The word ‘Cat’ to my dog Sandy is not a word she wants to hear. It evokes an instant response of revulsion and loathing. ‘Grrr. Let me at it.’ Occasionally we’ll be quietly watching television, snoozing away, and a commercial will come on with a cat noise in it. Instant pandemonium. Vroom. The dog’s heading for the door. The mere sound of a ‘meow’ is enough to arouse intense hostility.
I know some of you are cat lovers. I can assure you that I don’t share my dogs prejudice against the feline species. I promise that if I see one of your cats I will not try and bite it’s tail or chase it up a tree. It’s not my nature to dislike cats. But it is in a dog’s nature.
Late one summer evening in Broken Bow, Nebraska, a weary truck driver pulled his rig into an all-night truck stop. The waitress had just served him when three tough looking, leather jacketed motorcyclists - of the Hell’s Angels type - decided to give him a hard time. Not only did they verbally abuse him, one grabbed the hamburger off his plate, another took a handful of his French fries, and the third picked up his coffee and began to drink it. How would you respond? Well, this trucker did not respond as one might expect. Instead, he calmly rose, picked up his check, walked to the front of the room, put the check and his money on the cash register, and went out the door. The waitress followed him to put the money in the till and stood watching out the door as the big truck drove away into the night.
When she returned, one of the bikers said to her, "Well, he’s not much of a man, is he?" She replied, "I don’t know about that, but he sure ain’t much of a truck driver. He just ran over three motorcycles on his way out of the parking lot."
Discussion:
It’s easy to hate those who hate you. I would say in our world – if you play by the standards of this world – it’s almost needed. You scratch my back I scratch yours. You do something for me – I do something for you. It’s safety that drives us to play within that comfort zone. It’s safety that causes to us to create in our minds groups of people – “These people don’t like me, so I don’t like them” “These people love me, so I love them.” If that’s how you live your life – you will never give of yourself, you will never grow, and you can’t follow Jesus. “The Love of God calls us to be who God is to the world.”
If you have your Bibles this morning turn with me to Luke 6:27-36 (read)
Jesus has a desire to bring those who are far from God – close to God. He has that same desire for us this morning. He wants us to build what he would call a community – meaning people who are moving forward in their walk with Him, people who are bringing others in, recognizing those who aren’t dedicated, bringing them in and growing together. Jesus had that desire when he walked this earth, and has that desire now for us, his people to take his light and shine it in our world.
As He was speaking to his disciples – so he speaks to us this morning. He gives us three ways to show the world who God is.
I. Love Your Enemies (27-31)
When we love we show the world who Jesus is not only to us, but who he is to those who don’t know him.
a. Go After – Love
I remember playing a trick on my brother in the middle of an Oklahoma summer. He was coming out of the house, and I had the water hose – ready to soak him. Sure enough he came out of the house and I turned the water hose on full blast. He was all wet, and mad. I did have something on my side – I could run fast and I did. We ran all over that farm.
Love means that we are actively engaged with our enemies. Notice he doesn’t use the word “like”, or “tolerate” – He commands us to love. The behavior called for by Jesus is not so much a set of conditions as it is a set of directions for discipleship. 8 different commands in groups of 2.
i. Do good to those who hate you
ii. Bless those who curse you
Proverbs 25:21 – If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
It’s one thing to get along because you have to. It’s one thing to share something, because you are given no other choice. And if you are sharing or getting along simply because you are required to – you miss the point. These actions should be from the heart and not just in an exterior manner.
Are you doing this in your daily life? Are there people you need to apologize to, and actually mean it? Are you blessing those who curse you? Are you doing good to those who hate you? Are you offering food or drink to those in need?
iii. Pray for those who mistreat you
iv. Turn the other cheek
As a Christian – as a person who made the commitment to follow Jesus Christ and make him Lord – You have given up your sinful nature.
Romans 8:8 – Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
Several verses later in the same chapter Paul says this:
Romans 8:13 – For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,
Church, I want to live. I want more than anything to put to death the misdeeds of the body and live. These instructions from Jesus – they aren’t easy – they are necessary, and they aren’t impossible either. Is it easy to pray for those who mistreat you? NO! Is it easy to turn the other cheek when you are insulted? NO! But it’s not impossible, and it is necessary.
God gave us instructions towards our enemies in the Old Testament.
Exodus 23:4-5 – "If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with it.
Jesus also wasn’t the last who gave us instructions about our enemies. A Stoic philosopher wrote this: “He needs to be flogged like an ass (a donkey), and while he is being flogged he must love the men who flog him, as though he were the father and brother of them all.”
One commentary says, “What we have is a description of an enemy not a criminal: the mistreatment is religious persecution.”
To these Jesus adds:
v. If someone takes your cloak….
vi. Give to everyone who asks…
The danger in this – in letting someone take from you, and giving to those who ask – church, the danger is allowing yourself to get hurt. But, God over and over in scripture calls us to cling to him, not our possessions. God calls us to trust in him, as sovereign, all powerful Lord, as the one who is able to meet our needs, and give us the desires of our hearts, and even renew those desires. If someone wants my outer coat – I give him my hat as well. If someone asks something from me, and they don’t deserve whatever it is – Jesus says – give anyway.
The asking is not the request of a beggar, but rather the request is made by one who has the upper hand. When taken advantage of the Christian is to treat the requests made to him as though they were springing from genuine need, and the goods taken from him as though they had all along been the property of the one who abuses him.
