Can We Really Love Our Enemies?

Luke 6:27-38

Right now in your mind list your friends.  You will think of the friends you have in your church and at work.   You will think of some of the people you went to school with that you might still keep in touch with.  Then perhaps some people in your neighborhood who you are friends with.  These are people who you would invite to your backyard party, send a birthday present to, and would gladly do a favor for.  You are concerned if something happens to them or their family.  Now think of those who you consider your enemies.  Hopefully that is a shorter list.  But there are the people at work who undermine everything you do.  The person who has spread nasty lies about you.  The neighbor who consistently takes your parking spot that you just shoveled out from the snowstorm.  We certainly wouldn’t want to invite them to our parties.  We might be inclined to do back to them what they did to us, and perhaps even gloat when we hear that something bad happened to them or their family.  How does the Lord wish for us to treat those we consider our enemies?  As we look into our Scripture passage from the Gospel of Luke we see how Jesus said we should act towards those we think of as our enemies.

In our very first verse, we read that Jesus tells us to love our enemies (vs. 27).  Love them?!  Sometimes we find it hard not to actively hate them.  Jesus, though, tells us that He wants His children to love them, and to do good things to and for them.  With how we naturally feel towards them, loving our enemies takes an act of the will.  It takes conscious effort.  Loving our enemies means acting in their best interests, thinking of ways to help them, and praying for them (vs. 28).  When we hear that something happened to them, we pray for them, and we pray that our enemies will see God’s way.

In verse 29 we read about “turning the other cheek” to our enemy.  I believe this is to serve as a principle, not to be done literally, where we ask for more mistreatment from others.  When Jesus was brought before the Sanhedrin shortly before being crucified, one of the men there struck Him in the face.  Jesus did not offer Himself to be struck again, but rather rebuked that man (John 18:22-23).  However, He did not hit the man back, or strike him down.  The principle is that one should not seek retaliation for anything someone does against them.

Jesus then continues to tell us that even the sinners of the world will love and treat those who are good to them well.  He tells us that being good to our friends is nothing special (vs. 32-34).  God loved us when we were unlovable (Romans 5:8).  Jesus wants us to do the same.

The love that Jesus is talking about here, the love that we are to show to our enemies, requires action, not just trying to tone down the angry feelings we harbor inside of us.  We are to actively show them the love of God (vs. 35).  We are to take the initiative to meet specific needs they may have.  This is easier to do for those we love, but Jesus wants us to do this for everyone, even our enemies.

God has been merciful and forgiving to us, and we are to show the same mercy and forgiveness to others (vs 36-37).  Everything we do is to be based on what He has done for us.  God has called us to forgive, no matter the circumstances, even if they don’t deserve it.  We need to show mercy to those who don’t deserve it, either.  If I want mercy for myself, I had better be a dispenser of mercy to everyone I meet, as well.

When we do so, Jesus tells us that we will be like our Heavenly Father.   Believers should show a family resemblance to God.  We should be kind and merciful, even to the ungrateful and wicked.  However, God wants us to show wisdom, and not put ourselves in a position to be abused (Matthew 10:16).  God’s children should bear the indelible stamp of His moral character.  Since He is loving, gracious, and generous, even to those who are His enemies, we should be like Him.

What Jesus taught here, He also practiced at great cost to Himself.  When we follow the example that Jesus gave us, He promises us in verse 38 that He will repay, and will repay abundantly.  Today, let’s act as Jesus would, showing a family resemblance.

Our Resurrected Body

 I Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50

One does not need to be a botanist, nor even a professional gardener to know some of the basics of gardening.  I am not much of a gardener by any means, but I do know, as most people do, that the seeds of flowers, vegetables, and trees do not look anything at all like the plant that will come forth.  Acorns do not look like the oaks they become.  Nor do poppy seeds resemble poppies, or tomato seeds the tomato plant.   This is knowledge that even a child can understand.  In our Scripture passage today that continues Paul’s teaching on the resurrection, he uses that analogy to teach about a believer’s resurrected body.

