Word@Work Luke87 - Luke 6:27-28
Published: Thu, 04/22/10
Word@Work from BeaconLight
LISTENING AND LOVING THE UNLOVELY
Luke 6:27-28 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who ill-treat you. (NIV)
We tend to listen out for what we want to hear. But Jesus said that, unless the disciples and the crowd chose to hear His very different 'take' on relationships, they would learn nothing. His lesson was about loving. Naturally, we love those who love us and hate those who are hostile. However Jesus knew that enemies would stay hostile unless love came into their lives from somewhere: and the most potent source of love to an angry person comes from the victim of his/her anger.
Blessing and cursing are mentioned frequently in the Bible. They are words spoken with a deliberate intent that good or bad things would happen to somebody else. Of course, Satan uses curses as a permission to spoil and destroy. So Jesus (as the life-giver and restorer) said they should never use curses because He has no interest in seeing Satan's work perpetuated in the lives of those He loves. So although the devil manipulates people into hatred in order to precipitate an avalanche of enmity, Jesus wants that bad cascade to stop and be reversed. So He commands that the right response to a curse is to desire that person's good and to confirm that by speaking it out.
Ill treatment, victimisation, bullying, threatening and abuse are unfortunately no strangers to the workplace, and there may be little we can do directly to change somebody's attitude. But we can and must pray. Sometimes it seems easier to pray that God will bless the friendly employee or employer. However, those who understand the motivation of Jesus in submitting to suffering in order to save rebels (see www.crosscheck.org.uk to know more), will appreciate His prayer "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). Although that is a hard lesson to learn, the disciples did (Acts 7:6). If we are to be disciples of Jesus, we need to learn the lesson too. Firstly, we have to want to listen to what He says; and then we have to do it. The proof of our discipleship is whether we do!
Prayer: Loving heavenly Father. I am amazed at the graciousness of Jesus Christ who not only submitted Himself to so much abuse and injustice but also prayed that the perpetrators would be forgiven. Although my trials seem much less serious, please help me to listen to the words of Jesus so that I may learn to love the unlovely, blessing those who curse and praying for those who do me harm. May I practise this discipleship in the office and hospital, hotel and port, and in private and public. Help me to fix my eyes on Jesus as the perfect example of God's love towards rebellious sinners, spiteful accusers and evil liars. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and many other languages
We tend to listen out for what we want to hear. But Jesus said that, unless the disciples and the crowd chose to hear His very different 'take' on relationships, they would learn nothing. His lesson was about loving. Naturally, we love those who love us and hate those who are hostile. However Jesus knew that enemies would stay hostile unless love came into their lives from somewhere: and the most potent source of love to an angry person comes from the victim of his/her anger.
Blessing and cursing are mentioned frequently in the Bible. They are words spoken with a deliberate intent that good or bad things would happen to somebody else. Of course, Satan uses curses as a permission to spoil and destroy. So Jesus (as the life-giver and restorer) said they should never use curses because He has no interest in seeing Satan's work perpetuated in the lives of those He loves. So although the devil manipulates people into hatred in order to precipitate an avalanche of enmity, Jesus wants that bad cascade to stop and be reversed. So He commands that the right response to a curse is to desire that person's good and to confirm that by speaking it out.
Ill treatment, victimisation, bullying, threatening and abuse are unfortunately no strangers to the workplace, and there may be little we can do directly to change somebody's attitude. But we can and must pray. Sometimes it seems easier to pray that God will bless the friendly employee or employer. However, those who understand the motivation of Jesus in submitting to suffering in order to save rebels (see www.crosscheck.org.uk to know more), will appreciate His prayer "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). Although that is a hard lesson to learn, the disciples did (Acts 7:6). If we are to be disciples of Jesus, we need to learn the lesson too. Firstly, we have to want to listen to what He says; and then we have to do it. The proof of our discipleship is whether we do!
Prayer: Loving heavenly Father. I am amazed at the graciousness of Jesus Christ who not only submitted Himself to so much abuse and injustice but also prayed that the perpetrators would be forgiven. Although my trials seem much less serious, please help me to listen to the words of Jesus so that I may learn to love the unlovely, blessing those who curse and praying for those who do me harm. May I practise this discipleship in the office and hospital, hotel and port, and in private and public. Help me to fix my eyes on Jesus as the perfect example of God's love towards rebellious sinners, spiteful accusers and evil liars. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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