Love Your Enemies, Part 2 | God’s Love is the Golden Rule

Luke 6:27-28

Luke 6:27, let’s start by reading just a few verses here of this main section from verse 27 to 30, “But I say to you who hear,” Jesus says, “Love your enemies, and do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who abuse you. To the one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also. And from one who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you do so to them.”

Let’s clarify what Jesus means by our enemies. Who are they really, who are we talking about here? And that’s the second question for this morning, for our outline, simply who are our enemies. Who are they? Verses 27 and 28, Jesus identifies them with the word enemies, and then, as going inside, he talks about those who hate us, those who curse us, those who abuse or revile us. So he talks about a moniker, a name for them, enemies, but then the rest of the description, the other three are all actions, all what they do, that’s the description.

So is this all enemies, is it enemies of every kind, does this refer to social or political enemies, does it refer to personal enemies, or religious enemies, what about enemies of the land we live in? Does this prohibit Christians from going to war? Who are these people we’re supposed to love? The word enemies here is ecthros, in the singular echthras, it has the root meaning of hostility. One who acts with hostility toward you is one who is oriented toward you as an enemy. You say, but I didn’t’ do anything to deserve being an enemy, therefore that person is not an enemy. No, if that person is acting in an enemy like way, that’s an enemy.

Okay, so none of this, none of this, you know, crazy speech from our politicians that doesn’t want to call enemies, enemies. They’re enemies! Okay, let’s just, just call it what it is. If they’re acting with hostility toward our country that’s an enemy, okay? Jesus uses a verbal form in the second description, it identifies them not just as enemies, those who act with hostility towards you, but those who have hostility in their hearts, that is those who hate you? This provides a peek into their heart motives, so an enemy is somebody who is internally oriented by hatred. This person then, because of that hatred, subjects you to hostility, to antagonism, or outright aggression. It could be verbal form or, as in the second description, it could be a verbal form, it could be non-verbal, it could be political, legal, could be organizational. It may be open outright hatred, apparent for everybody to see, or it could be more subtle, insidious, hidden, conniving kind of hatred, like the politicking that goes on in organizations.

Jesus also identifies our enemies, in verse 28, not just as having thoughts of hatred, but those who act out in hatred in what they say and what they do. They are those who curse you, those who abuse you, mistreat you, they, they may be even as, as we read in verses 29-30, they may even strike you, they may take away your coat, they may take away your goods. It’s at this point, we know who they are, their internal attitudes manifest themselves in outward behavior. Out of the overflow of the heart, right?

All the actions come, the mouth speaks, the action comes, their animosity toward us cannot remain hidden forever. Think back to the 9/11 terrorists, they had lived in our country before the attacks. And there were people who no doubt met them prior to the attacks as they are, you know, can’t speak English and they’re learning how to fly airplanes and things like that. So they’re in the airplane flying class, they just want to learn how to take off, not know how to land. But people met them, had coffee with them, had lunch with them, whatever and perhaps the Americans who interacted with those pre, those preattack, 9/ll attack terrorists, perhaps they found them to be friendly people, rather innocuous, innocuous, maybe even charming to some extent, but before the attacks, before they had exhibited hostility on the outside, were they still enemies of the United States and its citizens? You better believe they were.

The disposition of their hearts was oriented toward Americans in an attitude of hatred. Did they do nice things for their neighbors? I would assume so, maybe even helped the old lady take out the trash one day as they’re on their way to the flight school. Whatever the case, but all those acts of good that they were doing, they’re doing with a motive and a desire to eventually destroy these people. In the time, in time they proved that hatred by flying airplanes into buildings, causing great destruction, killing thousands, and that revealed them without any doubt as enemies.

So again here, we want to ask, and this, I’m, I’m being intentional, I’m getting to your heart by asking you about these terrorists, okay? Who are we talking about here? Are we talking about all Muslims? Let’s take it out of the Muslim thing and, and terrorist thing, and ask this, are, are we talking about our political opponents? Ones who didn’t vote the way we thought they should vote? Are they all those who accept and embrace and actively pursue sinful lifestyles, are those our enemies? Who are they?