For ages people have wondered about what heaven will be like, and what we will look like when we get there.  Will we look like we did when we died, old and wrinkled, or still a child or baby if someone died at that age?  Will we weigh the same as we did in life, or have the scars we got throughout our life?  As the Apostle Paul begins our passage, he immediately teaches us that just as a seed doesn’t look like the plant that will later grow, neither will our glorified body be the same as our body here on earth during our lifetime (vs. 35-38).  Since no one has been to heaven and come back to earth to say for a certain fact what we will look like, Paul could not say what our glorified bodies will look like, just that it will be different.  However, there is some indication in the Bible that we will be able to recognize others.  When Jesus was transfigured in the presence of Peter, James and John, they were able to recognize Moses and Elijah when those two joined Jesus (Matthew 17:2-4).

On a side note, there are some people who believe that when we die we become angels.  Let me say that this idea has absolutely no basis in Scripture at all.  Angels are completely different created beings than humans, and we do not ever become angels, including after death.  People say things like that their deceased mother is now an angel in heaven, or their deceased little child is now an angel.  Their mother may very well be in heaven, but she most definitely did not become an angel.  Humans and angels are two completely different created beings, and one never becomes the other.

As Paul continues on with the second half of our Scripture passage, he teaches us more about the resurrection of our bodies in heaven.  While here on earth our mortal, physical bodies age and wear down.  Then, when we die we are buried, where our bodies will corrupt.  However, our glorified body will never age, break down, or corrupt (vs. 42-44).  Our resurrection bodies will have no more sickness or death (corruption).  There will be no more shame because of sin (dishonor), no more frailty in temptation (weakness), and no more limits to time and space (natural).

Next, Paul speaks of the First Adam and the Second Adam (vs. 45).  The First Adam, naturally, is the Adam we read about in the Book of Genesis.  The Second Adam is the Lord Jesus Christ.  He came to undo what occurred at the Fall, when Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, and brought sin into the world.  The First Adam had an earthly body, which would age, die, and corrupt, and which we all inherited.  While on earth Jesus had an earthly body just like Adam and each of us.  However, after He rose from the dead, He obtained a heavenly body, one that will not corrupt, and has spiritual abilities (vs. 46-49).  Those who are saved will receive a heavenly body that will never decay, just like Jesus has.  We will bear the image and have the type of body the Second Adam has, fit for heaven, just as now we have the type of body the First Adam had.

As we each get older, many of us have found that our bodies have more and more failings.  If you’re like me, you are looking forward to receiving your heavenly body, one that has no more aches and pains, no more sickness or shortcomings.  This is promised to all those who are believers and followers of the Lord Jesus.  If you haven’t taken Him as your Savior yet, do so today, so that you will not have an eternity of torment and separation from God, but instead a place in heaven with a glorified, resurrection body.

Trust, Delight, Commit, And Rest

 Psalm 37:1-11

How often, when checking up on the news, do we hear of someone who has committed a crime, perhaps several crimes, and they just seem to get away with it, over and over again?  Perhaps we know someone who is just a real rascal of a person, yet their life is just sailing along quite fine.  They get a brand new car every year.  They can afford a nice long vacation every year, and even a second home somewhere warm to go to every winter.  Yet here we are, living our life for the Lord, and we struggle just to keep a roof over our head and something to eat on the table every day.  If we aren’t careful, we may find ourselves becoming envious of the wicked, and how easy their life seems to be.  This was something that David faced, as well.  Being a believer and follower of the Lord, David allowed God to teach him some lessons, which he shares in our Scripture from Psalm 37 today.

Psalm 37 is one of the many psalms written by David, quite probably in his old age as he looked back over all that he had gone through.  Like all of us, he had seen how easy the lives of the wicked seemed to be, yet how the righteous struggled from day to day.  David must have been irritated by what he saw, yet he allowed the Lord to teach him some valuable lessons through this, and here in our psalm he shares them with us.

The Lord taught David, and us through this Scripture, that we should never envy evil people.  What they have will vanish like withered grass (vs. 1-2).  Those who follow God live differently.  We may not have a lot of earthly treasures.  We may not have the nicer house and car, the exciting vacations, and big bank accounts, but in the end, by following and obeying God, we have greater treasure in heaven.  What we get following God will last forever.  The wicked may prosper for a time, but it is only for a time.

