Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of our Sunday School preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “Love Your Enemies” and is found in Luke 6:27-36.
The most fundamental and core tenets of Christianity are love, mercy, forgiveness, hope and faith. The Apostle Paul already confirmed this when he wrote that faith, hope and love abide or remain and that love was the greatest of these.
Out of love comes these other great tenets of mercy and forgiveness. Forgiveness, which is not to hold someone’s wrong against them, is what God gives to all believers who receive salvation. Mercy, which is the relief from suffering, is also what God gives to all He has forgiven. It is therefore no surprise that these things, forgiveness and mercy, is required of those who hope to receive it.
Jesus makes these points in the words of the lesson text. The words are not to be taken literally, but are used for the impact they are meant to convey. “Turn the other cheek”, “Let them have your coat as well”, “Give to everyone who ask”, “Look for nothing in return” are all meant to drive home the point of being forgiving and merciful.
As the children of God, we are called to demonstrate a higher level of behavior that is intended to teach other the virtues of divine compassion. Our carnal and fleshly nature will lead us to be intolerant, unforgiving, unmerciful and spiteful toward others and especially toward anyone we feel has mistreated us in some matter.
Jesus is teaching us to deny these carnal feelings and instincts and replace them with the divine attributes of forgiveness and mercy which are both derived from love. He teaches us that we are no different from every other person when we only act in our own self-interest and only do things for others when we see something to be gained by doing so.
Be kind or merciful to others because we can and not seeking anything in return. Do it even if the other person is unkind or evil toward you. This is the impact or meaning of Jesus words. Forgive others even if they will not forgive you. Help others even if they will not help you.
When we begin to behave in this matter, we are behaving other worldly. We are no longer acting like the people of this world, but are behaving like people who belong to a different world. This is because of the transforming power of agape or divine love.
Jesus ends this part of His teaching by saying those who behave in this manner are behaving like God Himself. The God who didn’t deal with us according to the way we dealt with Him and others. But the God who saw beyond who we were to see who we could become. So He demonstrated what He wanted to instill in that part of humanity He wanted to save for Himself and become like Him.
So to love one’s enemies, to forgive them, to bless or help them is totally contradictory to human nature. Instead of behaving like human animals who are driven and controlled by human appetites and passions, Jesus calls on His followers to be driven and controlled by the tenets of love, mercy and forgiveness. In doing so, they show they have transcended their natural inclinations and become something more akin to the God that made them.
Well, I hope you will be able to attend SS this coming Sunday, invite someone to come and share your thoughts with the class. Sunday School at Flag Branch will begin at 9:00 am and you are invited to join us at www.fbmbc.org and clicking the online services link. I am available to answer your questions before I give the lesson highlights. If you have any comments or questions before then, be sure to place them in the comment section of this preview and I will get back to you. So, as always remember to fear God and keep His commandments.
Pastor Jordan
