This Sunday as we continue to look at Jesus’ teaching as recorded in Luke chapter six, Jesus continues to teach about what it is like to be a disciple of Jesus.
This week we have another example on how the kingdom of heaven is so different than the kingdom of the world. Jesus continues to challenge conventional wisdom because of His teaching on love. Jesus teaching on love is consistent with Old Testament teaching on love; to love God and our neighbor. Jesus introduces radical models of love, namely loving each other as He has loved us, and the command to love our enemies. In our portion of scripture for this week in Luke 6:27-36
Luke 6:27-36 Common English Bible
27 “But I say to you who are willing to hear: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on the cheek, offer the other one as well. If someone takes your coat, don’t withhold your shirt either. 30 Give to everyone who asks and don’t demand your things back from those who take them. 31 Treat people in the same way that you want them to treat you.
32 “If you love those who love you, why should you be commended? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, why should you be commended? Even sinners do that. 34 If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, why should you be commended? Even sinners lend to sinners expecting to be paid back in full. 35 Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend expecting nothing in return. If you do, you will have a great reward. You will be acting the way children of the Most High act, for he is kind to ungrateful and wicked people. 36 Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate.
Jesus outlines His love ethic for the disciples, a teaching that will be practiced and repeated throughout the rest of the NT.
Jesus has already overturned the prevalent teaching on the type of person who is blessed by God and now He has a new teaching on love that goes beyond anything that the world has seen or heard.
As I sit with this scripture, I got to thinking about all the verses about love in the Bible. Do you have any favorite verses that speak about love?
In old school David Letterman style, I thought I would share with you my top 10 verses on love in the Bible…
10. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. (Deuteronomy 6:5)
9. Love your neighbor as yourself. (Leviticus 19:18)
8. Maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)
7. God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. (Romans 5:5)
6. God is love. (1 John 4:8b)
5. Love one another. Just as I have loved you (Jesus said), you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35)
4. Faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)
3. “But I say to you who are willing to hear: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. (Luke 6:27)
2. This is how we know love: Jesus laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. (1 John 3:16)
1. He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
Did I exclude any of your favorite verses on love?
The word love is mentioned over 700 times in the Bible.
Let’s talk about it on Sunday.
~ Pastor Dustin
