8/14/2023 0 Comments Verses on loving your enemies![]() ![]() The image of God carries with it the mandate to live in such a way as to mirror and reflect the character of God. This is the full import of the Great Commandment.” I’ll go a step further and say that Jesus’ exposition of the Great Commandment indicated that the Great Commandment itself was only an exposition of the original commandment that God gave when He stamped His image on every human being. The Pharisees twisted and distorted the original significance of the Great Commandment, and what Jesus did in response was simply say: “This is what the Great Commandment entails. They defined “neighbor” as a fellow Jew, so the mandate to love your neighbor as much as you love yourself did not apply to Gentiles or foreigners who were outside the camp. The Great Commandment God gave His people in the Old Testament was this: “You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart and all of your mind and all of your strength, and your neighbor as yourself.” Of course, the Pharisees gave a narrow interpretation regarding what was included in the Great Commandment. Rather, He explained the full intent of the law of God as it was originally given. Jesus didn’t add new content to the Ten Commandments. ![]() He also said that not only the act of adultery but even lustful thoughts in our minds violate the law against adultery. He told the people that the law saying “You shall not kill” carries the implication that you should not even be angry at a person without just cause. When Jesus gave His explanation of the Ten Commandments, His ideas seemed shocking. If we look at it from a different perspective, however, we will see that there was nothing new at all about this teaching from our Lord Jesus. Certainly, those who heard His mandate were shocked by it, and the scribes and Pharisees were utterly hostile to it. The Full Import of the Lawįrom one perspective, this text in Luke 6 stands out as one of the most radical teachings that ever came from the lips of Jesus. We ask for the gentle conviction of the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, to accompany the hearing of these words, that He will take these words and cut between sinew and muscle. O God, if ever we needed Your help to understand a difficult text and apply it to our lives, it is this morning. He speaks these commands by divine authority, and I hope that you will receive them as such. Here we have the heart and soul of the New Testament ethic taught to us by the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.īut if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. ![]() And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. I will be reading Luke 6:27–36:īut I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. We are continuing now with our study of the Gospel of Saint Luke, and we are looking at one of the most difficult passages in the entire gospel. ![]()
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