Today’s passage: Luke 6:27-36
Helpful thoughts:
- Verse 31 is surrounded with commands that make this central command different from the way the world thinks about it.
- This is not a command about doing good things to people in order to get treated well.
- This is a command about treating others well, even if they are NOT treating you well.
- Romans 5:8 – “…God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
- When I see how much mercy God has shown to me through Christ (The Gospel!), it enables and strengthens me to show mercy to others.
Questions to consider:
- In what ways did Christ exemplify this unconditional love and kindness He has commanded us to pursue?
- How does the command of verse 31 change if Christ had said, “Don’t do bad things to others if you don’t want them to do bad things to you”? How does Jesus’ command display love as opposed to self-preservation?
- Is there someone from whom you have been withholding kindness and love? How could you exemplify Christ-like love today?