Which sounds extreme, but I didn’t want anyone dead! So, I tried not to hate anyone, and that led me to never really think of anyone as my enemy because I thought if I had an enemy, surely, I would hate them! Jesus tells me to love my enemy, but how can I even get to that point if I don’t know who my enemy is? Growing up, I was taught at church that we should never hate people, because hating someone meant that you wanted them dead. Not only that, but this teaching also provokes several difficult questions that we have to try and answer. This is a tall order Jesus gives to his followers. It isn’t for those who were hopping on the “new prophet” bandwagon. “Love your enemy.” This command wasn’t-and still isn’t-for the faint of heart. So, for those of us who want to follow Jesus and see his kingdom established, we need to be the ones listening. And to that end, he establishes a challenging expectation. So now Jesus is focusing in and speaking to those who are still on board, those who still want to live in this new kingdom that he is establishing. Jesus just flipped cultural understandings on their head through his message of blessings to the “least of society” and his woes to those who would be seen as blessed in society. Surely everyone is listening right? Well, let me ask you, how many of us once we begin to hear something that sounds counterintuitive, unrealistic, or something we disagree with, begin to tune out? ![]() He is surrounded by a multitude of people who have either just seen him heal others or experienced healing themselves and heard him teach. He then began what is often called the sermon on the plain.Īfter his proclamation of blessings and woes at the beginning of Luke 6, without going anywhere he says “But to you who are listening.” Which leads us to ask why would Jesus need to make this qualification? Just a few verses before, we learn that Jesus returned from a mountainside onto a level place and is speaking to a large crowd of disciples and people from all over the surrounding areas. Jesus begins this section by identifying the audience for his teaching. (Read Luke 6:27-36) You Who Are Listening Let’s open our Bible and see what Jesus wants to teach you and me about God’s kingdom. Then I remembered the passage I had been studying for today, Luke 6:27-36 and what Jesus has to say about those we don’t like. At this minor inconvenience I was so ready to begin viewing them negatively and judge them, without even the thought of loving them. How did they not see it?! I thought, W ho the heck are these guys taking my seat. Now they’re all full! My bag was clearly right there. ![]() My bag was still right there on the ground and I became frustrated. When I got back, two young guys were sitting in my seat and the one next to it. After a while, I needed to use the restroom so I left my larger bag right next to my seat and took my backpack with me. I arrived at my gate early and got a nice seat by the window. I was at the airport getting ready to fly out for Easter weekend.
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