Luke 6

Looking at His disciples, He said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭20‬-‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus specifically addresses those who are poor, hungry, despairing, and oppressed.  He declares blessings for people who are suffering and in need, as these are the people whose hearts will be open to God and will be desperate to grasp Jesus’ message of salvation.  The opposite is true for people that seek satisfaction from the rewards of this earth.  Those that focus on money, fame and power in this life will not feel they need God, and will subsequently not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  We should all heed Paul’s words in Colossians 3:1-2: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 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. 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. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭27‬-‭36‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Why should I love my enemy?  When we harbor unforgiveness in our hearts towards someone, it can fester and lead to bitterness, resentment and anger.  Most of the time, the person we are upset with does not even know or care that they are not forgiven.  A common trap that we can fall into is praying for the strength to forgive someone, but then we continue to rehash the offense again and again or speak unkind words about the person behind their back.  This is counterproductive and should be avoided.  We need to ask God to help us let it go, and even to bless the person that offended us.  Jesus offered us the perfect example of loving our enemies when He prayed for those who were murdering Him: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).  Loving and forgiving someone who has hurt us is not easy, but is expected of us as followers of Christ: “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:15).  Being able to love those that have wronged us sets us apart from unbelievers.  Our duty as followers of Christ is to allow His amazing love to shine through us into this dark world.  “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples” (John 13:35).