Love Your Enemies

Luke 6:27-36ย New English Translation (NET Bible)

27ย โ€œBut I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,ย 28ย bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.ย 29ย To the person who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other as well, and from the person who takes away your coat, do not withhold your tunic either.ย 30ย Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your possessions back from the person who takes them away.ย 31ย Treat others in the same way that you would want them to treat you.

32ย โ€œIf you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.ย 33ย And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.ย 34ย And if you lend to those from whom you hope to be repaid, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so that they may be repaid in full.ย 35ย But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to ungrateful and evil people.ย 36ย Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

There are portions of this teaching by Jesus, that for me, are difficult to put into practice. I would like to believe that I love everybody, however; there are many of those people that I do not like. Is there a difference between loving someone in Christ and liking that same person?

The other part of Jesusโ€™s sermon is lending to persons and expecting nothing in return.ย  ย 

A work in progress