Responding to Foul Play

Luke 6:27-36
27But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you. 32"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34And 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. 35But 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 sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

So far in this great speech Jesus has been motivating his followers by outlining why following him matters so much. He is God’s King and as such following him by faith means that we’re on his team and so in the kingdom of God.

The difference being on Jesus’ team makes
Now Jesus turns to tell those on his team how to play. It’s really important that we notice that these instructions come after he’s told his followers that they are already blessed and in the kingdom of God (verse 20). It’s inherent to human nature that we want to be blessed or accepted on the basis of what we do, but those who follow Jesus are blessed not because of what they do but because of what Jesus has done in his life, death and resurrection. Jesus intends us to be radically transformed, and this can only happen when by his Spirit he takes control of our lives and starts to change us; we’re tempted to think that if we live rightly then we’ll get in his kingdom, but the reality is that it’s only if we’re in his kingdom that we’re able to live rightly.

Responding to foul play
How hard is it not to retaliate to foul play? How much harder is it to actively love that person? Everything in you that wants justice wants to get them back, to put a dig in off the ball or hold a grudge against them. But Jesus tells those on his team to love your enemy, and do good to those who curse you (verse 28). His instructions about turning the other cheek and giving to the one who steels from you, are not so much literal commands but powerful illustrations of this principle (though Jesus himself did turn the other cheek when he was struck). It’s a radically different way of playing to those that aren’t on his team, where foul play often just breeds foul play and one dig is returned by another. Instead it will look like shaking the hand of the guy who’s been kicking you all game – even if he doesn’t apologise, or not slagging off the girl who’s cheated – even when you know she didn’t deserve to win.

Power to change
This is a hard standard to keep up to, because as Jesus explains in verses 32 to 34 it goes against every inclination that we have to do good to those who do us good, and dismiss those that do us wrong. However, like any great coach he also shows the method of change; verse 35 explains that it’s keeping our perspective on God’s mercy in being kind to us – even when we were ungrateful and evil. If God hasn’t retaliated against us and our wrongdoing how can we seek retaliation against others? And if he is merciful to us even though we wronged Him then shouldn’t we also be merciful to those that wrong us?

So this week ask God to change you and as you think over what he’s done for you love your enemies – remembering that great is your reward in heaven.