From the Gospel of Luke

Reading the Gospel According to Luke, my attention was captured by Jesus’ words in chapter 6.  I will focus on those verses 27-36 and 37-42 here.

Love your enemies?  This is counter-intuative to say the very least.  Enemies are for defeating!   Right?  I mean, if not what’s the point of them being enemies?  “Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you” just doesn’t seem sensible.  What could you possibly gain with this behavior (lure them into an ambush…?)?  That’s just it.  You cannot really gain anything by behaving this way. You.  Or, if I am being honest, me.  That is what is at the heart of the matter.  Me.  Loving my enemies is not about me.  It does not serve me at all, it serves them.  It serves them a peek at the reality I discovered eleven years ago, by none of my own efforts mind you, that Jesus loved me enough to die in my stead while I was his enemy.  Loving enemies does not serve me, it serves Jesus by communicating that undeserved love shown me in a small, tangible way because Jesus loves them just as much as he loves me.  Not more, not less.  They do not deserve it!  Neither do I.

After that gut check, Jesus quickly follows with a conversation about judging others.  For most of us, judging others is hobby to which we devote significant attention.  Some of us are probably ready to turn pro.  We are not just good at sizing up the shortcomings of anyone and everyone, we love it!  Knowing all this, Jesus uses one of the best examples of hyperbole ever recorded.  Just in case we (ok, me) didn’t grasp his meaning when he said we are “blind leading the blind” he says “Why are you so concerned about a speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye?  You have a plank in your own!”  Hypocrisy.  Jesus used that word a lot, and he was always right.   What was it he said about casting the first stone?  Oh yeah.  Maybe I should go look in the mirror for a bit instead.

This is not about condoning sin, it’s about realizing our (my) own.  Remember: not more, not less.  They don’t deserve it.  Neither do I.