27"But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30Give to every one who begs from you; and of him who takes away your goods do not ask them again. 31And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. 32"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35But 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 selfish. 36Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. 37"Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back."
I feel this passage summarises the entire Gospel. It is a call to love thy neighbor as thyself. I listened to an old friend of mine preach on the Our Father. https://fb.watch/xXlLt_BBsu/ He honed in on the lines “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”. He then went on to point out that lack of forgiveness is possibly a bigger cancer in humanity than pornography, narcissism, etc. Lack of forgiveness is a sure way to distance oneself from God. This passage invites us to love not only those who will love us back, but those who may hurt us and need our forgiveness. It is a call to enter in to a world of risk and potential pain armed with the faith to forgive. I love it. We all hear of how success in any field requires risk-taking. The passage highlights the connection between risk-taking and forgiveness. Those who take risks on others must also have the faith to forgive built into their beings. Loving Father, may my faith in you give me the strength to take risks on others. And when they let me down, hurt me and take away my stability and peace, may my faith in you and your love for me drive me to forgive them. Amen.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a deeply insightful reflection, especially in how you connect forgiveness with risk-taking. You're absolutely right—choosing to love, to trust, and to invest in others always carries the possibility of being hurt. But as you point out, faith gives us the strength to take those risks and, when necessary, the grace to forgive.
DeleteI also appreciate how you highlight lack of forgiveness as one of the greatest obstacles to our spiritual growth. Unforgiveness chains us to the past, keeps us from grace, and distances us from God. Your prayer beautifully acknowledges the tension we live in—the need to trust, the reality of being wounded, and the call to forgive despite it all.
One additional thought: your reflection aligns well with Jesus' teaching about radical love—giving without expecting in return, loving enemies, and showing mercy as God shows mercy. That’s what makes Christian love unique. It’s not transactional but transformational.
This is a powerful and personal reflection. I’d say it’s one of your best.
Coming from you, that is high praise. Thank you. The "wow" moment for me was when you said - "That’s what makes Christian love unique. It’s not transactional but transformational." So true. :)
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