Luke 6:27-38
“To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.
“Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.
“I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.
“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.”
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Timothy and I sing this little song from “Jack’s Big Music Show” about being a grump. It says in part…
If you wanna be a grump, that’s okay…
But could you be a grump a little further away?
It’s not that I don’t love you, cause you know I do
Sometimes I’m grumpy, too!
The sad truth is that many of us really don’t love grumps very much… or those who fail to meet our standards in a number of areas. We don’t have time to help someone else because we’re too busy asking “When is it MY turn?” We analyze everything in terms of what’s in it for us? And if somebody offends us? They are “on the list!” My cousin used to talk about some people who had a mental “list” of people who had offended them. As he put it…“Once you’re on ‘the list,’ there is no eraser!” Does this sound like Christian love in action?
I get it… we don’t like everybody. There are people who have irritated us or gotten on our last nerve. There are those we have decided are not in our league. We have been offended… and yes, some of us have truly been treated very badly by others. People do dumb things or make mistakes. It’s true that some simply can’t seem to “get it together.” But we are not their judge and jury. And honestly, if we took a good hard look in the mirror, we might find that there was plenty for others to criticize and pick on about us!
We need to stop playing the “either or” game… “Either you do this for me, or I won’t love you… either you treat me better, or I’m done caring about you… either you kick it up a notch, or I don’t have time for you and your shortcomings.” We need to start loving as Christ taught us… graciously, generously, unconditionally…not merely when people are at their best – but more importantly, when they are at their worst!
If Jesus’ love for us depended on the criteria we outline for others, we would never, ever receive it. If Jesus held us to the same standards to which we hold others, we would not feel His loving presence in our lives even once. If Jesus used the same yardstick with which we quantify others, we would not measure up under any circumstances.
Do you see the disconnect here? Do you get it? Loving others is not always easy or pretty, convenient, fun, or fair. But I can assure you, loving us is none of these things for Jesus much of the time, either! Yet He loves us anyway! How can we call ourselves true disciples of Christ and love with any less grace, mercy and forgiveness than He offers us? How can we label others as grumps, beneath us, or so offensive and repulsive that we cannot bring ourselves to love them… and then expect Jesus to love us?
When will we learn that the love of Christ has nothing to do with what we can gain personally in the “here and now”… and everything to do with what we gain for all eternity? Do you really understand what it means to live – and love – generously? Isn’t it time you did?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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