I want you to look back in context, we need to interpret all things in context, right? Look back in context to verse 22, and we’re going to interpret this question who are our enemies in its context. Jesus said there to his disciples, remember he’s ascribing a state of blessedness to those who are persecuted, he says blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you, when they revile you, when they spurn your name as evil, and get this, why? On account of the Son of Man.

Okay, so that’s language that seems very strikingly similar to what we’re reading in verse 27 and 28 right? Who are our enemies, they are those who on account of the Son of Man hate you, exclude you, revile you, and spurn your name as evil. They are those who marginalize, ostracize, slander, undermine, attack, or persecute. They are those who on account of the Son of Man, punch you in the face, take your clothing, take your goods, and your properties.

Now, could those people be religious enemies, enemies of the Son of Man, because they’re enslaved to false religion like Islam, like terrorists, who want to imprison us or cut off our heads, sure, but how often do you meet one of those in your day to day life? Could these people be the cultural progressives, enemies of the Son of Man because they love their sin and they hate anybody who stands in their way perhaps. That’s a bit closer to home, isn’t it?

That’s on the horizon, in fact, it’s actually right now in our schools. Social progressives, secular elites, some of them even self-proclaimed haters of Christians. Some of them advocating for abortion, they see Christianity as an impediment, as a, as a throwback to ancient foolish days, unenlightened times. Christianity is an obstacle; it’s something to free your mind from. Some of them are angry feminists, they hate Christianity because they believe it promotes male patriarchy and domestic abuse.

Increasing numbers of Americans see Christianity as an obstacle to their idea of individualism. They believe that’s what is guaranteed to them in the constitution of the United States, the right to life, liberty and, the what, the pursuit of happiness. Whatever makes me happy, don’t get in my way. So they want all Christians silenced so they can pursue all manner of evil, sexual impurities, perverted behaviors, fornication, easy no-fault divorces, LGBTQ whatever initials lifestyles, transgenderism, homosexuality, transvestitism, nothing is withheld. They don’t want anything to be held back from them.

There’s a columnist, op-ed writer for the New York Times, Frank Bruni he published an article the best, or The Worst and Best places to be Gay in America. He quotes one woman in the article, a lesbian from Tyler, TX, who testified she said, I came out at 60 and I was told I could no longer hold any positions of leadership in my church, I am or was a Southern Baptist. In an earlier article, 2015, Bruni wrote it’s called Bigotry, the Bible, and lessons of Indiana. Bruni signaled the need to change that kind of attitude, that would marginalize and kick out a woman like that out of a Southern Baptist church. He cited one source for his article, a man named Mitchell Gold, who is a gay philanthropist, who founded an advocacy group for LGBT people. Mr. Gold told Mr. Bruni, quote, “Church leaders must be made to take homosexuality off the sin list.” End quote.

Is it possible that in an effort to make us take homosexuality off the sin list that we will have to forfeit property, pay fines, or something worse? Will we be subject to hate crime laws which try to make certain biblical passages or faithful interpretations of certain biblical passages off limits from the preaching, public preaching of the bible? It could happen. Whatever we face, and listen carefully, whatever we face, on account of the Son of Man, it’s hostility and hatred of an enemy that kicks Jesus’ commands into effect.

The more hostile they are, the more it reminds us, oh yeah, go back to the guide book. What does the guide book say? Love your enemies, love them. Regular, continual persistent action, loving, well doing, blessing, and praying, and doing it from the heart, doing it in public and in private, in our minds and thoughts and also with our actions and our words, we’re to love them, never to hate them, never to hope for their demise.

This is what the good Samaritan in Jesus’ story did for the man who was beaten and left to die. He saw before him an ethnic and cultural enemy, but a man who was in need, that’s how he saw him. He saw him as a fellow human being in need. He responded with active love, agape love, helping someone in need. This is what Paul commanded us to do, Romans 12:14, “Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them.”