David gives us four keys to having this peaceful and victorious life, where we aren’t stressed and worried about how the unsaved are thriving.  They are trust, delight, commit and rest (vs. 3-7).  When we trust in God, and obey His ways, He will provide us with all that we need (vs. 3).  David tells us we also need to delight in the Lord (vs. 4).  To delight in someone means to experience great pleasure and joy in their presence.  This would happen only when we got to know that person well.  To delight in the Lord means we must know Him better.  We take pleasure in discovering more about God, and following His will.  We spend time with Him, learning what pleases Him, and praying for discernment to make wise decisions.  When we make the Lord our joy, He promises to give us the desires of our heart.  With God as our delight, the desires that grow in our heart are usually the ones He puts there.  They will bring lasting peace and satisfaction, not necessarily things we think we want, or try to get apart from Him.

To commit ourselves to the Lord means entrusting everything, our lives, families, jobs, and possessions to His control (vs. 5-6).  We need to trust in Him, believing that He can care for us better than we can ourselves.  Committing our way to the Lord is allowing His will and mandates to shape our thoughts, lifestyles, and goals.

The final key is resting in the Lord (vs. 7).  We cause ourselves stress when we take things into our own hands, rather than releasing the circumstances to God.  The Lord does not need our help in getting anything done.  The age-old phrase “God helps those who help themselves” is not in the Bible, and it is not true.  He tells us to rest, to be still, and let Him work (Psalm 46:10).  Seek God’s ways and His timing.

As our psalm passage continues, we see that we should never turn to anger or anything else that is evil to remedy the situation, whatever our situation is (vs. 8-9).  Anger and worry are destructive emotions.  They show a lack of faith that we believe God loves and cares for us.  When we dwell on our problems, we become anxious and angry.  Focusing on God brings peace.  Relax, don’t react.  The Lord’s intervention is imminent (vs. 10).  We need to continue to trust, delight, commit, and rest.

Forgiving The Unforgiveable

 Genesis 45:3-11

The Bible teaches us a lot about forgiveness, and how important it is for us to forgive others what wrongs they have done to us.  It teaches us that we are to forgive no matter what the other person has done to us, no matter how terrible and grievous that offense may be.  There is to be no limit to our forgiveness.  In our Scripture passage for today we read the account of Joseph, a young man who had some very horrible things done to him, yet later when he had risen to very powerful heights, and had the opportunity to, did not retaliate and take vengeance.  Let’s take a look at the life of Joseph, and his example we should all aspire to follow.

As our Scripture passage opens, we see Joseph revealing to his brothers who he is.  Over twenty years earlier, Joseph’s brothers had committed a very treacherous and horrible sin against him.  While growing up, Joseph’s ten older brothers had been very jealous of him for many years.  Then one day when the opportunity arose, they stripped him of his clothes and threw him into a pit, probably having severely beaten him, and then sold him as a slave to traveling merchants enroute to Egypt (Genesis 37:18-28).  These were his brothers, yet they threw him naked into a pit, and then sold him as a slave, where he was forced to walk naked in the hot desert sun for several hundred miles into Egypt.  How could brothers do that?  Yet they did.

While in Egypt, Joseph was sold as a slave to one of Pharaoh’s chief military generals, where he became one of his most trusted servants.  After a few years, though, more treachery made its way into Joseph’s life, as his master’s wife told some vicious lies about Joseph which got him thrown into prison.  There he remained for several years (Genesis 39:1-20).  Many years after that day when his brothers threw him into a pit, through the mighty working of the Lord God, Joseph became second in command after Pharaoh, over all the land of Egypt (Genesis 41:38-44).

Now, as Prime Minister of Egypt, the most powerful country in the world at the time, Joseph is standing in front of his brothers who have come to purchase food during a great famine.  They do not recognize Joseph, as it has been about 22 years since they last saw him.  They had sold him as a slave, and would never dream that he is now prime minister, just about the most powerful man in the world.  We might think that now is a perfect opportunity for Joseph to get his vengeance.  Sold as a slave, that tortuous trek through the desert, vicious lies, put in prison.  All of that because of these ten brothers.  Nobody would question why he would have them imprisoned, or even put to death.  Nobody questioned Pharaoh, and Pharaoh trusted and admired Joseph, putting him in charge of just about everything.

