Luke 6:20-31 (NRSV)
Read Luke 6:20-31 on biblegateway.com
Verse 20Then he looked up at his disciples and said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Verse 21"Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. "Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Verse 22"Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Verse 23Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. Verse 24"But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Verse 25"Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. "Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. Verse 26"Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.
Verse 27"But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, Verse 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. Verse 29If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Verse 30Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Verse 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Devotion
My dad loves to quote Proverbs 25:21-22, “If your enemies are hungry, give them bread to eat, and if they are thirsty, give them water to drink, for you will heap coals of fire on their heads, and the Lord will reward you.” My dad always encouraged us to respond always with love and compassion, if for no other reason than it just messes with people’s heads!
It takes a lot to respond to pain and hurt with compassion and love. We are taught at every turn that when someone hurts us, we should hurt them back. Yet, there is a consistent thread in the scriptures that tells us to respond with love and compassion. We are not to return evil for evil; vengeance is not ours—it is the Lord’s. This does not mean that we do not stand with the hurting. It does not mean that we ignore the pain caused by others in our lives. It means that we do not respond with pain. Jesus calls us to respond with love—to choose love and see what follows.
Prayer
Loving God, help us to respond to the situations of hurt and pain in our lives with love. Move us through compassion to bring help and healing wherever we can in our lives. Amen.
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