Praise the Lord! Warm Christian greetings to the family of SftW in the wonderful name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Lord has been good to us during the past week and He kept us safe and secure so far in our life despite the outcome of the days (good or not so good). Definitely, some of us might have had some easy days while some might have experienced some tough times in their life. On account of the original sin, which was taken place in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-24), the whole creation (Romans 8:22-23), especially the humankind, came under the bondage of sin causing the whole creation go through a lots of spiritual as well as physical struggles for their existence, especially the humankind. The spiritual forces (good and/or evil) that are at work in the world are in conflict with one another and causes trouble for the rest of God’s creation. Jesus warned His disciples in advance that they will have trouble in this world as they try to live a righteous life as His chosen ones (John 16:33). The trouble that Jesus mentioned could be spiritual as well as physical; natural as well as man-made; within human control as well as beyond human control; or anything as such. We can understand that very often we hear about or experience natural calamities such as earthquakes or landslides; rainstorm or hailstorm; heatwave or cold wave; droughts or floods; volcanos or wild-fires; or anything as such (which are beyond man’s ability to control it); or man caused dangers such as war, conflicts, accidents, violence or anything as such due to one’s carelessness or lack of thoughtfulness (which may be able to avoid with one’s self-control or thoughtfulness about others or rest of God’s creation but many a times such things happens in the world); or any other misfortune or illness or situations like that just happens to man just like that. It is our faith and hope that the Lord God who called us is in control of the situations (good or bad) we go through and He promised His presence would go with us in every life circumstances we come across until the end of the age.

The Lord has blessed us with a far-reaching Scripture passage for our SftW meditation this week, which is taken from the Gospel According to Luke 6:27-31. This passage focuses on some of Jesus’ specific teachings to His disciples and other faithful followers inviting them to put into practice the love and mercy they have experienced from God with everyone including their enemies and those who hate them. Jesus commanded them to (i) love one and all without any favoritism; (ii) show kindness to one and all without any bias; (iii) bless one and all without any partiality; (iv) practice forgiveness to one and all including those who hate them and mistreat them and persecute them; (v) do good to one and all when someone needs your help the most; (vi) pray and intercede for one and all including those who hate them, curse them, persecute them; (vii) do not judge or condemn anyone; and so on. Jesus was encouraging His followers to do to others as you would have them do to them (Luke 6:31; also refer to Matthew 7:12 & Leviticus  19:18), which is considered to be the golden rule in the Scripture.

God’s ways and world’s ways are different and they do not get along in a smooth way (1 Corinthians 1:18-21; Colossians 3:23). The worldly values and principles, power and possessions, pleasures and desires, and systems and methods, could be emerged from a self-centered and self-seeking and materialistic point of view, which operate in opposition to God’s ways and values and purposes. A worldly person may not be able to understand the godly teachings, as Apostle Paul noted: The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14). God spoke through Isaiah that For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). Jesus said, My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place (John 18:36). Therefore, the world and the worldly people (the people who do not acknowledge God as their Lord and Savior) hate Jesus and His followers. Jesus said to His disciples: If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you (John 15:18-19). This was the reason Jesus interceded for His disciples before His Father in heaven: My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it (John 17:15-16). Jesus said to the people who opposed Him: You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world (John 8:23).

The worldly pattern of life-style varies from person to person. Some people do not want to give away anything or their valuables to anyone else or take anything from anyone for themselves (mine is mine and yours is yours model); but some others think that the proper way to deal with others is to give what you have and take what they have or the other way around (exchange model) whatever it might be. Some individuals practice the model ‘return to me what I have given you and I will return to you what you have given me’ (for instance: money for money or things for things; and so on model). Yet, for some others, they want everything from everyone else and they want others to do good to them, love them, respect them, honor them, and so on. Such people always wanted to receive from others but on no occasion tries to give something to others. They practice the model of what is mine is mine and what you have [either what you have given me or all that I have taken from you by force] is also mine. There might be also individuals here and there (if any) who give away their stuff to others just like that or help others without expecting anything back from them. Also, there might be people who carry out their dealings with others other than the ways and methods we discussed here.