What did Joseph do when he had this opportunity for vengeance?  Rather than having spent the past 22 years stewing about what had happened to him, Joseph saw the hand of God over every event that happened.  He saw that God had sent him into Egypt for a divine purpose.  Joseph knew that God controls all that happens in our lives, and that the Lord, seeing and knowing what will happen in the future, orchestrated events so that he would be in Egypt, and in a position to help before the famine even occurred.  The brothers had wanted to get rid of Joseph, but God used their evil actions to fulfill His ultimate plan (Genesis 50:20).

All through the difficult years he went through, Joseph kept a very close and personal relationship with the Lord God.  He didn’t allow anger or bitterness to grow.  He saw God’s hand in everything that happened to him.  Thus, when the opportunity came, Joseph used it for good, rather than to seek vengeance.  He used his position and this opportunity to be a blessing to those who had harmed him, rather than to retaliate.

Probably most people who read this have not gone through quite the events Joseph did - slavery, beatings, unjust imprisonment.  Some may have gone through some things that might rank up there in severity and trauma.  Regardless of how terrible the things that others may have done to us, are we willing to forgive?  Can we forgive abuse of any sort?  How about lies that destroy our reputation completely?  How about the murder of a loved one?  Joseph forgave his brothers, despite how unforgivable it may have seemed.

God calls us to have a forgiving spirit, especially knowing that He remains in control of all that happens to us.  Instead of asking why God allowed something bad to happen to us, we need to ask what God can teach us, and be looking for the good He will bring from the event.

Blessed Or Woe

 Luke 6:17-26

As we go about our lives, we see a lot of contrasts every day.  Light, dark. Hot, cold.  Sweet, bitter.  We see it with people, too - tall, short.  Fat, thin.  Pleasant, unpleasant.  In today’s Scripture from the Gospel of Luke, we read of contrasting values.  Jesus presents us with some values of His kingdom, versus some values of the world.  Which will we decide to follow?

As you read through our Scripture, you will probably notice a distinct similarity with another, probably more familiar passage in the Gospel of Matthew, where he presents the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12).  Here in the second half of chapter 6, Luke gives us an abbreviated version of the Sermon on the Mount.  Matthew’s telling of the Sermon on the Mount was much longer, covering three chapters of his Gospel.  There is also the real possibility that Jesus told the same message on more than one occasion.  Jesus traveled all throughout Galilee and Judea, speaking to different crowds.  He may very well have given this message more than once, Matthew’s being one time, and Luke’s another.

As we look into Luke’s telling of the Beatitudes here, he gives us four “blesseds”, followed by four “woes”.  We begin with blessed are you poor (vs. 20).  This doesn’t only refer to financially poor, as there were a number of wealthy believers in the Bible.  You are blessed when you are poor in spirit, when you realize that you have absolutely nothing that you can bring to God to deliver yourself from sin.  All of our good works and deeds are worthless, and can do nothing to help us before God.  When we know that, then we are in a position to accept God’s free gift of salvation, and can enter God’s kingdom.

Luke continues with the next “blessed”, which is for those who hunger (vs. 21).  Again, this isn’t just being physically hungry.  Jesus was referring to those who hunger after God, after His righteousness, after His Word.  When we seek after God, He promises us that we will be rewarded (Jeremiah 29:13).  The next “blessed” is for those who weep (vs. 21).   This is referring to having sorrow for sin, both one’s own sins, and that of the world at large.  When we acknowledge our sin, then we are able to confess, repent, and turn our life around.

The fourth “blessed” is for those who are hated and excluded because of their faith in the Lord Jesus (vs. 22-23).  Rejection by the world and false or apostate religions is a sign that we are being true to the Lord.  The Cross is the dividing line.  To accept Jesus and His death on the Cross is to reject man’s ways, which is not going to please them.  Those who have chosen to faithfully follow Jesus, and not the world or “popular religion” have frequently had a life of poverty, hunger, sadness, persecution, isolation, and false accusations because of Him and His message.  For the Lord’s sake, these should be causes of rejoicing.

