Luke 6
Verses 27 through 31 are some of the most familiar verses in the New Testament, both to Christians and non-Christians. The “golden rule” is universally known, and phrases like “going the second mile” and “turn the other cheek” are not unheard in secular conversation. These are some of the first verses we learned in Bible class as children, and our mothers often quoted these in an attempt to suppress the constant bickering between us. Yet despite their familiarity, these remain some of the most challenging verses to live out on a daily, practical level.
“Love your enemies, and do good to those who hate you.” I don’t have time to even start writing about this. This is hard.
“Give to everyone who asks you, and if someone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.” Matthew adds the sentence, “and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” This hurts. I can easily recall several instances where I have turned away from those who wanted to borrow from me. I’ve definitely put my own well-being and comfort above the requests of others.
Naturally, it is here that we insert a clause to the effect of “but don’t be stupid”. We don’t want to become so open that others freely take advantage of us; we shouldn’t give away the important things that we might need later; we shouldn’t lend to someone who is not worthy of our trust. The unsettling thing is that Jesus doesn’t insert such a clause. He speaks with broad, inclusive words (“if someone..”, “give to everyone…”, “if anyone…”), and he doesn’t seem to leave any escape. I’ll allow that there still remain some questions and circumstances where this exception clause bears some merit - “don’t give liquor to an alcoholic” type scenarios. But most of the time, we’re nowhere close to that line.
To pick the obvious example, Jesus eventually is going to give up a lot more than his cloak and tunic. He turned the other cheek after receiving a beating that was far more than a slap in the face. And what he gave so freely, he entrusted to some of the most unfaithful, untrustworthy, and selfish people you could find: Us.
So who are we to be looking out for “number one”?
