11/28/11 SON’S OF THE MOST HIGH
11/28/11 SON’S OF THE MOST HIGH
Luke 6:27-36 Monday, November 28, 2011
Key Verse: 6:35-36 Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF
“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
Dear Lord heavenly Father, thank you for your love and your grace in sending Jesus to suffer and die on the cross for my sins. You are so holy and righteous and yet you are forgiving and merciful. You are a God who does not treat us as our sins deserve. Thank you Lord. Please quiet our hearts and help us to find peace and joy in your word and your love. I pray that you plant your word in my heart today. Help me to practice it. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!
1. Love your enemies (27-31).
Verses 27-31 read, “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
Jesus does not require us to be doormats, or to take revenge or become bitter; rather, he wants us to be spiritual and Christ-like. We must depend on God and find ways to love enemies – sinners who need God’s help. Sometimes those close to us become enemies with their uncaring attitudes, pride, and even abuse. It is the time to be molded into Jesus’ character. We can show respect and treat them as we want to be treated and be clear with the truth.
I have my enemies in my life. But I need to forgive them and pray for them and care about them in a Christ-like manner. It is not easy for me to draw near to enemies, but I must draw near with compassion and grace and extend the forgiveness and love of Jesus to them and pray for reconciliation.
It is not easy to love those who behave like enemies. We just want to be quiet and take all the abuse and wait until it all stops or pray that that person may move away. But that is not Jesus’ way. We must pray and love and serve very positively as much as the other party is willing to accept.
2. Be merciful (32-36).
Verses 32-36 read, “ If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
We can be like everyone else and love and be friends with those we like and who are nice to us. But we are called to be like Jesus – to be sons of the Most High. Like Jesus, we must be kind to the ungrateful and wicked, and merciful as the Father is merciful. We should remember God’s mercy. We lived as his enemies and despised him and his gospel. He did not crush us, but loved us with patience. He opened our hearts. He still shows us mercy through Christ’s forgiveness. Our enemies need the love of God, prayer, and kindness from us. God will reward us in this world and with unspeakable glory in the next.
I know that even non Christians love those who love them. They may even practice this kind of love in greater intensity than non-believers. We need to practice true Christian love. We need to practice an unfailing love…an unconditional love. I need to love students that give nothing back in return. I need to love those who criticize my life’s work with out even know who I am or what I stand for. I must love those who vehemently hate me. It is possible for me to love like this because this is how Jesus loved me. I was an enemy of God. I influenced people away from God and towards a life of sin. I ignored God in my quest to live a sinful life. I took the life God gave me and dragged it through the mud. But still Jesus kept me by his side. He is my friend, Lord and Savior. He helped to raise me up to be a servant of God. Praise the Lord. I want to practice this same love with those around me.
Prayer: Lord, you loved me when I was your worst enemy. Please teach me to love my enemies by remembering the mercy of God.
One Word: Be merciful as the Father is merciful
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