Luke follows with four “woes” (vs. 24-26).  Woe means misery, distress, and sorrow.  Luke could say “alas for you” in these verses.  Such proclamations were also often given by many of the prophets, such as Isaiah , Amos, and Habakkuk.  Jesus begins with calling woe to the rich (vs. 24), woe to those who are depending on their financial wealth for any spiritual advantage.  Woe to those who are full, who are complacent, who think that, on their own, they have all that they need spiritually (vs. 25).

There is one confusing “woe” that Jesus calls out, and that is to those who laugh (vs. 25).  I do not think that He was referring to anyone who laughs at a good, wholesome joke or comedy.  I believe this could refer more to the type of laughter that some give derisively to others in their mishaps and misfortunes, rather than a happy, joyous laugh.

Our Scripture concludes with Jesus calling woe to those who are well-spoken of by everyone (vs. 26).  When the world, when the unbelievers and the lost, have nothing but good to say of someone, they can’t truly be faithfully following the Lord.  When someone tells the world, the unsaved, what they want to hear, rather than what God wants them to hear, they will get pats on the back and honors.  Those who faithfully follow Jesus and His Word will get the hatred and ill treatment that He mentioned earlier.

As we look at our own life, which group are we more likely to fall into?  Are we more in line with the “blessed” or more with the “woes”.  Let’s be sure that the Lord Jesus can call us blessed, rather than call out woe upon us!

How Important Is The Resurrection?

 I Corinthians 15:12-20

Every so often I hear some people say how they admire and respect Jesus as a good man, who gave us some very great moral and ethical teachings, but they do not believe that He was anything more than a good religious leader, nor that He rose from the dead.  They say that the resurrection is not important to believe, whether it is the resurrection of Jesus or that of believers after death.  They believe that if Jesus did rise from the dead, that’s great, but if He didn’t, it’s no big deal, it’s not important.  They feel the only thing that is important is that we follow the teachings that He gave, that’s all.  However, that is not what Scripture teaches.  Not only is the resurrection of Jesus a fact, but as we look into today’s passage we see how important the resurrection really is.

Our Scripture passage today continues on with Paul’s great teaching about the resurrection in Chapter 15 of I Corinthians.  There were some people who had crept into the church in Corinth who were teaching that there was no resurrection of believers after death.  In chapter 15 of this epistle, Paul thoroughly challenges this heresy.  Let’s continue on with our examination of what the Lord says through this Scripture.

Paul tells us that if there is no resurrection of believers from the dead, then Jesus did not rise from the dead, either (vs. 12-13, 16).  If one believes that Jesus rose from the dead, then it follows that His children will, as well.  Paul continues on to teach that there would be several disastrous consequences if there were no resurrection of the dead.  The first one that he tells about is that the teachings about Jesus and salvation would be senseless (vs. 14).  If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, what would be the purpose in traveling the world to bring His message?  If there were no resurrection, then having faith in Jesus Christ would be useless.  As Paul said, our faith would be empty.  What good would faith in Him serve?

Paul continues on in saying that if there was no resurrection then all of the witnesses and preachers of the Gospel would be liars (vs. 15).  All of the apostles and other missionaries and preachers from the days of the early Church on till today would be preaching lies if Jesus never rose.  Why respect or ever believe them further?

Very importantly, without the resurrection of Jesus Christ, no one would be redeemed from sin (vs. 17).  Without the resurrection, Christianity would be like every other religion - powerless to save.  There would be no triumph over sin and death, and we would have no assurance of eternal life.  There would be no hope for us.

Without the resurrection then all deceased Christians would have perished in their sins (vs. 18).  I remember reading about something that the widow of a very famous astronomer and astrophysicist who died in the 1990’s said.  As neither of them were believers in the Lord Jesus, she said that, as much as she loved him, she knew that she would never see her husband again.  How sad and how hopeless!  If there is no resurrection of believers, that would be the case, and if that is the case then Christians would be the most pitiable of people on earth (vs. 19).  If Jesus did not rise, we have no forgiveness of sins, and no hope of eternal life.

However, Paul did not leave us with these dismal thoughts because Jesus did, indeed, rise from the dead, and with that He opened the door for all believers and followers of His to also rise from the dead, as well (vs. 20).  Paul describes how Jesus is the “first fruits” of those who died.  The term “first fruits” describes the first installment of the harvest to eternal life, which Jesus’s resurrection will precipitate and guarantee that all believers who die will be resurrected.

