February 24, 2019
For full passage click: Luke 6:32-38 …“But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” vss. 35-36
Sometimes we wonder why Christians behave so despicably in light of our Lord’s clear and unmistakable instructions about how to live in the world. It’s as though we’ve never read the bible! We have embraced a judging and vengeful God and are perfectly willing to serve as that God’s agents. We’re stingy about sharing our blessings and love to build up fortunes for our own use. We have high expectations for others and quickly unfriend them if they hurt our feelings or let us down. That isn’t the Way of Jesus! He spoke of a kind and merciful God, one who loved without conditions, and then told his followers that they should be like God! These are precious words, sometimes translated as, “Be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” Jesus doesn’t present this is an ideal, he wants it to be the reality of our lives. Why should we be this way? Well, we don’t have to be. We’re perfectly free to be complete jerks and still call ourselves Christians. But if that’s our choice, we should at least have the integrity to say we’re not following Jesus. And if we do choose to live like Jesus? Wow, what a blessing for the world and for ourselves!
Thought for the Day: How do I demonstrate compassion in my daily living?
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