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by Sandy Shaw
Luke 6:17. We have been reading about those two groups - those who need Jesus - and those whom Jesus needs. The crowds have come around Jesus again with their various needs and He ministers to them all, but Jesus has just been choosing His twelve disciples and now He looks at them and speaks to them. When you see people that can affect what you are going to say. It is time to teach. It is time to train. It is time to start discipling and disciplining these men. Do you think it is time to do these things today in our society?
These teachings of Jesus are almost a contradiction at first sight. Remember when you read the word Kingdom that it means GOVERNMENT, and some resist government. Being in the Government of God is prefect freedom.
Here are some secrets of blessing, and they can shake our way of thinking.
Follow ME and you will be blessed, but you will be confronted with conflict. You will face hunger - hatred - and rejection. You may feel like just wanting to sit down and cry. Don’t do that - rather, rejoice - get up and leap - this is how the prophets were treated.
People say - If only we could live according to the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount - the world’s problems would disappear - true - but only the disciple of Jesus can live like that.
Jesus then has a word for those who are having it easy in the world - rich - full - laughing - those who are praised. According to Jesus - to be well liked by everybody - popular and praised and approved by all equals being a false prophet.
He makes it clear that you are going to have enemies! So what are we to do? How are we to react? Now, do check the actual text.
Love - do good - bless - and pray for – I tell you – doing all that is a full-time job. When Jesus speaks about being mistreated - abused – rejected, He is describing His OwnSituation.
Jesus is teaching us - 1. What to expect 2Who will appear - enemies. 3. How we are to respond - spelling out love in very practical terms.
Verse 31. If we only love those who love us, then we are just behaving like those who have never been bornagain. It is all so radical and revolutionary.
Verse 35. It is as if Jesus senses that even His chosen men were finding it all a bit hard going. He repeats previous words. Did He think that even His chosen men would find it all very hard going?
Verse 36. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. And, don’t judge. Jesus has a way of going right to the very heart of things immediately. He could see these disciples - planning in their minds what they were going to say to those who were opposing them - criticising - insulting - mistreating - working out their defence. Learn not to judge - not to condemn. Don’t point the finger and don’t accuse. This does not mean we overlook sin, or sit silent when we should be speaking out, or challenging something which is wrong. We have to forgive if we are going to be forgiven.
Now, note the order. If you want to be forgiven, forgive first. No matter how hard it might be, if you are aware of someone you have to forgive, forgive that person. Write them a note. Telephone them. Contact them in some way. But whatever you do, forgive.
One friend used to say, “Love your enemies, it will tickle them to death”.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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