Loving Your Enemies, Luke 6:32-35
"But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil."
As Jesus pointed out, it is easy to lend to those who you know will return what you've loaned them, and it is easy to love those who love you. It is simple to do nice things for someone who is nice to you, as it is simple to do good things for a thankful, appreciative person. But what if the person before you is not thankful and appreciative? What if they are mean and rude, never returning what you've loaned them, never returning a favor, and never doing anything nice for you? Would you still bless them with your kindness? Would you still help them out?
According to Jesus-- according to God (for Jesus is God)-- we are obligated to help out and bless even those who are not nice to us, those who are not expected to return the effort. Why is this? Why would He ask us to do such a thing? Well, again as Jesus stated, even the worldy, unsaved people who do whatever their wicked hearts lead them to return kindness for kindness. Even they loan to people who they know will pay them back. Even they are willing to love those who love them. But Jesus wants us, His disciples, to stand out. He wants us to be different than the world. And this is one way in which He gives us a practical way to do just that.
In telling us to love our enemies and to do good to those who will not repay us (and may even do us evil in return), Jesus is showing us what our motives should be. He's not trying to make us into a group of contraries who just do the opposite of what seams logical; He is showing us that the heart of our good deeds should not be to be blessed in return, but to truly help people in a completely selfless manner.
When someone is in need, our first thought should not be whether or not that person will ever help us when we are in need. Our first thought should be that since we have the ability to help them, we in deed ought to. We should have a heart like His-- full of grace, mercy, and compassion, reaching out to those in need. What did man have to offer God when He came down to earth in the form of human flesh and hung on a cross, bleeding and suffocating for our perversity and wickedness? Man had nothing. And man still has nothing to offer God. Yet, in His mercy and grace, He saw our need and out of selfless love, Jesus gave everything He had to meet that need. That need was to be cleansed from sin and to regain fellowship with God. By His blood we now have communion with our Creator and stand in His presence as pure and spotless, unblemished children of God.
Knowing what a price Christ paid for us and what we had to offer Him in return (nothing) ought to humble us and create in us a willingness to help others. We ourselves have been given a most amazing gift of mercy and grace, how should we, in return, not give of ourselves all that we have to bless others? This is the picture Jesus was giving when He said, "love your enemies, do good to them which hate you". In doing this, we stand apart from the rest of the world. In doing this, His light and His love shine through us. In doing this, we are a beacon for the lost, calling them unto the eternal hope in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.