George
Thorogood and the Destroyers – 1978
Bo Diddly –
1956
Repeated
question to a girl named Arlene – “Who do you love?”
Luke 6 –
Sermon on the Plain, continued – provokes us to ask – “Who do you love?”
I think
we’ve all experienced that some people are easier to love than others. This is
especially the case if love is the same as liking or having affection for
someone.
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Just
had Valentine’s Day a little over a week ago – romantic notion
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A
lot of our ideas of love are related to some kind of good feeling between
people.
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But
that doesn’t seem to be how Jesus uses the word “love” in this context.
Listen to
what he says: I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to
those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If anyone hits
you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your
coat, don’t hold back your shirt either. 30 Give to
everyone who asks you, and from someone who takes your things, don’t ask for
them back. 31 Just as you want others to do for
you, do the same for them.
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This
is not romantic. Good feelings are not likely when someone is hitting or
mistreating you.
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Humanly
speaking, this kind of love might not be particularly appealing to us.
But this
kind of love is reflective of God’s love for us.
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Think
of the history of humanity – sin, disobedience, idolatry – O.T. characterizes
as unfaithfulness between a husband and wife.
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And
what does God do? Loves. Pursues. Blesses. Redeems. Saves.
This kind of
love is not focused on what you get out of it or receive from the other person.
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Love
in this world is often quid-pro-quo – it is rooted in what we get out of the
relationship.
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It’s
a lot easier to do to someone if they’re good to you.
Again,
listen to what Jesus says: If you love those who love you, what credit is that
to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 If
you do what is good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those
from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners
lend to sinners to be repaid in full. 35 But love
your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your
reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. For he is
gracious to the ungrateful and evil. 36 Be
merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
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It’s
actually sin that leads us to “look out for #1.”
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It
is sin that causes us to focus on ourselves instead of our neighbors.
But think
about how and when God loved us.
Romans
5:8-10 – But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us. … 10 For if, while we
were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of
his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his
life!
1 John 4:10
- This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his
Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
And this is
what v. 37-38 are driving at: “Do not judge, and you
will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.
Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it
will be given to you; a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running
over—will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will
be measured back to you.”
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This
passage is badly misused when Christians think it means that Jesus is saying we
shouldn’t confront other people’s sin. “Do not judge!”
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Love
rejoices in the truth and desires God’s good for people.
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This
is really about how you treat someone whose sin is obvious, scandalous, our
particularly offensive.
o
Do
you judge … unworthy of love?
o
Do
you condemn … someone who cannot be saved?
o
Or
do you forgive … and lead them to the forgiveness that you, yourself, hold on
to?
o
Because
when you forgive
§ You acknowledge the sin and its
damage
§ Rooted in love – the kind of love
that Jesus revealed at the cross
§ Imitates Jesus – “Father, forgive
them …”
That’s what
Jesus does for us with our sin.
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Looks
upon you with love.
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Gives
himself to redeem you.
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Gives
grace and blessings to you in good measure, incredibly generous, packed in and
overflowing.
Apply that
image to some important gifts
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Baptism
– a spring that wells up to eternal life washing sins away.
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Lord’s
Supper – Christ’s body and blood – his whole self for you
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Holy
Spirit – makes us holy – forgiveness and in the life we live.
o
He
is working to help you love.
Who do you
love? In this life, answering that question can get a little complicated
because of our sin.
Perhaps a
better question for us is: Who do you love for Jesus sake? Who do you love
because you have been so loved, so forgiven, so blessed. When we ask the
question that way the answer quickly becomes: Everyone. We love everyone for
Jesus’ sake and we seek their good – God’s good for them – which is exactly
what Jesus did for us. Amen.
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