Nevertheless, on the contrary to the above mentioned peoples’ behaviors and practices, Jesus taught His disciples a different model for dealing with others. Jesus said:

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full (Luke 6:32-34)

Jesus commanded His disciples that Do to others as you would have them do to you (Luke 6:31). The underlying factor about ‘Do to others as you would have them do to you’ is that they need to do it without expecting anything from the other end. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is doing everything to the humanity without expecting anything from them. For instance, God the Father did it in the beginning in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-24 [v.21]) and later sent His Son [Jesus Christ] to this world to save their lives from eternal condemnation (John 3:16). Jesus Christ [God the Son did it – While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8); and God the Holy Spirit continues to do it – the Holy Spirit convict people about sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11). This means, our word and deed need to go hand in hand. Jesus practiced what He preached, which means, Jesus lived the way as He said/taught/preached. Jesus taught His apostles and other disciples and followers the same. The Scripture very clearly teaches to live righteously and continue to help others (Deuteronomy 15:7-11; Proverbs 19:17; Matthew 25:35-40; Luke 3:11; 2 Corinthians 9:9-11; 1 John 3:17-18). It is the promise of Christ that their heavenly Father will keep providing for their needs and they in turn can keep helping others those who do not have without expecting anything in return.

In addition, Jesus gave the following commands to His faithful followers: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back (Luke 6:27-30). This is beyond even anyone’s thinking. We can see similar concept recorded in the Old Testament where the Lord God spoke through prophet Isaiah that Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow (Isaiah 1:17). God spoke His people Israel through prophet Amos to love and seek good and hate evil and establish justice in the courts: Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts … (Amos 5:14-15). Prophet Micah stated that He [the Lord God Almighty] has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8). Prophet Zechariah stated what the Lord spoke to His people through him, This is what the LORD Almighty said: Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other (Zechariah 7:9-10).

The reality is that a person cannot live godly life and worldly life at the same time. They have to give up one to hold on to the other. Jesus said: No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24; also refer to Luke 16:13). James the brother of Jesus wrote: Friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God (James 4:4). Apostle John urged the believers in the early church (which is applicable to us also), saying: Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever (1 John 2:15-17). Since our physical existence is a reality and it is in the world, we cannot avoid the world completely; rather, we have to live in the world until the end of the days the Lord God has assigned for us (Job 14:5; Psalm 90:10; 139:16b). Therefore, as long as we are in the world, we neither should live our life according to the pattern of this world nor should compromise with anything in the world (1 John 2:15-17). Instead, we, as the faithful followers of Jesus Christ, need to tune our life absolutely according to the pattern of the righteous laws and decrees and commands the Lord God has given us. Apostle Peter urged the believers to abstain from all kinds of sinful desires: Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul (1 Peter 2:11; also refer to Colossians 3:5). Prophet Daniel and his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego decided not to defile themselves in Babylon despite serving in the court of king Nebuchadnezzar, as it is stated: Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way (Daniel 1:8). Since our citizenship is in heaven, we need to live life worthy of heaven’s calling upon our lives, as Apostle Paul stated: Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body (Philippians 3:20-21).

Let us read, study, and analyze again the Scripture passage we chose for our meditation this week (Luke 6:27-31), so that our meditation will be meaningful and we will be able to apply the Biblical truth in our life and ministry, which would bring blessings upon all those around us. As we have just read in the Scripture passage, Jesus taught His disciples and and faithful followers … 

• • Love your enemies (v.27a)
  • Do good to those who hate you (v.27b)
  • Bless those who curse you (v.28a)
  • Pray for those who mistreat you (v.28b)
  • If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also (v.29a)
  • If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them (v.29b)
  • Give to everyone who asks you (v.30a)
  • If anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back (v.30b)
  • Do to others as you would have them do to you (v.31)

Also, Luke 6:35-38

• • Love your enemies (v.35a)
  • Do good to your enemies (v.35b)
  • Lend to your enemies without expecting to get anything back (v.35c)
    • If so, your reward will be great (v.35d)
    • If so, you will be children of the Most High (v.35e)
  • For God is kind to the ungrateful and wicked (v.35f)
  • Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful (v.36)
  • Do not judge, and you will not be judged (v.37a)
  • Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned (v.37b)
  • Forgive, and you will be forgiven (v.37c)
  • Give, and it will be given to you (v.38a)
  • It will be given back a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap (v.38b)
  • For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you (v.38c)

As we conclude this week’s meditation, let us give heed to the teachings of Jesus and adopt Jesus’ model of life-style in our life (Philippians 2:5-11). Remember, Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17-20). Similarly, Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save the world through His life, ministry, death, and resurrection from the dead (John 3:16-17; 12:44-50). And, at the moment, Jesus is seated at the right hand of God and interceding for us (Matthew 22:44; Acts 7:55-56; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; 1 Peter 3:22; Revelation 3:21). Therefore, let us live our life worthy of His calling in our life and focus on fulfilling the purpose of God in and through our life. May the Lord God Almighty bless us all! Amen!