32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:32-36, New International Version)
Theme: Rejoicing and Thanksgiving
Context:
Yesterday we discussed why it is appropriate for Christians to rejoice and give thanks for the opportunity to serve. We had great comments on the topic. Thanks to all who contributed. One of our commentators pointed out that serving people can be very difficult at times, and we will consider that reality today.
To paraphrase a theologian named Ken Bailey, “Many Christians are excited about serving people until they have to interact with those they serve.” Serving people who have different value systems, or who have qualities we don’t like is unlikely to spark rejoicing and thanksgiving. However, Christians are called to a very high standard.
Bible Passages:
In our Bible passage today, Jesus articulates a standard for service that is quite high.
Please study the passage and consider the question below.
Question:
In the Scripture passage above, what does Jesus say that should encourage believers to serve with rejoicing and thanksgiving even when those being served are “enemies”?
Please leave a comment. We would love to hear from you.