September 16, 2007 Message

September 16, 2007
Ephesians 3:1-10; Luke 6:27-36 (The Message)
“God’s Plan, Strange Though It Be”

"I tell you, love your enemies.” – Jesus of Nazarath, Luke 6:35

The preacher, in his Sunday sermon, used "Love Your Enemies" as his subject. After a long sermon, he asked how many were willing to love their enemies. About half held up their hands. Not satisfied he lectured on his topic for another twenty minutes and then repeated his question. This time he received a response of about 80 percent. Still not satisfied, he lectured for another 15 minutes and repeated his question once again. With all thoughts now on Sunday dinner, everyone responded except one older woman in the back.
"Mrs. Jones, are you not willing to love your enemies?"
"I don't have any."
"Mrs. Jones, that is quite unusual. How old are you?"
"Ninety three."
"Mrs. Jones, please come down in front and tell the congregation how a person can live to be ninety-three, and not have an enemy in the world."
Mrs. Jones tottered down the aisle, very slowly turned around and said:
"It's easy, I just outlived them all."

"I tell you, love your enemies.” – Jesus of Nazarath, Luke 6:35

Abraham Lincoln was once being criticized for his attitude towards his enemies. "Why do you try to make friends with them?” a colleague asked. "You should try to destroy them." Am I not destroying my enemies." Lincoln asked gently, "when I make them my friends?"

"I tell you, love your enemies.” – Jesus of Nazarath, Luke 6:35

Last week, we looked at Dr. Seuss’ story “What Was I Scared Of,” to help us examine the fears in our lives that can hold us back and keep us from being what we would like to be. We learned that it is important to name our fears, to face them, and to then move on in faith so we can fulfill our calling as Christ’s church - to go out into the world and make disciples for Jesus Christ, to bring justice to our communities, and to look after the hungry, the widow, the orphan, and the prisoner.

And yet, there is more. This week Jesus tells his disciples, “Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them!” Wouldn’t it be great if someone would… ? Sure it would. So what’s to keep us from going out and doing that for someone else?

Paul, in his letter to the church at Ephesus, speaks of “God's plan for including everybody.” That goes right along with what Jesus tells his disciples.

He gives them a specific command, one requiring immediate action: "Love your enemies" – now. Not tomorrow… not after things change… not when things get better between us, but now. Do you suppose that goes for us as well? I am to love my enemies – all those who are out to get me? Sure I am. But it’s going to be hard.

Jesus isn’t calling for an emotional or sentimental sort of relationship with those we don’t like and who, quite frankly, don’t like. He calls for another kind of relationship leaning toward action… of enthusiastically working with their best interest in mind. "Do good," Jesus commands. He doesn't say, "think good thoughts or have good feelings," but actually "do good to those who hate you." His command has four parts to it: love them; do good to them; bless them; and pray for them. None of them are easy and the last two are even more difficult to do than the first two. It is going to be hard, very hard, isn’t it?

How do you bless and pray for the very people who "curse you," who insult you, who make fun of you, who call you names. Think Mahatma Gandhi. Think Martin Luther King Jr. and think all those who followed them.

Jesus’ love in action means turning the other cheek. It means allowing not only your most needed things to be taken from you, but the not so important as well.
What Jesus asks us to do is so very hard when it is so direct and so personal: turn your cheek; give up your coat and shirt; give to those who ask; and don't expect to get anything back or some sort of payment for your loss.

Imagine, our actions toward those we are not too fond of are to be directed by God's principles, God’s ways - not by our retaliatory or revengeful human nature.

"I tell you, love your enemies.” – Jesus of Nazarath, Luke 6:35

And there is a higher vision that God is calling us all to live up to, one that goes even beyond the Golden Rule - "as you would have them do to you" – which implies eventual recital. Be nice to the enemy long enough, and the enemy will become a friend.

He says, “Help and give without expecting a return. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we're at our worst. Our Father is kind; so, you be kind.”

To his initial order to "love your enemies," Jesus adds on the somewhat surprising "expecting nothing." The reason he gives is that we are to be like God, to be "children of the Most High." For whatever reason, God is "kind to the ungrateful and those who are bad. That’s how God is. Jesus calls his followers to imitate God's fondness for handing out unmerited mercies and love to the just and unjust alike.

Paul speaks of the same sort of thing. He says, “The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives (what I've been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, and same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board.”

We are not to judge; we are not to condemn; we are to forgive everyone, even our enemies – just like God forgives. For God's reckless graciousness and kindness is this - the "good measure" of God's grace we may normally expect is not what God wants to offer. What is given is not based upon what is deserved. It is so much more.

But that’s not all. In God's extravagance, the "good measure" is poured out until it is "running over" - spilling over the sides of each broken vessel receiving it and filling the "lap" of every recipient.

This is what God wants to pour out to each of us, Jesus declares, if we will only offer the same to others.

"I tell you, love your enemies.” – Jesus of Nazarath, Luke 6:35