But to you who are listening, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. . .Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:27-28; 37
For those of us who proclaim to be Christians, we need to contemplate hard on this particular request, or rather, the command from God through the lips of Jesus. Have we heard it so many times that we have become complacent in its implications?
Love your enemies. As Christians, we once viewed God as the enemy; He still saw us as His extremely-loved children who needed reconciliation. Remember, Jesus, washed the feet of Judas, who was in the employment of Satan. Jesus loved Judas.
Do good to those who hate you and bless those who curse you. Jesus did good wherever He went. He healed the blind, made the lame to walk, cured the sick, and fed the hungry. His blessings poured out onto this whole world the day He bled and died, pure love in action.
Pray for those who mistreat you. Remember, our dying Savior prayed for the enemies at His feet who bartered for His clothes. He loved these mistreaters.
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Jesus said, “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.” John 12:47 What? God in the flesh said that if people do not keep His words, He will not judge them? Think about that one for a while.
Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. John 3:17 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” Can we truly believe in a saved world through Christ? Do we believe that God no longer looks at us with condemnation, or is it the other way around?
Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:29, Jesus said, “If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also.” Does that seem like forgiveness to one who is not requesting forgiveness? It sure does to me.
The Psalmist in chapter 139 seems to gloat over the fact that he hates God’s enemies, yet the true enemy is Satan, not mankind. Jesus taught us to love with His words and showed us by His example. Are we truly listening to God? Would His request be any less than what He, Himself did?
Father, forgive us because none of us know what we are doing. Amen
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