Gospel – February 23, 2025
Jesus said to his disciples: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” (Luke 6:27-38)
Bishop Daniel Mueggenborg joined Glen Lewerenz on Morning Air to talk about this gospel reading, and he began by explaining that this teaching is very different from the culturally prevalent “Golden Rule”–Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Rather, Jesus is telling his disciples that it doesn’t matter how other people treat you. Even sinners are capable of reciprocating good treatment.
“Jesus says something much more challenging than [the Golden Rule]. He says, ‘Treat others as God treats them and as we want to be treated by God Himself.’ That’s not the Golden Rule, that’s the Divine Rule.”
In this Gospel reading, we are called to imitate our Heavenly Father rather than imitate the faulted people around us. It is not enough to repeat what Jesus said. We must also do as He did. We must love our enemies!
“When Jesus says, ‘Love your enemies,’ He’s not talking about an emotional, sentimental kind of love. Love is always an active expression to seek the good of the other. And He uses the word agape, which is the very love of God. So when He says, ‘Love your enemies,’–and He says that twice in this passage–He’s telling us that we should care for others and seek their good regardless of how they are treating us.”
Glen put a twist on the old action movie phrase, saying, “Love ’em all and let God sort them out.” Christ doesn’t ask us to do anything that He Himself hasn’t done, and He died for the sins of everyone, including the very people who put Him to death.
Christ told the truth, and He paid the ultimate price for it. We are being asked to do the same.
Love them all.
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