Love on a New Level
Luke 6:27-38
Matthew, one of the 12 disciples, wrote this in his gospel: “People were amazed at Jesus’ teaching - he taught as one who had authority, not like the teachers of the Law.” (Mt. 7:28-29). We’ve just heard a portion of Jesus’ first sermon this morning, preached to his newly chosen inner circle and to a larger, diverse crowd. He’s teaching them the true aim of God’s laws and what it would look like to walk that path of faith in their everyday life.
As Jesus began his ministry, there were two well-respected Jewish teachers who were interpreting how to obey the Laws of God. Shammai had a very strict approach, but Hillel was more moderate. We’ll take a look at Hillel today because his view was more expansive, so he’s a good link to what Jesus is about to teach.
One day Hillel was asked to explain the entire Torah while standing on one foot. His response was brilliant: “whatever is hateful to you, don’t do that to your neighbor. This is the whole Torah and the rest of it is commentary; go and learn from this.” Here’s an example. If you believe stealing from others is a terrible choice, Hillel says: make sure you never steal from your neighbor. Following this formula could keep people safely within the boundaries of the Law. A helpful way to remember this would be to imagine yourself within a fenced-in area. If a person of faith remained aware of such a fence, it could prevent them from crossing over it and harming others. It would help restrain them, so they did not sin.
The religious leaders of the day, in an effort to help people follow God’s laws, had fenced them in to tighter and more rigid places by adding on many extra rules. The intent behind the numerous smaller rules was to help people avoid sin, but it was a rigid and nearly impossible way to live out one’s faith. Jesus came to offer a fresh, new way to walk a holy path that pleases God. To understand how radically different Jesus’ way was, compared to Hillel’s or that of the Pharisees, I’ll share some real-life examples. Pay close attention because one choice will focus on the minimum and the other on the maximum. One will be concerned with avoiding sin -- the other aims itself toward the Torah’s true intentions:
Then Jesus came on the scene; he’d often tell the crowds, “You have heard it said... but I tell you.” I want to pause here and emphasize that Jesus didn’t come to earth to break Old Testament Laws, he came to fulfill them. He didn’t come to update popular interpretations of the Torah, as Hillel did. Jesus came to call people to Himself - to take their eyes off from fences and rules, designed to stop them from sinning.
Jesus calls his followers to be in the world, present and available to be used by God. Not depending on our willpower but on the unlimited power of the Holy Spirit. One of the most provoking examples of choices a person of faith can make is this: We may avoid being hateful. Or Love our neighbors as ourselves. Which of the two describes Jesus’ mission on earth, and ours too?
Here’s a story to help us see what that might look like: A Christian lady owned two prized chickens that got out of their run and busied themselves in the garden of the lady’s rather grouchy neighbor. The man was incensed when he saw the two hens. He ran out, chased and caught the hens, wrung their necks, and threw them back over the fence. As you can imagine, the woman was upset when she found them, but she avoided her urge to get angry, rush over and scream at the man.
Instead, she took the birds, dressed them out, and prepared two chicken pot pies. She walked over and delivered one of the freshly baked pies to the man who’d killed her hens. When she handed him the chicken pot pie, she apologized to him for not being more careful about keeping her chickens in her own yard. Meanwhile, her children, expecting an angry scene, had hidden behind a bush to see the man's face and hear what he'd say… but the man was speechless! He took the chicken pot pie, felt a burning sense of shame, and then apologized to her for reacting so harshly.
Each one of us can choose either to “avoid being hateful” or “love our neighbors”. That contrast in behavior is what Jesus was asking his audience to consider. In his sermon He said: “If someone slaps you on one cheek, let him also slap the other.” To be struck on the face, usually by the back of the right hand, was a serious insult in Middle Eastern culture; a Jew would be heavily fined. But the focus here is on the victim. It was often done by someone who had more authority or wealth than others. A master might slap his slave, or a well-off landowner might strike a neighbor’s son who’d been caught stealing his chickens. There was often an inequity in power or position in these situations.
If slapped, a person of faith could imagine an invisible fence around themselves and choose not to defend themselves or retaliate; you would not sin. But those who often hit people in the face are not easily deterred from doing it again - they may even be emboldened.
Jesus said that if a person of faith was struck on one cheek, turn your other cheek toward them. That would allow someone to easily hit them again. Does that sound like a passive and foolish choice? I want to clarify here that Jesus is not telling us to put ourselves in potential danger. He is, however, showing us a radical option that aims to change the future behavior of the offending party. Witnesses would likely have been around, so if a bully in his anger slapped the other cheek, they would be exposing themselves to great criticism. It would expose their temper and mistreatment of others. That could have real consequences: they could be shunned by neighbors, not given good work opportunities, and more. If someone is in a painful place of their own making, could it make them consider what they did, and why, and whether they should ever do it again? Can you see how offering the second cheek to a bully can lead toward future justice? And how a bully who feels remorse may be taking their first meaningful step toward a changed life?