The thing about the kingdom of God – you don’t gain by keeping. Someone said that Luke has a theme which is: “those who look for a blessing in this life, shouldn’t bother looking for one in the next life.”
vii. If someone takes what belongs to you…..
viii. Do to others as you would have them…
Listen – the heart of what Jesus says here – is found in the “golden rule”. Doing to others as you would want them to do for you. This is not a pat my back and I’ll pat yours….I did something nice for you and you have to do something nice for me. This is I will treat you like I would want you to treat me – regardless, LISTEN – regardless of how you treat me. The Christian says: Regardless of the times you ask for things I can’t give, regardless of the times you take advantage, regardless of the heartaches or headaches you cause – I will treat you like I want you to treat me.
Hard teachings of Jesus – Absolutely – are they impossible? NO. Because in the Christian the sinful nature has been put to death, and we are alive with Christ. Paul says, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Let me suggest, included in the “all things” are these teachings of Jesus. Understand this – this is NOT about you being a super Christian. This is not about pretending insults don’t hurt, because they do. This is you giving yourself to Christ, knowing that he will protect you, and knowing that your strength is found only in him. Remember God doesn’t set us up for failure and loss – he’s your biggest cheerleader. He is your best Coach.
If we are going to show who God is to the world – we’ve only just begun. Love is just the first part of this, and it’s not easy because our love is focused on those we don’t like. Jesus says that we have to:
II. Go Through the Trenches (32-34)
Jesus asks a series of questions – listen closely.
a. If you love those who love you
i. What credit is it to you?
How does that make you stand out in the world? If you are called to love people why love only those who love you back? Why is that a good thing? The question that Jesus is really asking – “Why do you even bother?” That’s not worthy of any credit in the kingdom. The way you get to the crown of life is through the cross that you must bear. You can’t cheat your way forward, and you shouldn’t try.
Notice the second of three questions:
b. If you do good to those who are good to you
i. What credit is it to you?
Why must you carry on with only external love – love based on what you get. How does that make you stand out in the world? You aren’t living out your Christianity, you aren’t being Christ like – Jesus says – “Even sinners do that”. DUH! I don’t know what the Greek word for DUH would be – but – He would use it there. This call to love, this call to do good to others – is a call to get beyond yourself, and be who you are in Christ.
The third of the three questions
c. If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment
i. What credit is that to you?
How is that risking anything for the kingdom of God? How is that a good use of your God-given resources? At what point does lending to those who are worthy make you grow as a Christian? DUH – that word would appear again – even sinners lend to sinners expecting payment in full. Listen, when you are doing as the world would do – you aren’t standing out. God’s love for us – calls us to be who God is to the world. You gain nothing by hanging on to it.
Matthew 6:19-21 – "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Your reward, is NOT in this world – Your treasure is NOT in this world – your treasure is in heaven. In the kingdom life – you gain nothing by keeping, you don’t advance when you stock pile – you only clutter your life.
Jesus asked some questions – are you lending only to those who can give you something back? Are you loving only those love you back? Are you doing good only to those who can do good back to you? Now’s the time to make a decision in our minds, and change our actions. 99.9 percent of the time – I would say – “Don’t test God.” Biblically, you aren’t suppose to. What would happen if you were standing in line at a restaurant and you paid for the person’s food in line after you? What would happen if you sent a card of thanks to someone this week who needs encouragement? What would happen if you compliment the waitress at lunch regardless of the service she provides? All I am doing is applying the words of Jesus to our lives. God stands behind his Word. He wouldn’t tell you to do something unless it would help you become more like him. Trust that if God tells you to do something – it’s for your good. If we are going to show who God is to the world – the first step is trusting that he’s able to accomplish his will in our lives. He tells you to give, you give, He tells you to GO – You GO.
The third way to show who God is to the world:
III. Be Full of Mercy (35-36)
We have to love – we must go through the trenches – those are good – but they are incomplete.
Jesus repeats himself to make sure they have it down and then says this in the last part of verse 35 –
Luke 6:35b – Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
a. God did it first
i. His desire for you – he accomplished first.
It’s just a mere suggestion, something that you can add to the collection of good things you should do if he hadn’t done it first. Because he did it first – it’s a command. God almighty desires this from your life.
b. We fit in
i. We are the ungrateful
ii. We are the wicked
This is you! This is me – as much as I don’t want to confess it – it’s us. We were the ones who took without asking – we are the ones who didn’t love back – Church, we are the ones who only did good to those who would do good back to us.
c. God reacted
i. He came and saw us in our ditch of sin.
ii. He came and gave us hope
We are so unworthy to be call his children. We are unworthy to be called Sons of God. And yet – that’s the point. You can’t be worthy enough by your own efforts – you can’t be good enough by your own standards. God didn’t wait for us to be able to repay him before he gave us the gift of love.
Jesus closes this section – he says – “Be merciful, just as your heavenly father is merciful.” – Has God demonstrated mercy in your life – be that to other people – has God shown you His love – be that to other people. Has God taken your hand and given you comfort – be that to other people. All around us the world is dying – spiritually the conscience of America is weak at best. We have fallen short, on our best day.
How will the world know who God is – unless you show them? How will the world know that someone took their place, unless you tell them? How will those you work with and live with and play with know that Jesus Christ loves them enough to stand in their place unless you show them who God is.
Conclusion:
Let me just get real for a second – without Christ in your life – daily your witness is worthless. Some of us – need to get this inside straight before we start straightening up the world. Are you straight this morning? Are you daily walking closer to Christ? Are you daily seeking his plan for you life? Are you trusting his will?
Either you are, or you are not. You can be ½ way on many things in life – God doesn’t know a ½ way Christian.
