Luke 6:27-31
“But to you who are listening I say: 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. Do to others as you would have them do to you.“
Something about this passage jumped out at me today. Jesus does not tell us how to feel, but rather, what to do. Bless them, pray for them, do not avoid them, be generous with them. Treat them as you would like to be treated. Maybe it is the active part of forgiveness that helps us to eventually get to the feeling part. Forgetting (or trying to forget) is not forgiving. Maybe forgiveness is not about how I feel, but about what I do, and how I do it.
Holy Lord, today I heard a new message from you, in a very familiar passage of scripture. Help me to live this out, day to day. Most importantly, I will begin today. Amen
Becky, transforming
Pic by Kay
Luke 6:27-31
The word forgiveness is not mentioned in these verses. But verse 31 says it all: “do to others as you would like them to do you.” To those who need your forgiveness, give them what they really need—your love and understanding. It is about how we respond when we are wronged. Jesus’ teachings are not always easy, but they are the correct way for us to act.
Prayer: Gracious God, help me in my responses to others in all situations. May I offer your love and understanding not my anger. Amen
Thursday, July 18th, 2024
Luke 6:27-31
“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
Loving our enemy is the greatest gift we can give to them ( also the most difficult of all commands) I have learned that to be…
I came across another reflection in a daily devotional that I read each morning that seems to fit nicely here, so I would like to share it.
Reflection by Joe Simmons, SJ
We humans tend to think of generosity as a zero-sum game.
"I owe you one!" we spontaneously say to someone who does us a favor. And what parent hasn’t wondered aloud, "You'd think she could show just a little gratitude, after all I’ve done for her."
Like it or not, we are constantly in a credit-debit relationship with others. Small wonder, then, that we think of God as just another human with calculated generosity—and a much deeper memory of our sins. "Surely, he can’t forgive this," we say,…
Luke 6:27-31
Forgiveness and generosity seem to be firmly linked in this passage. Tangibly showing forgiveness by being graciously generous is the essence of treating others as we would wish to be treated. Even if it may not have been my intent to mistreat another person, we both are made better by forgiveness and vice versa. I recall learning about a program in the juvenile justice system in another state wherein the youthful offender would meet with the person they harmed in some way to ask forgiveness. This is an impressionable age and the program found that in some cases this led to a mentoring relationship or job opportunity for the offenders. The power of forgiveness and turning the other…