Jesus also said: “If someone urges you to give them your coat, give him your shirt as well.” A plain longer tunic was typically worn back then, and also an outer wrap. Is Jesus saying that if a beggar asks a man of faith for help, something to keep him warm at night, they should strip down on the spot and stand in one’s undergarments? Is that how Jesus asks us to live out our faith? To answer that, consider Jesus’ example; he was “moved with compassion”. For me, that begins with seeing beggars as persons of worth. I think it also means honestly looking at their reality. They were living through what was likely the lowest, most miserable days, months, or years of their lifetime.
In Jesus’ day, those who begged were legitimately destitute, without any means to support themselves. Lacking shelter, food, and access to newer clothing, beggars remind me of today’s refugees. None of them imagined lacking a bed to sleep in, a table with good food on it, a closet with some clothing, or no shelter overhead to protect them from the weather. Jesus urges his followers to act with compassion, to see the stark needs of people in crisis, then offer practical support. If people of faith have more than a shirt and a coat, will we be generous toward our fellow human beings? Will we love our neighbors as ourselves?
Another teaching of Jesus was, “Lend to people in need and don’t be concerned about whether or not they pay you back.” To go into debt was a matter of serious concern back then; it was a last resort, and the borrower had every intention to repay the loan. There was not only a matter of pride involved, but there were debtors’ prisons as well. If someone had so much money that they could give someone a good-sized loan and still afford to live as usual, can you see why Jesus asks that person to release the debt? Helping sustain people through a time of hardship is a generous choice, but to forgive the loan and take away a heavy or nearly impossible burden imitates the love and compassion of Jesus Christ. That is how we are to love our neighbors as ourselves.
If you ever are at a crossroads and don’t know how to make a God-honoring decision, consider what Jesus might say. It will not be to avoid difficulty and stay safe. It will likely be a costly discipleship. As we commit all we are and all we have to God, we trust we’ll be shown how to be good and faithful stewards. Now listen to a final promise Jesus gave his followers: “If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use to give, large or small, will be used to measure what is given back to you.”
Thanks be to God - Amen.
As Jesus began his ministry, there were two well-respected Jewish teachers who were interpreting how to obey the Laws of God. Shammai had a very strict approach, but Hillel was more moderate. We’ll take a look at Hillel today because his view was more expansive, so he’s a good link to what Jesus is about to teach.
One day Hillel was asked to explain the entire Torah while standing on one foot. His response was brilliant: “whatever is hateful to you, don’t do that to your neighbor. This is the whole Torah and the rest of it is commentary; go and learn from this.” Here’s an example. If you believe stealing from others is a terrible choice, Hillel says: make sure you never steal from your neighbor. Following this formula could keep people safely within the boundaries of the Law. A helpful way to remember this would be to imagine yourself within a fenced-in area. If a person of faith remained aware of such a fence, it could prevent them from crossing over it and harming others. It would help restrain them, so they did not sin.
The religious leaders of the day, in an effort to help people follow God’s laws, had fenced them in to tighter and more rigid places by adding on many extra rules. The intent behind the numerous smaller rules was to help people avoid sin, but it was a rigid and nearly impossible way to live out one’s faith. Jesus came to offer a fresh, new way to walk a holy path that pleases God. To understand how radically different Jesus’ way was, compared to Hillel’s or that of the Pharisees, I’ll share some real-life examples. Pay close attention because one choice will focus on the minimum and the other on the maximum. One will be concerned with avoiding sin -- the other aims itself toward the Torah’s true intentions:
- When there’s a huge snowstorm, Hillel says: shovel your sidewalk so no one will slip and hurt themselves. Jesus says: shovel your sidewalk, then shovel your neighbor’s sidewalk.
- When your little sister borrows your clothes, Hillel says: don’t ransack her closet. Jesus says: open your closet door and see what else she might like to wear.
- When you are pinched financially Hillel says: don’t steal. Jesus says: look around to see who’s worse off than you and find a way to help.
- When someone annoys you, Hillel says: don’t badmouth that person. Jesus says: find something kind to say to such a person.
- If someone forces you to go one mile, Hillel says: go with him. Jesus says: go with him two miles.
Then Jesus came on the scene; he’d often tell the crowds, “You have heard it said... but I tell you.” I want to pause here and emphasize that Jesus didn’t come to earth to break Old Testament Laws, he came to fulfill them. He didn’t come to update popular interpretations of the Torah, as Hillel did. Jesus came to call people to Himself - to take their eyes off from fences and rules, designed to stop them from sinning.
