This passage is from a section of the Gospel of Luke often called “The Sermon on the Plain.” This begins at Luke 6:17 and extends to the end of the chapter. There are many similarities to the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. This passage in Luke, in particular, has several parallels to passages in the Gospel of Matthew and a parallel to the Gospel of Mark.

Here is what I mean:

• Luke 6:29, 30 on retaliation has parallels with Matthew 5:38-42;
• Luke 6:27, 28 & 32-35 on loving one’s enemies has parallels with Matthew 5:43-48;
• Luke 6:37, 38, 41, 42 on judging has parallels with Matthew 7:1-5, and Mark 4:24;
• Luke 6:31 on “the golden rule” parallels Matthew 7:12.

Jesus teaching on loving enemies, taking no retaliation, and forgiving others is especially emphatic in his teaching. All world religions can claim to teach the mandate to love others. And, I suppose, they can claim to teach love for enemies — at least by implication (e.g., the torah teaches me to love my neighbor —> my enemy is a neighbor —> ergo, I should love my enemy). Nonetheless, Jesus makes this a prominent part of his teaching in a way that others did not.

So, we can say: if you’re not at least working on loving your enemies, and forgiving others, you cannot lay claim to being a follower of Jesus Christ. Jesus taught his disciples to pray a prayer that said: “And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.” (Luke 11:4 NRSV). And, according to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus goes so far as to say: “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14, 15 NRSV).

This is not optional. But, it is hard. In cases where we have been deeply hurt emotionally, forgiveness is difficult — because the memory of what was done and said remains. As we remember, anger re-ignites. In moments like that we wonder: is forgiveness even possible?

Yes. Forgiveness is possible, but it is not easy. Loving enemies is possible — it begins when we choose to pray for the well-being of our enemies. Forgiveness begins with our determination to let go of our pain. Forgiveness is possible through prayer. Forgiveness is possible through close spiritual relationships, where we share our struggles and pray for one another.

Much of the Christian faith is aspirational. It is calling us to something higher and better. We cannot truly understand the Church or the faith until we see this. Jack Nicholson’s memorable compliment to Helen Hunt in the movie As Good as It Gets (1997) was: “You make me want to be a better man.” Faith, if it’s genuine, has this effect. Love for God — I mean, the God who embodies both love and justice — has this effect. It awakens a desire within us — to be a better person: more loving, more kind, more fully free from our obsessions and addictions. We are not just who we are. We are also who we aim to be — who we are becoming.

So, understanding the Church or the Christian faith empirically misses its most important characteristic: it is always aiming to be something better. It aims to be more than what it is. It is no easy thing to overcome the natural selfishness of human nature. It doesn’t happen in a day. It is no easy thing to embody a Kingdom of love and faith and hope — that values each and every human being, and seeks to lift them up. People of faith are continually being awakened to who we are and can be in the mind of God — so much more than we have ever been before.

The Church can be studied sociologically — and it should be. But, it bears possibilities beyond itself, because it is actively seeking the will of God and opening itself again and again to the Word of God. Grace allows for new and unexpected possibilities. Boring, dull, routine worship may someday awaken. Hard, selfish souls may someday turn outward. You never know. Someone may awaken to a vision of a way they can serve their community in the name of Christ. Churches that have spent so much time judging their neighborhood may someday learn to love their neighbors. Grace allows for new possibilities. The Word may still awaken us.

So, if you can’t find it in your heart to forgive today, pray that you can tomorrow. We are on a journey toward freedom and hope. When the sting of betrayal has lessened, we find that out enemy is just another human being after all.

Luke 27-30
Ἀλλ’ ὑμῖν λέγω τοῖς ἀκούουσιν· ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν, καλῶς ποιεῖτε τοῖς μισοῦσιν ὑμᾶς, εὐλογεῖτε τοὺς καταρωμένους ὑμᾶς, προσεύχεσθε περὶ τῶν ἐπηρεαζόντων ὑμᾶς. τῷ τύπτοντί σε ἐπὶ τὴν σιαγόνα πάρεχε καὶ τὴν ἄλλην, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἴροντός σου τὸ ἱμάτιον καὶ τὸν χιτῶνα μὴ κωλύσῃς. Παντὶ αἰτοῦντί σε δίδου, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἴροντος τὰ σὰ μὴ ἀπαίτει.

