivation is because God is our Father and that is how He behaves. God is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. God is merciful. God gives regardless of whether He receives anything in return or not.

The second motivation is reward. As Christians, we tend to think that reward is a bad motivation. Perhaps because it doesn’t fit well in our minds with self-sacrifice. Christians aren’t supposed to think about rewards, right?

Well, here and in other places in Scripture, God does hold out reward as motivation for obedient behavior. God says do this and your reward will be great. In James last week, God said “those who withstand the test will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.”

So while we might think that reward isn’t a proper Christian motive, God apparently does, so we should probably adjust our perspective. Because you cannot be more holy than God.

Its right to work for reward – but work for the reward that doesn’t fade away. Work for the rewards that await us in heaven.

Something else these verses teach us is what differentiates Christian and non-Christian behavior.

Do you remember a few months ago, on Valentine’s Day actually, we had a sermon about love. I talked about the word “agape.” Agape is a sacrificial kind of love. You might have heard before that Agape love is a special Christian kind of love.

Well, guess what word we find in Luke 6:32 – agape. Even sinners agape those who agape them. Agape isn’t something that only Christians can do. Non-Christians can and do have this kind of love.

But Jesus calls us to do better than the norm. To agape love someone is not exceptionally unusual behavior. I would say, Christian or not, most parents agape love their kids. But how many people agape love their enemies?

Now that is a rare quality. And that is a godly quality because that is how God is. God shows love toward, does good things for, and gives things to even His enemies.

I have another story to share to illustrate this point, taken from MSN just this Thursday:

Mosul is one of the most dangerous places in the world. And while hundreds of thousands fled, an American and his family moved in, risking their lives to save others. 

As an aid worker in Mosul, David Eubank sees death every single day. “We see families killed,” says Eubank, a former Green Beret. “One woman, probably a 19-year-old, new mother, little newborn, died in my arms.” But one recent rescue was different. 

“I see what turns out to be about 70 dead bodies — woman, children, guys in wheelchairs — and then a little girl, sitting next to her dead mother. Hiding under the black hijab,” Eubank says. 

ISIS snipers filled the air with gunfire. But Eubank had to get to the little girl. 

Iraqi and U.S. forces helped on the ground and in the air, putting up a blanket of protective smoke so he could run. Twelve seconds, in and out, she was safe. It was caught on video.

“It makes me want to cry every time I see the picture because I think she made it, she made it,” Eubank said. 

Eubank said the little girl’s family is presumed dead. He learned that the Iraqi general he was with has plans to adopt her.

Eubank started the humanitarian group Free Burma Rangers after a decade with the U.S. Special Forces. His wife and three children have joined him on all his missions to Myanmar, also known as Burma, and other war-torn areas like Mosul. While there are some people who might be surprised to see the children out there, the kids disagree. 

“There’s kids on the front line with their parents who are getting shot at, so why shouldn’t we be out there helping them as well?” says daughter Sahale. 

The family of five is taking a break this week, in Washington State, but all plan to go back to Iraq. 

“If your kid was out there, wouldn’t you want someone else to help them, someone to rescue them, to give them the opportunity to live,” Sahale says. 

Eubank says he keeps returning out of love.

“And I remembered this scripture, ‘Greater love has no man who laid down his life for his friends,'” Eubank says.

What relationship did this hero have to this little girl? None. In what way could this little girl repay him for what he did? A hug and a thank you are about it. I’m not knocking the agape love that parents have toward their own kids, but it takes something truly special and it’s a beautiful God-like love to do what this man did.

Application:

And this is the kind of love and behavior that God is calling us to. Radical grace, mercy, and love.