“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 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. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." (Luke 6:32-36 NLT)
We are not normal if we follow Jesus' directives. We live in a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" world. People do things for others expecting something in return. Jesus tells us to be kind to others without expecting anything in return, including the ungrateful and wicked. For the second time Jesus tells us to "love your enemies." That is definitely not normal.
But Christians are not called to live a normal life. Jesus gives us a new life, one transformed by His Spirit. I can't love my enemies on my own. But God can love them through me. It is better to be "not normal" and follow Jesus than to be normal and follow the crowd.
We are not normal if we follow Jesus' directives. We live in a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" world. People do things for others expecting something in return. Jesus tells us to be kind to others without expecting anything in return, including the ungrateful and wicked. For the second time Jesus tells us to "love your enemies." That is definitely not normal.
But Christians are not called to live a normal life. Jesus gives us a new life, one transformed by His Spirit. I can't love my enemies on my own. But God can love them through me. It is better to be "not normal" and follow Jesus than to be normal and follow the crowd.
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