February 18 sermon Do to others

February 18 sermon Do to others
Psalm 37: 1-11, 39-40
Luke 6: 27-38

Do you ever think Jesus was crazy? You read this passage, which was part of the sermon on the plain, and you think “who can live up to this?” Last week we began talking about this sermon with the blessings and the woes. Remember the “blessed are you who are poor, hungry, thirsty, when men hate you, etc, etc. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, because they did the same to the false prophets.

After telling the disciples all that, then he starts in on loving your enemies. According to my dictionary, an enemy is someone who feels hatred for, fosters harmful designs against, or engages in antagonistic activities against another. I think that’s a pretty good definition.

Jesus says in Luke to “love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” If I reference the definition of what an enemy is, I think I like Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount better. He says to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

He leaves out the “do good to them and bless them” part. Why? Well I can say I love my enemies and I will pray for them. That’s easy to do. You can do that too, right?
That guy at work who always seems to be involved when something goes wrong with your project. That woman who keeps cutting you off on the highway and laughing about it. That clerk at the grocery store who ALWAYS breaks your eggs no matter how many times you tell him to be careful. You can love them and pray for them….pray for their salvation….or pray for them to move.

But then we get back to Luke who says to ‘do good to those who hate you and bless those who curse you’. Jesus is turning life on its head. We don’t love our enemies. Those antagonist in our lives who speak evil about you every chance they get. At THE LEAST we want them completely out of our lives.

So how good is good, and how do you bless those that curse you? Galatians 6 says “do not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest.” Ephesians 2 says “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good.”

Right there he gives us a standard. We must do good like Jesus did good. When the hated tax collector came to see Jesus, he was accepted as a friend. In the 1st century, the tax collectors were hired by the Roman government. They had a quota to hit each month, but anything they collected over that amount, the collector got to keep. This was a Jew exploiting another Jew, yet Levi was accepted in without any questions.
So that tells us how good to be. How do you bless those who curse you?? We look to Jesus again. “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” This is setting a precedent of mercy way beyond the norm. Our next verse in today’s scripture says that if someone strikes you on the cheek, turn the other cheek. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.

The philosopher Socrates said this “One should never do wrong in return, nor mistreat any man, no matter how one has been mistreated by him.”

One commentator wrote: At the time of Jesus, striking someone deemed to be of lower class with the back of your hand was used to assert authority or dominance. If the persecuted person “turned the other cheek”, the smitter was faced with a dilemma. The left hand was used for unclean purposes, so a back hand strike on the other cheek would not be performed.

The other option would be to slap with open hand, which would be a sign of equality. Thus by turning the other cheek, the persecuted demanded equality. Also, by handing over your tunic and cloak, you have essentially given the shirt off your back which is forbidden by the Jewish law in Deuteronomy.


One more thought on this is Jesus was bringing the law of “an eye for an eye” back to earth. The time of personal vengeance was upon them. So this was a command to not take vengeance. For those who say it’s not practical, the advocates of this nonviolence stance say the rewards in this world are irrelevant to Jesus’ teaching, which promise rewards in the next life.

A couple years ago, a Palestinian boy fell into the river. He could not swim. He was quickly swept away. You could hear the cry of his mom calling for help, but no one jumped in. Then everyone heard a splash. Who is that, they ask? It was an Israeli man who jumped in to save him. And you know what…he did. The boy made it safely back to shore. The man drowned.

Give to everyone who ask, and do unto others as you would have them do to you. You told your kids that right. So…if you love those who love you, what credit is it to you? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is it to you? Even sinners do that.

And if you lend to those you expect repayment from, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners expecting repayment. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting any return. Why?? Why would we do something so stupid as that?

Because your reward will be great. What reward? The reward in heaven. By doing all this, you will be son’s of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. There it is. That’s why you do these things that seem so foreign to our world, especially our individualistic Western society where we put ourselves above others.
You don’t fight against your enemy because the one you must imitate is God. “Be perfect as I am perfect” he says.
Jesus turned life on its head. He changed the idea of Sabbath, wiped out the dietary laws, and now changed the way to deal with those who are against you. Pray for them. Sometimes that is the only thing you can do for your enemies.

Actually, I think it’s the 1st thing you can do for them. Those antagonists who only seem to want the worst for you, when there is nothing else you can do, pray for them. As you discuss the situation with God, the one who formed the world will transform your heart. When your heart is transformed, your life will be transformed.

And that’s when we come to communion. In taking communion, we come before Christ who gave everything for us, so we could be with him.




Psalm 37
1Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers,
2for they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb.
3Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.
4Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
6He will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like the noonday.
7Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices.
8Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9For the wicked shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
10Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there.
11But the meek shall inherit the land, and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.
39The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their refuge in the time of trouble.
40The Lord helps them and rescues them; he rescues them from the wicked, and saves them, because they take refuge in him.


Luke 6:27-38
“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. “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. 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.
“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.”