Again it’s a repetition of Jesus command here, and the same thing over in 1 Timothy 2. We’re to pray for those who would be or could be enemies, particularly those enemies who have power and authority over us. “First of all then I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for all people.” That is all kinds of people. Who Paul? Well “for kings and all who are in high positions,” governors, “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”

He’s not saying, pray that the government would make decisions that give us a peaceful life, even though we do pray for that. He’s saying, pray for those kings and all those who are in authority, who are wicked and evil rulers, so that we don’t fight against them and you know, form a coup and try to overthrow them, but rather in peace and godliness, and quietness and dignity, we pray, because we know the God who put them in positions of authority. This is good, it’s pleasing in the sight of God our savior, who desires all people, that is all kinds of people to be saved, and to come to knowledge of the truth.

John Stott, I should say, cites John Chrysostom, a fourth century pastor, one of the early church’s most powerful bible expositors. Chrysostom, this is the quote, “Chrysostom saw this responsibility to pray for our enemies as ‘the very highest summit of self-control.’” It’s also the highest summit of love for our enemies, to pray. Whoever, we come to identify as our enemies, the enemies of Christ, the Son of Man, it doesn’t really matter, as Christians we are to love them, we are to love them most profoundly when we long for their salvation, long for their salvation. Jesus prayed for those who crucified him, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”

Now that we know what love is, and who our enemies are, how in the world are we to do this, really, frankly. How are we to do this? It’s not in us, that’s the first, first, first thing. Yes, it’s not in us, it’s in, it’s, it’s in God. He placed it in us, and we can do it because he has placed his Holy Spirit within us. He’s given us a new nature, a nature that can respond to the Holy Spirit.

So third and final question, how do we love our enemies, how do we do this, how do we love them? First, we start off by remembering that at one time you also were an enemy of God and God loved you. Romans 5:10 says, while we were enemies of God. Same word ekthroi, that’s that word ekthras, enemies, even in that condition, God reconciled us to himself through the death of Jesus Christ. That’s love, we like it when it’s expressed to us.

Second, remember that you’re eternally loved by God and you will never fall away. Jesus has ascribed the condition of blessedness to you because you possess the kingdom of heaven, verse 20, you’re going to be satisfied and laugh one day, verse 21, you’ll be rewarded, verse 23, and rewarded handsomely, verse 35, you’re going to be numbered with the prophets of old, you’re going to be proved to be sons of God, who demonstrate the mercy of their father in heaven on earth. Look, armed with that knowledge you can have confidence in the face of anyone who would orient themselves to you as an enemy, who’d treat you with hostility, why, because you’re backed by God.

Third thing, how do we practice this, remember where you once came from, remember that you will never fall away, God holds you, thirdly remember that this is a command not a suggestion. This is God’s will for you, that you would demonstrate love even for your enemies, even those who are enemies of the Son of Man. You love your friends too, everyone in between, this is an argument from the greater to the lesser okay. But love for enemies defines the outmost limit of those who might be defined as our neighbors.

We love God’s enemies and so doing we prove to be Christ’s disciples. There’s no concern for man pleasing here, no fear of man, rather in the fear of the Lord with an eye to pleasing him, we obey, we obey this command from our Lord. We reach out toward enemies, haters, revilers, abusers, we reach out to them with love, God always has your back. He will always take care of you, even if it doesn’t go well, even if it results in more hostility. In fact, there’s no fear at all under the protection of God, we don’t play the victim as enemies come at us, but rather we take the offensive, we pursue.

This is interesting, we don’t retaliate in kind, we retaliate against them, but in love. We retaliate for them, in love by doing good, blessing them, praying for them, it’s impossible, as we’ve said, it’s impossible to hate or be embittered against those whom you love, do good, bless, and pray. It’s the kind of love this world has never seen. So how do we do this, remembering we were once enemies, God loved us, remembering we were eternally, are eternally loved by God, absolutely safe in his love, and also being mindful that this is a command from our Lord. A lord we want to please, a Lord who gave himself for us. Let me add some encouragement to this.

