Jesus calls His followers to an impossible level of love – that is if they are striving to love this way in their own strength. He calls us not to retaliation, or non-retaliation, but to unearthly love. Learn why he calls us to this kind of love and what the results are in this message.
[powerpress]
Unearthly Love
Luke 6:27-36
There are many different forms of love that we experience. There is the love of a child for its mother or father. Strong bonds are formed between the parent and child in infancy, and this love usually endures for an entire lifetime. There is the love of a parent for his or her child. Even if the child becomes a drug addict or criminal, that love still persists. There is the love for a brother or sister. There is the love we have for a long-time trusted friend. There is a kind of love we have for our pets, our dog or our cat – in fact sometimes people love their pets more than they love other people! Then, there is the love between a man and a woman when they “fall in love”. I’ve often wondered where that expression came from. I picture someone walking on a mossy roof, and before they know it, they have slipped right off the roof and are falling to the ground. So, the expression “falling in love” implies that it is uncontrollable, risky, and irreversible. It’s almost like there is nothing you can do about it. You’re minding your own business, when suddenly you fall in love, and you experience some kind of an electric shock. It’s interesting to me that the Bible never speaks of someone “falling in love.”
Jesus has much to say in our text this morning about love, but He is not talking about any of the kinds of love I have just mentioned. Instead, He’s talking about the kind of love a disciple has for his enemy. I’m going to call this kind of love, “Unearthly Love”, because it is not natural. You will find this kind of love only very rarely, and only in those who have been transformed by the grace of God. It is unearthly, because its source is from Heaven. It is Divine.
Now, let’s remember the context of our passage. Jesus has just spent the entire night in prayer. In the morning He called 12 men to Himself whom He would appoint as apostles. Then He came down from the mountain to a level place where there was a vast multitude of people. The great multitude was made up of three kinds of people: apostles, disciples, and people who wanted to be healed. Jesus turned His gaze toward His disciples and gave four “Blessed are you…” statements. Then He followed that up with four “Woe to you…” statements. Blessed are the poor, hungry, sorrowful, and persecuted. Woe to the wealthy, comfortable, successful, and popular. In its essence, Jesus is telling these disciples that if they have Him, they have everything, and even if they have everything the world can give, but don’t have Him, they have nothing. Jesus is the Treasure worth pursuing at all costs.
But then the Lord says, “But I say to you who hear.” Who is this group? Well, it is not the ones He has just pronounced the “woes” upon. In contrast to those who will be eternally cursed because Jesus was never their Treasure, he goes back to His poor, hungry, sorrowful and persecuted disciples and addresses them. They are “you who hear.” It is the same thing as when He would say, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” These poor, despised disciples have ears to hear. Jesus has a specific message for these disciples.
As we work our way through this passage, I want you to see the flow. First, Jesus issues a Call to this unearthly love. Then He gives the Reason for this unearthly love. Then He gives us the Outcome of this unearthly love.
1. The Call To Unearthly Love (6:27-31)
Let’s look at this call to unearthly love:
“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.”
Jesus begins by making a broad general statement – “love your enemies.” Then, He unpacks that statement and expands upon it through the rest of verse 31. He goes on to explain to us who our enemy is, and what it means to love him. Our enemy is the one who hates us, curses us, mistreats us, hits us on the cheek, takes away our coat, asks us for things, and takes away what is ours.
Well, what does it mean to love this kind of person? It means to do good, to bless, to pray for them, to offer the other cheek, to give them our shirt, to not demand back something they have taken.
In verse 31, Jesus concludes his call to unearthly love with a summary – “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.”
So, at first reading you might think this passage doesn’t apply to you at all, because you can’t think of a single enemy that you have. However, do you have any people in your life who do things to you that you don’t like? At that point in time, they are your “enemy” even if they happen to be your husband or wife or child or friend or co-worker, or neighbor. You may love this person very much, but they become your “enemy” when they do things to you that you don’t like.
Now, when someone does something to you that you don’t like, there are three possible options. The first two options are natural. The third option is supernatural.
The first option is Retaliation. If someone hates you, then you’ll hate them back. If someone curses you, then you’ll curse them back. If someone mistreats you, you’ll find a way to mistreat them. If someone hits you, you’ll belt them right back. If someone steals from you, you’ll steal from them. Basically this response is Tit for Tat. This is how we respond by nature. It doesn’t take any grace for us to respond to people in this way.
