The message Sunday was about loving your enemies from Luke 6:27-36… but verse 35 has had me in wonder for hours. Consider…
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
God is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. For whatever reason, those words have never stuck in my soul like they did when I read them this time. Those words struck a death-blow to my rationalization and justifying powers as to why I have a right to be angry and not treat people with kindness, love, and grace. No longer can I justify my attitudes…
After a few hours of kicking in around in my head I came to the realization. I (!) am the ungrateful and evil one that God is kind to. Of all people who don’t deserve God’s grace, favor, and kindness it is me. Ingratitude is too often a perfect description of me. I take it for granted too often that not only do I deserve what I have, but actually deserve more… and that is evil! Why? Because EVERY good and perfect gift is from above… from God the Father! When God answered my prayer for forgiveness He answered one more prayer than I deserve.
Now… since God is kind to the ungrateful and evil person (ME), then as His child I do not have a right to withhold kindness from anyone else… regardless of how they have treated me. As it is written elsewhere, “Forgive others as God in Christ has forgiven you.” As Jesus said, “You will be forgiven as you forgive others.”
You know what? If you read Jesus’ words closely and slowly, His words will uncover the motivations of your heart. And that is a good thing.