Joel M Bradshaw

27“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,28bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.—Luke 6

1. The natural response to enemies mistreating you is justify your hatred.
2. You might therefore give yourself an excuse to hate others.
3. Yet, hatred is a selfish response. The biblical response to selfishness towards you is not further selfishness towards them.
4. If the words of Jesus are followed here, love should therefore exist in even the most rotten of relationships and broken marriages.
5. That simple building block of basic grace towards the undeserving provides hope for relationship improvement.
6. Biblically speaking you are not allowed to hate anyone. Not even those who treat you worst!
7. This is not passive! Actively do good and bless them! This makes no sense to the natural person. But you are denying yourself, following Jesus, and living His way!—JMB