Luke 6:26-30

Luke 6:26 (KJB)
Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

The fourth woe is when you receive all kinds of accolades from the world and everyone speaks well of you which shows that you are walking with the world and against Christ. The false prophets were also spoken of highly by those who hated God. (1 Ki 22:6 KJV) Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. Ahab was surrounded by false prophets which no doubt ate good and were well spoken of. The true prophets were hated and the false prophets were coddled. The false prophets will share the same fate as the other unbelievers.

Luke 6:27 (KJB)
But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

Love your enemies - This is not the phony Hollywood type of love but the true sacrificing type of love on behalf of someone who is the enemy of Christians. As I stated before, an unbeliever is still in the kingdom of Satan and is therefore the enemy of the Christian as Satan is the enemy of God. The highest form of love a Christian can show to an unbeliever is to bring him or her the Gospel desiring to see them become saved. Earthly goods will fade and be burnt up but salvation is for eternity and Christians who sacrifice time and personal wealth to see others come into the Kingdom of God are showing true Christian love to the enemies.

Do good to them that hate you - The word “good” carries with it the meaning of “correctly, well, or commendably.” All unbelievers, especially religious unbelievers will be in constant opposition to the message of the true Gospel. Since they cannot attack and change the message, they attack the messenger. The believer is to respond to them in such a manner that their hatred of us is returned with goodness. If we seek vengeance, then we only cause every matter to explode but if we repay hatred with goodness, then we disarm the enemy and we become instant witnesses for the Gospel and we also become a witness against their hatred. (Rom 12:18 KJV) If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

Luke 6:28 (KJB)
Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

Bless them that curse you - A blessing is not just standing around and saying to the unbeliever “God bless you.” A blessing from God is an intervention in the life of His children. In the same manner that God blesses us, we are to bless or intervene in the life of those that curse us. A curse is when someone wishes evil upon you. It can even mean someone who is actually doing evil against you so the word goes beyond just words or malicious intent.

And pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; - Nowhere in Scripture is this portrayed better than in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Luke 23:33-34 KJV) And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. {34} Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. While they were nailing Jesus to the cross, He was praying for those who were doing it and asking for their forgiveness. A disciple who followed the example of Jesus was Stephen, when he was being stoned for telling the truth, he too prayed for his executioners. (Acts 7:60 KJV) And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. The principle of praying for our enemy should be a part of every Christian’s lifestyle. Have you prayed for someone to be saved? Then you have prayed for the enemy. One day I was waiting at a red light and a woman in a car came up next to me and saw my bumper stickers. She told me that if she could, she would slit all four of my tires. Little did she know that her evil comments caused her to be added to my daily prayer list. She was from Pennsylvania and I live in New Jersey so I may never know the outcome until we are in glory. Nevertheless, you do not need to worry about outcome. You just obey and leave the results to God.

Luke 6:29 (KJB)
And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.

Jesus now contrasts the eye for an eye law with a new way of responding to the wrongs which are done to us. Jesus counsels His disciples not to resist the evil or wrongdoing which is directed at them. This would make the “get even” attitude out of character for the true Christians. Since we live in a world that is hostile to the Gospel, we are to expect much persecution. If we were to fight back and plan revenge, then we are placing ourselves back into the mindset of the world. If a person persecutes you in some manner and you do not resist, then you are showing that you are true disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ plus you may disarm that person by showing them love which is a response that will do them no harm. It has been recorded in Roman history that when the Christians were being killed in the Coliseum and they gave no resistance, people in the stands started commiserating with them and many became Christians because of their true testimonies unto death.

Then Jesus states that if a person owes a man money or something else and goes to court to have the situation adjudicated, the lender had the right to take a person’s coat from them. This would have been a mandatory relinquishment. When it comes to the cloak, if the borrower gives his cloak as a pledge, then the lender is to accept it but is to return it before sunset. The cloak was the outer garment and was used as a blanket and a poor person would only have the cloak as their blanket and if they slept outside, then it would have been needed to prevent them from freezing overnight. The principle here is that Jesus is pointing to the fact that the material goods of the world are not important but the attitude of His disciples are. If one owes another money and willingly gives his cloak for a pledge, he is showing good will that he will pay back whatever is owed and he would be showing that publicly in front of the judge. (Exo 22:25-26 KJV) If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury. {26} If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down: By accepting the cloak, the lender is also accepting whatever terms of repayment is being negotiated.

Luke 6:30 (KJB)
Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

When someone has something that another might need and they ask for it, then it should be given without hesitation. (1 John 3:17 KJV) But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? This is not only speaking about money but any of the world’s goods a Christian may have and another needs it. If someone wants to borrow something from you, then do not walk away in the sense that you refuse to help. There may be sometimes that you would be unable to loan something or give something, but tell the individual and then help them to procure what is needed. The love and kindness of the Christian must be the guiding factor in dealing with all people. Responding properly to giving and borrowing will keep one from becoming a materialistic Christian ruled by the spirit of hoarding. It teaches us the principle of generosity in giving and loaning to help others.

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