Bible League: Living His Word “Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.”— Luke 6:28 NLT In the previous verse, Jesus says, “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27). In saying this, Jesus shows us that the second greatest commandment, the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves (Leviticus 19:18), applies to our enemies as well as to our family and friends. In our verse for today, He gives us two particular ways that we should fulfill the commandment. First, He says that we should bless those who curse us. In this context, to bless someone means to “speak well of them,” or to “speak well to them.” Obviously, it’s not an easy thing to do. The first inclination of the sinful self is to verbally lash out at those who curse us. Loving our enemies, however, requires that we speak well of them and speak kindly to them. It’s probably the last thing we want to do, but by doing it we will be following Jesus’ command. Second, He says that we should pray for those who hurt us. In this context, to be hurt by someone means to be injured by them in some way or to be persecuted by them. Instead of responding in kind, we should pray for them. No doubt, praying for someone is one of the highest manifestations of loving our enemies. After all, enemies who hurt us are in desperate need of prayer. They need to be delivered from sin and evil just as we needed to be delivered. Since Jesus’ two ways of loving our enemies go against the ways that people usually respond in these situations, we might well ask the question – Why? Why should we love our enemies in these ways? The answer comes a few verses later in the chapter. When we love our enemies, we are “acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked” (Luke 6:35b). The Most High is compassionate, so we should be compassionate as well (Luke 6:36). The Lord realizes how difficult this will be for His followers, because He gives an incentive to do it. He says (Luke 6:35) that if we do these things, our “reward from heaven will be very great.” Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingNehemiah 12, 13 Nehemiah 12 -- Priests and Levites Who Returned; Dedication of the Wall NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Nehemiah 13 -- Foreigners Excluded; Tobiah Expelled; Tithes and Sabbath Restored NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Acts 4:23-37 Acts 4 -- Peter and John Arrested and Released; Believers Share All NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Insight Jesus challenged society's norms. To him, greatness comes from serving—giving of yourself to help God and others. Service keeps us aware of others' needs, and it stops us from focusing only on ourselves. Jesus came as a servant. Challenge What kind of greatness do you seek? Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Mark 1:18 Straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.When they heard the call of Jesus, Simon and Andrew obeyed at once without demur. If we would always, punctually and with resolute zeal, put in practice what we hear upon the spot, or at the first fit occasion, our attendance at the means of grace, and our reading of good books, could not fail to enrich us spiritually. He will not lose his loaf who has taken care at once to eat it, neither can he be deprived of the benefit of the doctrine who has already acted upon it. Most readers and hearers become moved so far as to purpose to amend; but, alas! the proposal is a blossom which has not been knit, and therefore no fruit comes of it; they wait, they waver, and then they forget, till, like the ponds in nights of frost, when the sun shines by day, they are only thawed in time to be frozen again. That fatal to-morrow is blood-red with the murder of fair resolutions; it is the slaughter-house of the innocents. We are very concerned that our little book of "Evening Readings" should not be fruitless, and therefore we pray that readers may not be readers only, but doers, of the word. The practice of truth is the most profitable reading of it. Should the reader be impressed with any duty while perusing these pages, let him hasten to fulfil it before the holy glow has departed from his soul, and let him leave his nets, and all that he has, sooner than be found rebellious to the Master's call. Do not give place to the devil by delay! Haste while opportunity and quickening are in happy conjunction. Do not be caught in your own nets, but break the meshes of worldliness, and away where glory calls you. Happy is the writer who shall meet with readers resolved to carry out his teachings: his harvest shall be a hundredfold, and his Master shall have great honor. Would to God that such might be our reward upon these brief meditations and hurried hints. Grant it, O Lord, unto thy servant! Daily Light on the Daily Path Psalm 139:3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.Genesis 28:16,17 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it." • He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." 2 Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars." Psalm 4:8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety. Psalm 91:9-11 For you have made the LORD, my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place. • No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent. • For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. Proverbs 3:24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Psalm 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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