Because Jesus rose from the dead as He promised, we know that what He said is true.  Because He rose, we have certainty that our sins are forgiven.  Because Jesus rose, He lives and represents us to God.  Because Jesus rose and defeated death, we know we will also be raised.

What Path Will You Take?

 Psalm 1

You are walking down a path, and you come to a juncture, the path splits in two.  Do you go towards the right or towards the left?  What way you decide can make a big difference in where you end up.  The same holds true in life.  We all come to periods in our lives when we have to make decisions about which pathway we will choose.  Often at those crossroads there will be people who will try to influence us to go their way, and not the other.  Who will we listen to?  Which way will we choose?  Our psalm this morning describes such a time, and seeks to instruct us which way to choose.

Psalm 1 is a short psalm, but it is packed with much wisdom to follow in our lives, and is a very suitable one to open the Book of Psalms.  It is one of a handful of psalms that I hold as particular favorites.  The psalm describes two men, two paths to take, two lifestyles, and the results of those paths and life choices.  Let’s take a look.

Our psalm begins with a description of a blessed man.  He is a wise man, one who has decided to follow the Lord God and His Word (vs. 1-3).  As he walks through life he is careful about who he chooses to listen to, and who he chooses to follow.  As we go through life we will come into contact with all sorts of different people, many of whom will try to influence us into their way of thinking, urging us to follow them down their path.  Should we go their way?  It depends on what they are offering.  Are they followers of God and His Word, or of the world and of evil?  We have a decision to make.  Turn to the right, or turn to the left?  The blessed, or righteous man decides that he will not follow the advice and counsel of the ungodly and the unsaved.  He chooses not to go down the path with sinners, nor keep in the company of the wicked.  He decides that he will follow the way of God’s Word, and those who are believers.

The righteous and godly man not only decides to turn to the pathway that leads to God, he completely rejects the other way of rebellion against Him.  He resists compromise, and is wary of anything that might erode his commitment to a godly life.  Today many people think that somehow they can straddle both pathways, leaping back and forth between the two.  They think that they can follow God, while remaining close friends with those of the world, those who follow philosophies and thinking that is completely against God and His Word.  To remain on the path of righteousness, and be blessed by God, we must refuse to listen to ungodly advice, and the false philosophies so popular in our world.  We must not compromise with evil, lest evil become a habit of life.

When we flirt and dance around the pathway of the ungodly, we will inevitably begin to imitate the actions of the wicked, those who have no place for God in their life.  If we insist on friendship with those who mock what God considers important, we will soon sin by becoming indifferent to God’s will.  It is inevitable that we will have contact with the unsaved.  However, we must not join in or imitate their sinful behavior.  True friends should help and not hinder you to draw closer to God, not further away from Him.  When we take a stand in our life, let it be for the Lord and His ways, not for the world.

Our psalmist continues on to describe the godly, righteous man as like a tree that has been planted by a river.  It is green and flourishing, very similar to the description that the Prophet Jeremiah gave in Jeremiah 17:7-8.  The description God’s Word gives of the ungodly man is that like chaff, the empty outer shells of grain that get blown away with the wind (vs. 3-4).  Those who don’t trust or obey God have meaningless lives that blow away like dust.  Just as a fruitful tree bears good fruit, when we abide in Christ Jesus we can’t help but bear fruit in our life (John 15:4-6).  Jesus said good trees bear good fruit, and bad trees bear bad fruit.  We can recognize people by their fruit (Matthew 7:17; Matthew 7:20).  We can produce good fruit by being in prayer and God’s Word.  The more we delight in God’s presence the more fruitful we are.

In closing, we see that there are two ways of living.  There is the way of the righteous, those who love God, and the way of the wicked, the enemies of those who love God.  The ungodly are worthless as chaff.  His destiny will be God’s judgment (vs. 5-6).  Those who delight in God and His Word will prosper.  Where do we sit?  Where is our permanent dwelling?  With the godly, or with the wicked?  There are only two paths - God’s way of obedience or the way of rebellion and destruction.  Choose your path wisely!