Jesus calls his followers to be in the world, present and available to be used by God. Not depending on our willpower but on the unlimited power of the Holy Spirit. One of the most provoking examples of choices a person of faith can make is this: We may avoid being hateful. Or Love our neighbors as ourselves. Which of the two describes Jesus’ mission on earth, and ours too?
Here’s a story to help us see what that might look like: A Christian lady owned two prized chickens that got out of their run and busied themselves in the garden of the lady’s rather grouchy neighbor. The man was incensed when he saw the two hens. He ran out, chased and caught the hens, wrung their necks, and threw them back over the fence. As you can imagine, the woman was upset when she found them, but she avoided her urge to get angry, rush over and scream at the man.
Instead, she took the birds, dressed them out, and prepared two chicken pot pies. She walked over and delivered one of the freshly baked pies to the man who’d killed her hens. When she handed him the chicken pot pie, she apologized to him for not being more careful about keeping her chickens in her own yard. Meanwhile, her children, expecting an angry scene, had hidden behind a bush to see the man's face and hear what he'd say… but the man was speechless! He took the chicken pot pie, felt a burning sense of shame, and then apologized to her for reacting so harshly.
Each one of us can choose either to “avoid being hateful” or “love our neighbors”. That contrast in behavior is what Jesus was asking his audience to consider. In his sermon He said: “If someone slaps you on one cheek, let him also slap the other.” To be struck on the face, usually by the back of the right hand, was a serious insult in Middle Eastern culture; a Jew would be heavily fined. But the focus here is on the victim. It was often done by someone who had more authority or wealth than others. A master might slap his slave, or a well-off landowner might strike a neighbor’s son who’d been caught stealing his chickens. There was often an inequity in power or position in these situations.
If slapped, a person of faith could imagine an invisible fence around themselves and choose not to defend themselves or retaliate; you would not sin. But those who often hit people in the face are not easily deterred from doing it again - they may even be emboldened.
Jesus said that if a person of faith was struck on one cheek, turn your other cheek toward them. That would allow someone to easily hit them again. Does that sound like a passive and foolish choice? I want to clarify here that Jesus is not telling us to put ourselves in potential danger. He is, however, showing us a radical option that aims to change the future behavior of the offending party. Witnesses would likely have been around, so if a bully in his anger slapped the other cheek, they would be exposing themselves to great criticism. It would expose their temper and mistreatment of others. That could have real consequences: they could be shunned by neighbors, not given good work opportunities, and more. If someone is in a painful place of their own making, could it make them consider what they did, and why, and whether they should ever do it again? Can you see how offering the second cheek to a bully can lead toward future justice? And how a bully who feels remorse may be taking their first meaningful step toward a changed life?
Jesus also said: “If someone urges you to give them your coat, give him your shirt as well.” A plain longer tunic was typically worn back then, and also an outer wrap. Is Jesus saying that if a beggar asks a man of faith for help, something to keep him warm at night, they should strip down on the spot and stand in one’s undergarments? Is that how Jesus asks us to live out our faith? To answer that, consider Jesus’ example; he was “moved with compassion”. For me, that begins with seeing beggars as persons of worth. I think it also means honestly looking at their reality. They were living through what was likely the lowest, most miserable days, months, or years of their lifetime.
In Jesus’ day, those who begged were legitimately destitute, without any means to support themselves. Lacking shelter, food, and access to newer clothing, beggars remind me of today’s refugees. None of them imagined lacking a bed to sleep in, a table with good food on it, a closet with some clothing, or no shelter overhead to protect them from the weather. Jesus urges his followers to act with compassion, to see the stark needs of people in crisis, then offer practical support. If people of faith have more than a shirt and a coat, will we be generous toward our fellow human beings? Will we love our neighbors as ourselves?
Another teaching of Jesus was, “Lend to people in need and don’t be concerned about whether or not they pay you back.” To go into debt was a matter of serious concern back then; it was a last resort, and the borrower had every intention to repay the loan. There was not only a matter of pride involved, but there were debtors’ prisons as well. If someone had so much money that they could give someone a good-sized loan and still afford to live as usual, can you see why Jesus asks that person to release the debt? Helping sustain people through a time of hardship is a generous choice, but to forgive the loan and take away a heavy or nearly impossible burden imitates the love and compassion of Jesus Christ. That is how we are to love our neighbors as ourselves.
If you ever are at a crossroads and don’t know how to make a God-honoring decision, consider what Jesus might say. It will not be to avoid difficulty and stay safe. It will likely be a costly discipleship. As we commit all we are and all we have to God, we trust we’ll be shown how to be good and faithful stewards. Now listen to a final promise Jesus gave his followers: “If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use to give, large or small, will be used to measure what is given back to you.”
Thanks be to God - Amen.