Number four, you’re gonna, how do we, how do we do this and love our enemy? You’re going to succeed in loving your enemies when you remember that God’s blessing rests upon you when you suffer for the sake of the Son of Man. Peter wrote to a persecuted church suffering under the growing hostility of Rome and led by the, a mad man emperor Nero, here’s what he told them, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”

Listen if it gets, goes from bad to worse, as it’s doing in this country. Let’s not be shocked, let’s not be shocked that’s what he’s saying; rejoice though “rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed,” why? “Because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” So good to hear, we shouldn’t be surprised we should expect it. And if we’re clear about revealed truth, if we’re clear, proclaiming biblical doctrine, if our lives clearly reflect the righteousness of God in what we say and how we act, we rejoice when persecution comes, why, because they can see the difference in us. Peter says the Spirit of glory and God rests upon you, that’s why they attack. Cause for rejoicing.

Fifthly, I want to just get you started with some practical tips in loving your enemies. How do we do this, let me just give you three tips, okay, three tips. Tip number one: commit to praying for them, commit to praying for your enemies. Picture that enemy in your mind and set about to praying for them, write down a prayer list. Keep them in your prayer list and pray for them. Start where Jesus ends by including the enemies in your prayer life. This is preemptive action on your part, and it’s actually going to produce love within you for your enemies. It’s impossible to hate those you regularly pray for.

I love what John Stott wrote, in Christian Counterculture, his book on the Sermon on the Mount. He says this, quote, “if intercessory prayer is an expression on what love we have, it is a means to increase our love as well. It’s impossible to pray for someone without loving him, and impossible to go on praying for him without discovering that our love for him grows and matures. We must not, therefore, wait before praying for an enemy until we feel some love for him,” before, for him, “in our heart. We must begin to pray for him before we are conscious of loving him, and we shall find our love break first into bud, then into blossom.” End quote

So pray preemptively for your enemies, picture that person in your mind, or those people in your mind. Bow before the Lord in prayer for them, for their good, God is going to produce within you that divine love for enemies. He’ll cause the love he’s planted within you by the Holy Spirit to bud, blossom, bare much fruit. Second tip, very much like the first, not only pray for them but do good to your enemy. No matter how they treat you, no matter how they think of you, practice doing good, kind things for them and your feeling will follow.

Listen to what C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, quote, “The rule for all of us is perfectly simple. Do not waste your time bothering with whether you ‘love’ your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we will,” we will, “find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less. The worldly man treats certain people kindly because he ‘likes’ them: the Christian, trying to treat everyone kindly, finds himself liking more and more people as he goes on–including people he could not even have imagined himself liking at the beginning.” End Quote.

That’s been my experience, has it been yours? That when you pray for, when you do good to those you may not know, maybe your enemies, maybe strangers, when we do that, it changes your heart disposition toward them. You imagine standing in heaven with them praising God before his throne and seeing the remarkable work of grace that’s happened in this person’s life. Formerly a, contemporal, contemptible person in your life, but no worse than you before a holy God. Ask God for an opportunity to show kindness to that person, then take it, and you’re soon gonna find your heart softening. It will release you from the bondage to bitterness, the bondage to a desire to retaliate. You’ll enter into glorious freedom of Jesus Christ, and great power of love that overcomes even enemies.

Can I give you a third tip? Share the gospel. If you love your enemies, share the gospel with them. God is holy, they are not, they’re sinners and they stand condemned before his holy Law. But God has been gracious to send Jesus Christ, to show them love even while they are his enemies, that they might be saved, having all their sins taken away, all his wrath completely satisfied in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. By repentance and faith, they too can know him as you do, be reconciled. Wouldn’t you like to see that for all your enemies? That they would be transformed into immediate friends, and brothers and sisters and fellow worshippers of Jesus Christ.

Well, that’s verses 27 and 28 and now we know who our enemies are, what loving them means. We’ve got to realize that loving our enemies doesn’t always result in our singing kumbaya together, does it? Our love, our well doing, our blessing, our praying for them doesn’t necessarily result in their conversion. Unbelievers falling before us, on their knees: good sir, what must I do to be saved, your love is so remarkable, tell me more. You know they don’t do that all the time right? And that’s what our Lord tells us about next as he helps us to anticipate the reaction of enemies, often to the outstretched arms of love. The outstretched hand of love they bite. They’re sometimes very vicious, they don’t exactly warm up to us. “To the one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic. Give to everyone who begs from you, from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.” And if you want to know what that means and what it doesn’t mean, come back next time and find out, okay?