June 20
“But 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.”
Luke 6:28
“I say to you who HEAR…”
Not everyone who reads this “hears.” Multitudes have read these words, thought them nice, and walked away unchanged. He is not speaking to them, he is speaking for those “who hear,” those who take these words to heart and live them.
vs 33:
“And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
For even sinners do the same.”
Believers don’t play by the rules of the world. Believers are called to be DIFFERENT from the world. If you do the “nice” things everyone else does, you are living as the world does; they do nice things for those they love too.
Believers are called to do good “TO THOSE WHO HATE YOU.”
vs 35:
“But love your enemies, do good,
and lend, hoping for nothing in return,
and your reward will be great…”
Just as the Lord is kind to the unthankful and to those who are evil, so we are called to the higher life, to imitate HIM – to be kind to the unthankful and to the evil ones. Imitate HIM, not the world.
If your heart is not able to live according to these words, then at least you recognize that. That’s the starting point. From there, ASK that your heart be made new. ASK God to fill you with HIS love and mercy. And keep PRAYING to be made like Him until you can live out all these Words that he has put before us. Only HE can produce this in us.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew A RIGHT SPIRIT within me.”
Psalm 51:10