The second option is Non-Retaliation. This option is better than the first option, but it is still not what Jesus is calling for. If there is someone who hates you, you simply avoid them. If there is someone who curses you, you simply walk away without cursing back. If someone hits you, you walk away and avoid them in the future. If someone steals from you, you don’t press charges as long as you get your stuff back. This response is better than retaliation, but is not what Jesus is calling us to here. You can practice non-retaliation, without the grace of God. There are many pacifists who act out of these principles, but have not been transformed by the grace of God.
The third option is Unearthly Love. This option is much higher than either of the first two. When someone does something to you that you don’t like, you don’t respond in kind, or just walk away and avoid them. Instead, you do something good to them. When someone curses you, you say something good to them or about them. When someone mistreats you, you pray for them. This kind of love is supernatural. It is impossible apart from the grace of God working in a person.
The apostle Paul spoke to the exact same issue in Romans 12:17-21 when he wrote, “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
If you do something good to me, and I respond by doing something evil to you, that’s Demonic. If you do something good to me, and I respond by doing something good to you, that’s Human. If you do something evil to me, and I respond by doing something good to you, that’s Divine.
I don’t think that we should come at these commands with a wooden literalism. When an officer struck Jesus, Jesus didn’t literally turn the other cheek. Instead He said, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?” I believe the point Jesus is making is simply that when people in your life do things to you that you don’t like, you are not to take vengeance, or to merely avoid them. Instead, you are to actively pursue doing something good to them.
And that’s exactly what Jesus did in His response to us. The Bible says that we were God’s enemies. We defied God, ignored God, neglected God, and treated Him and His laws with contempt. In effect, we slapped Him in the face with our brazen sin. So, what did Jesus do? If He had retaliated all of us would be burning in hell right now. Instead, Jesus went to the cross and took our sin on Himself, and paid our debt in full for us. There on the cross, He prayed for His murderers, and said, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” When we did something evil to Jesus, He responded by doing something good for us.
So, when do you find yourself in a situation in which you need to show unearthly love? Perhaps it’s when
- Your neighbor’s trash blows all over your yard.
- A driver gets mad at you in traffic and gives you the finger.
- Someone at work or school teases and taunts you incessantly.
- Your husband or wife says they will run an errand for you, and then decide to do something else instead.
In all these situations, how you respond will determine whether you are acting out of the flesh or in the power of the Spirit. Only a person living in the power of the Spirit will be able to love the way Jesus is describing here.
2. The Reason For Unearthly Love (6:32-34)
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount.”
Sociologists have labeled one kind of human behavior as “reciprocity.” In every culture this behavior operates. “You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours.” You do something nice for me, and I’ll do something nice for you. But the opposite is also true. If you do something bad to me, I’ll pay you back double. Most of us feel bound to this law. If someone sends you a Christmas card, you feel like you have to send them one. If someone has you over to their house for dinner, you feel you have to have them over to your house. But all of this is purely natural. Jesus’ point here is that everyone operates on this premise. He says, “even sinners love those who love them.” It’s really interesting to me that when there is a mass murderer, or arsonist, and a news reporter interviews his mother she’ll always say, “Oh, he’s really a good person. He’s got a good heart. He loves his family and is generous with others.” Even sinners will do good to those who do good to them. There is no credit in that. That’s simply acting out of the law of reciprocity.
Jesus is saying that the reason His disciples are to live this unearthly kind of love, is precisely because they are not sinners. They are not just like everybody else. They are the recipients of God’s grace. This grace has transformed them. God has given them a new heart and a new spirit. They are new creatures in Christ. God has made them new. They have a brand new identity. Therefore, they must live in accordance with this new identity.
Notice in verse 35 and 36, that God is kind to ungrateful and evil men. He is also merciful. Therefore, because you are sons of the Most High, be like your Father. Show the family resemblance. Live like Him. Be kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful to others.
This goes back to what we studied last week. The true disciple has made Jesus His Treasure. Because of that he has the ability to give out of his surplus. Jesus so fills and satisfies the disciple, that he can respond to hurt and mistreatment with kindness and grace.
Has God transformed you by His grace? Has He given you His Holy Spirit? Then you have the power and capacity to rise above the way the world lives. You can love with a divine, supernatural, unearthly love, and represent God accurately to others.
3. The Outcome Of Unearthly Love (6:35-36)
Jesus spells out two different outcomes of living this kind of love.