“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (NRSV.)

Here is a piece of basic spiritual advice from Jesus: “pray for those who abuse you.” People will abuse you — it may not even have anything much to do with you. (You were just there.) So, recognize the humanity of your enemy. Like you, your enemy is a selfish short-sighted being who was created to be so much more — and can be. So, pray for them.

Jesus calls us to go beyond that: “do good to those who hate you..”; “bless those who curse you….” Use your imagination. Find some way to do a good deed or say an encouraging word to your enemy. You may want to do something anonymously. Obviously, you don’t want to cultivate their company.

Suffering abuse is the common lot of the human race. It is something that happens to us. It is not a moral fault. But, responding to it with retaliation is a moral fault. It perpetuates the cycle of vengeance and abuse. Vengeance is the theme of many of out popular movies. But, vengeance begets more hurt, which begets more retaliation. In this respect, Jesus’ teaching is similar to the Stoic ethic of Marcus Aurelius (121-180) who once said, “The best revenge is not to be like your enemy.” Jesus recommends suffering the abuses of life without complaint. Jesus recommends giving when you can.

The follower of Jesus says: the cycle of abuse and vengeance has to stop somewhere: I determine that it will stop with me — now. This is not easy. It never becomes easy. If we recognize that God loves all people, it must stop somewhere.

And, the underlying principle is appended: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” The practice of this “Golden Rule” forces us to recognize the humanity of those who use and abuse us.

Luke 6:32-36
καὶ εἰ ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας ὑμᾶς, ποία ὑμῖν χάρις ἐστίν; καὶ γὰρ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας αὐτοὺς ἀγαπῶσιν. καὶ [γὰρ] ἐὰν ἀγαθοποιῆτε τοὺς ἀγαθοποιοῦντας ὑμᾶς, ποία ὑμῖν χάρις ἐστίν; καὶ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ποιοῦσιν. καὶ ἐὰν δανίσητε παρ’ ὧν ἐλπίζετε λαβεῖν, ποία ὑμῖν χάρις [ἐστίν]; καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἁμαρτωλοῖς δανίζουσιν ἵνα ἀπολάβωσιν τὰ ἴσα. πλὴν ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν καὶ ἀγαθοποιεῖτε καὶ δανίζετε μηδὲν ἀπελπίζοντες· καὶ ἔσται ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολύς, καὶ ἔσεσθε υἱοὶ ὑψίστου, ὅτι αὐτὸς χρηστός ἐστιν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀχαρίστους καὶ πονηρούς. Γίνεσθε οἰκτίρμονες καθὼς [καὶ] ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν οἰκτίρμων ἐστίν.

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.a Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (NRSV.)

God’s love rains down on all people. So, as followers of Jesus Christ we are learning to love all people. God is merciful: so we are to be merciful too.

People love those who love them — who wouldn’t? But, to extend our love to our enemies is to learn to love as God loves. Every person is created as the object of God’s love and care. We reflect the character of the God we follow. The ancient challenge to Israel was: “‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2.) Here Jesus restates that as: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Luke 6:37, 38
Καὶ μὴ κρίνετε, καὶ οὐ μὴ κριθῆτε· καὶ μὴ καταδικάζετε, καὶ οὐ μὴ καταδικασθῆτε. ἀπολύετε, καὶ ἀπολυθήσεσθε· δίδοτε, καὶ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν· μέτρον καλὸν πεπιεσμένον σεσαλευμένον ὑπερεκχυννόμενον δώσουσιν εἰς τὸν κόλπον ὑμῶν· ᾧ γὰρ μέτρῳ μετρεῖτε ἀντιμετρηθήσεται ὑμῖν.

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” (NRSV.)

Jesus says that what we give is what we get. Judging others brings judgement on ourselves. Condemnation brings condemnation. Forgiveness brings forgiveness. Giving begets abundance.

We cannot claim to be followers of Jesus Christ if we are not following in the way that he has taught. Jesus insisted on the principles of loving enemies, taking no retaliation, and forgiving others.

A FREE GIFT TO PREACHERS: Here is a PPTX file for a sermon based on this passage (it also contains a reference to Genesis 45:3-11, 15). You can use this, edit this, change this however you wish — it is free for you to use (or not). Click this link: On Loving Enemies.