Be Like Your Teacher

Introduction

Familiar scripture must be read more carefully. Our text this morning is an often misunderstood text. It has often been taken out of its context and made to say something that it isn’t saying at all. Let’s make sure that we are all on the same page at least when we pick up our Bibles. You do realize that the division headings and even the divisions are man made? You do realize that when Jesus spoke, he didn’t dictate the words into paragraphs? You do realize that when Luke wrote, he didn’t write thinking in terms of 1998 and how it will be divided in the NIV? What begins in Luke 6:17-49 is one long text. People divide it to make it easier to read. Dwight and I divide it into manageable parts in order to keep our sermons to an acceptable length, but the passage is not divided.

Luke intended for his readers to read this section straight through. There were to be no breaks or divisions. He is recording one of Jesus’s sermons and the sermon is to give a flavor for what followers of Jesus will be like in demeanor and disposition. In 20-26, this is point one of the sermon. Verse 27 is transitional by the words used. This section is from 27-49. There is no break. The main point is this: “Love your enemies.” That point is going to be fleshed out in several different ways. The words that Jesus has to say about loving enemies is not only new, but goes against the grain of every person hearing this message. Jesus is presenting a radically different view about our attitudes toward those who are our enemies. That point does not change at verse 37.

Today’s lesson is a Bible Study with application. We are going to get into the meat of the text so that we can better appreciate what Jesus is trying to say. Keep your Bibles open and let’s study together what God wants us to know from this text.

What Did Jesus Mean?

When we read 37 and 38 separate from what precedes or follows it, the verses seem to be rather straightforward. But if we read what precedes and what follows then we discover a fuller understanding. Jesus has been discussing the need to love our enemies. He begins the thought in verse 27 and restates it in verse 35. He follows the statement of the need to love with the statement in verse 36 that his followers will be merciful just as God is merciful. The point must not been missed. Brad did a good job of making the point last week. We have all been enemies against God and he did not fail to demonstrate his mercy toward us. As he has been merciful to us let us be merciful to our enemies. But don’t take a breath and expect a new thought. Jesus is continuing this same thought by now explaining what mercy looks like.

God’s followers are to act in certain ways toward others and God will behave in similar ways toward his people. But as verse 38 demonstrates, he will act in far more generous ways than we could ever act. Just as God does not predetermine who will or will not be the recipients of his kindness, so Jesus’s followers must not “judge” others. Jesus means in this statement that we must not predetermine who might be the recipients of God’s grace. This is the command to love one’s enemies stated in the negative.

Sometimes people will use this statement when they see sin in a person’s life and say “well we mustn’t judge them” meaning we must not say anything about the moral and ethical sin in their life. This is not what Jesus is saying. This has nothing to do with making a moral discernment about sin. Instead, what Jesus is saying is that we must not look at another and say “that person will never turn to God; therefore, I don’t have to treat them any better.” How do I know that? Luke is a master at giving clues.

Four imperatives are given in verses 37 and 38. Judge, condemn, forgive, and give. The first two are parallels and the last two are parallels. The idea of judge and condemn are to be seen as the same thing; the same view with forgive and give. Here’s the clue. The word “forgive” is not the same word as used for instance in Matthew 18:21 meaning “to forgive sin.” The word that Luke uses while not the same word is a cousin to the word that he uses in Luke 4:18 in which Jesus quoting Isaiah 61 says that he has come to “release” the oppressed. That is what this word “forgive” means. It means to “release from obligation.” Followed with the word “give” it carries the meaning to “give without expecting anything in return.” This is a restatement of what Jesus said in verse 30.

The point that Jesus is making is this: “If you look at your enemies with disgust and disdain; if you refuse to give your enemies some slack, God will deal with you in the same way.” Jesus is not saying that we can’t judge or make a discernment about a person’s sin. Quite the contrary. He is talking about the attitude and disposition of his people. God’s people give those who do not know God the benefit of the doubt. Just a quick side note. When verse 38 is used to describe giving money, we miss the point. The description is of having a spirit of compassion for an enemy. The parallel is made with one who measures out grain in a business transaction. The parallel is monetary; the point is not.

So What About the Rest of the Passage?

Verses 39-49 actually fleshes out the rest of what Jesus is saying. Since Dwight is to preach from the last part of this chapter next week, then I do not want to take from him, so I will only go through verse 45. Verse 39, if we have no mercy toward our enemy, then we are blind without love. We will lead our enemy away from God. So we need to be like Jesus. Verses 41-42, we need to make sure that our disposition is right before we try to correct someone. If in correcting someone we become haughty and arrogant, then we need to make some changes in our attitude before we correct another.

Verses 43-45, we can look at a person’s actions and listen to a person’s words and know what they are about. A person’s actions and words betray the inner person. A person who does evil but proclaims good is evil. Goodness is not a part of their life. The person who does good but speaks evil is evil. There is a consistency of life for the one who does and speaks good. Verses 39-45 deal with the disposition and attitude of the believer. We are to love our enemies. We are not to prejudge our enemies believing that they could never come near to God. We are instead to release them from our predetermined ideas and to give without expectation of return. We are to make sure our own disposition and attitude is one of humility. For our true attitude is seen in the way we speak and act.

Two points. First, loving our enemies means that we confront them. Jesus often confronted his enemies. He called them to think in different ways and to change their actions. His confrontation was often direct and in our times would be seen as uncompassionate. When we read Matthew 23 we recognize that the nature of confrontation is to leave no doubt about what God’s will is. None of us would accuse Jesus of being judgmental or lacking compassion. Instead we recognize that real compassion demands that a person change because such change will bring them closer to God. It would instead be uncompassionate to ignore sin and act as if nothing is to be done about it.

Second, loving our enemies means we don’t give up on them. When we look at those who are clearly opposed to the will of Jesus; when we see those who are not followers of Christ and have made no profession of faith, then we must not give up on them. God didn’t give up on us and we mustn’t give up on them. Some of you have children who have not turned toward God. Don’t give up on them. While you have to allow them to suffer the consequences of their sin, and compassion demands confrontation being sure that your attitude is one of humility, don’t give up on them. You may have a spouse that is not near to God. Don’t give up on them. A co-worker who takes God’s name in vain. Don’t give up on them. Perhaps an event will occur which will open the door. Perhaps your co-worker will see your joy. Don’t give up on them. Don’t believe that they can never come to know the Lord.

Jesus came to release the oppressed. He came to release all from their sin. He came to give each of us an opportunity to change our allegiance. We can become God’s followers. God has been merciful to us. No longer are we enemies but children. If you have not accepted Jesus as your Savior expressing that faith in baptism then you are not God’s child. Change your allegiance. Change sides. Accept God’s good and wonderful gift of salvation.

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