1) We will have a great reward in heaven. This statement in verse 35 is parallel to what Jesus said in 6:22-23, “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold your reward is great in heaven.” In verse 35 Jesus says, “your reward will be great.” Jesus is not speaking of a present reward, but a future one. It is a reward in heaven. Further, this reward will be great.
I find Christians saying all the time, “Oh, I don’t care about any heavenly rewards. If I just make it to heaven, that’s all I care about.” Isn’t it interesting that Jesus didn’t think that way. Jesus constantly motivates His disciples by telling them about eternal rewards. We almost think that there is something carnal about living a righteous life if you are motivated by heavenly reward. But that cannot be, because God would never motivate us with carnal incentives. I submit that our thinking is all wrong when it comes to rewards in heaven.
Listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-20, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.” Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 that we are to give, pray, and fast in secret, because our Father who sees in secret will reward us. We are told that if we give even a cup of cold water to someone to drink, we won’t lose our reward. In 1 Cor. 3:8 Paul says that he who plants and he who waters will each receive their own reward according to their own labor. In Heb. 6:10 the Bible says that “God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.” The Bible is filled with exhortations to live a certain way for the promise of the rewards we will receive in heaven.
Friends, maybe you don’t value heavenly rewards right now, but you will surely value them then! You may not care about them now, but you will truly care about them then! This is exactly what Jesus has been driving at in this sermon up to this point. In 6:20-23 Jesus says we are blessed if we are poor now for the sake of the Son of Man, for we are in the kingdom of God now, and shall be for all eternity. He says we are blessed if we are hungry now, for we shall be satisfied in the future. He says we are blessed if we weep now, for we shall laugh in the future. He says we are blessed if we are mistreated and abused for the sake of the Son of Man, for our reward in heaven is great.
God’s word to you and I is this – “Don’t live for this present world. Live for the world to come!” Don’t live for what you can get out of this life. Live instead for the rewards you will enjoy in the life to come. Live for eternity!
2) We will demonstrate that we are the sons of God.
Jesus goes on to give us the second outcome of living unearthly love. He says, “and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.” Jesus is not saying that if we will just love people in this way, then God will make us His sons and daughters. No! You and I will never be able to love in this way unless we are His sons and daughters. Jesus isn’t saying that we can be saved by loving people. Rather, He’s saying that we will demonstrate that we are God’s children by loving people in this way. When we imitate God, we demonstrate that He is our Father.
Folks, I am very convicted this morning as I speak to you, because I don’t think I represented God very well this past week. I had a new employee that I was trying to train that just wasn’t learning very quickly. Rather than be patient, and kind, and gracious with him, I was frustrated and impatient and irritable. After four days on the job, he quit, giving a long list of reasons. However, in my heart I think he probably quit because I was not being very gracious to him. That’s the downside of not living this unearthly love. We give a skewed picture of God to the people in our lives! This employee knew that I was a pastor. I even told him of the importance of knowing God and reading the Bible. But then I fear I gave an inaccurate picture of the God I love and serve.
James 3:9-10 says, “With our tongues we bless our Lord and Father, and with them we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.”
What about you? Are you an accurate representative of God to others? Do you live this unearthly love and show that you are a son of the Most High? Oh, this is so important! Our lives and our lips need to be saying the same thing.
Life Application
Friends, who is it in your life that functions as your enemy? Who is it that does things to you that you don’t like? How do you normally respond to them? Is it your neighbor that is inconsiderate and obnoxious with their loud parties late into the night keeping you awake? Is it a family member that goes around making your life difficult by making messes you have to pick up? Is it an employee that doesn’t listen and heed your instructions? Is it a boss that doesn’t give you any grace?
When I first read this passage, I thought it didn’t really apply because I couldn’t think of a single enemy. Now, I see it applying all over the place, because I realize that whenever someone does something to me I don’t like, they have become in that moment my enemy.
I dare you to live the kind of love Jesus talks about here! The reason I say that I dare you to do it, is because no one can do it in their own strength. No one! This sermon of Jesus will drive us back to God, our fountain of life and strength. It will send us to our knees in prayer. It will make us dependent on the indwelling Spirit to empower us to live a supernatural kind of love. It will cause us to adore Jesus Christ who actually did live this kind of love.
This week, when you run up against those situations where people are doing things to you that you don’t like, stop and remember Jesus’ words. Instead of retaliating, or avoiding them, seek Him in prayer, and then do good to them. Let’s pray.
______________________________
© The Bridge
Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by The Bridge.
Follow Us!