Luke 6:27-38
tells us to listen, love, bless and pray for our enemies.
We are to love back, to be more than accepting of bad things done to us.
If you’d like to be treated a certain way, do so with your enemies.
Love, do good, give without accepting anything in return.
“Be merciful just as your Father is merciful. Forgive and you will be forgiven; give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
We read these words and say, “For real?”
But, God, you don’t understand!
That person tore my heart out with words that sliced through me.
I tried to forgive but words that struck me like arrows hurt deep.
How am I to turn the other cheek?
I try to identify with the other person’s situation.
Multiple stories of my own come to mind but they are only moments . . . specks of time.
God has done miracles in my own life even if it took years.
Each time we are pressed into a situation where another is hurting us, what do we do?
Can you think of a circumstance where words seemed to pierce your soul like arrows?
Do you turn the other cheek so those arrows hit you in more places?
Or, do you flee to a safe distance and remain distant?
When the Lord tells us, as in this scripture, to turn the other cheek . . . or treat the other better than we would expect to be treated, what does this mean?
Think of Jesus.
Everywhere he spoke, the Pharisees flung accusations at him in hopes that Jesus would flee or hurl his own accusations back at them.
Each time the Pharisees confronted Jesus with a trick question, they expected Jesus would step into their trap and be caught in heresy.
Why did that not happen?
Because Jesus was ‘one with the Father' and their communication was faster than 5G.
It was non-stop because Father and Son are ONE.
God, the Father, gave Jesus word-puzzles and stories with
Jesus only needed to apply what was given to him by God.
Jesus always had a choice to accept precepts from the Father or not.
Jesus’ total obedience is sometimes incomprehensible for us.
Yet, Jesus always said, “Yes” to the Father.
Jesus knew that every millisecond of his life was directed by the Father and, if Jesus kept saying, “yes,” his life-purpose would be carried out exactly as the Father orchestrated.
God sent his only begotten son for us because He loves us unconditionally.
When we say “yes” to God upon confirming our Christian faith, we say "yes" to all God expects of us.
In doing so, we receive the full power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
We can choose to access God’s full power through the Holy Spirit or not.
We can choose to live life God’s way or our way.
God weeps when we choose our own way instead of His way but God still loves us.
Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit when he went to be with the Father: The same Holy Spirit who guided every single Apostle. . .
the same Holy Spirit who drew the Apostle Paul into the arms of Jesus,
the same Holy Spirit whom we can call upon at any moment to lead us, guide us, give us insight, and help us with those who are against us.
The same Holy Spirit within us gives us powerful words of love and kindness and affirmation when we don’t feel like doing so.
The same Holy Spirit tells us to ‘turn the other cheek’
or give more than we think we should even when others take from us what they do not deserve.
Is this passage in Luke easy to follow?
No
Are the precepts in God’s Word easy to follow?
No
Is being a Christian easy?
No
This is a tough road we follow . . . the way of the Cross.
As we wind down into the quiet weeks of Lent, think of this
Remember the power of the Holy Spirit whom we can call upon instantaneously.
Remember that the Holy Spirit resides in us and is able to do all we ask . . .
but we must ask.
Ask the Lord to help you . . .
LOVE BACK
listen . . . love . . . bless . . . pray . . .
for those whose words and actions pierce your soul.
It's amazing what happens after a week of calling upon the Holy Spirit for help.
Recollect daily, what happens each time you ask the Holy Spirit to help you listen, love, bless another and pray for those who sting your soul.
Recollect daily, what happens each time you ask the Holy Spirit to help you listen, love, bless another and pray for those who sting your soul.
Try it.
See what happens.
Find out how you can Love Back!
A helpful addition:
Psalms are like balm for the soul.
Ps.37:3 “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness
:4 Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
:5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and he will do it. . . .
:7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.
