What Jesus Did

[Jesus continued his teaching on our interactions with others, commanding,] "You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate."

—Luke 6:36 NLT

Key Thought​

We MUST be compassionate! Hmm, that doesn't leave any wiggle room, does it? God is serious that we are to be compassionate. Why is showing compassion to others such an important principle to our Father in heaven? Because he has been so gracious, forgiving, and compassionate with us. How can we take the...

 

[Jesus continued his teaching on our interactions with others:] "Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked."

—Luke 6:35 NLT

Key Thought​

"I have my Father's eyes," ### sang years and years ago. While that may be good, our heavenly Father wants us to have his heart. With other...

 

[Jesus continued his teaching on our interactions with others:] "And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return."

—Luke 6:33-34 NLT

Key Thought​

So often we have a circle of "nice folks" or "familiar folks" with whom we associate and for whom we extend a special grace. Jesus...

 

[Jesus continued his teaching on our interactions with others:] "If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them!"

—Luke 6:32 NLT

Key Thought​

Jesus has just given us the golden rule in the previous verse. [1] Now he wants to make clear that the golden rule is not just a commandment to obey with people we like and people who treat us nicely. It is a commandment to follow with all people, even our enemies! [2] Just...

 

[Jesus continued his teaching on our interactions with others, commanding,] "Do to others as you would like them to do to you."

—Luke 6:31 NLT

Key Thought​

Some principles are the center around which other principles turn. They capture the truth in a succinct, and yet profound, way. The "Golden Rule" is one of those principles. It is a commandment from Jesus that sets the gold standard of relationship principles. This short commandment from Jesus defines what it means to love...

 

[Jesus said continued his teaching on our interactions with others, commanding,] "Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don't try to get them back."

—Luke 6:30 NLT

Key Thought​

Our stuff often owns us. We can even get more attached to our stuff than to the people in our lives. When our things are taken from us, we can be more concerned about the things than we are about the heart of the person who took those things. God wants us to be generous with...

 

[Jesus continued his teaching on our interactions with others, commanding,] "If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also."

—Luke 6:29 NLT

Key Thought​

This verse doesn't make sense to us if we look at it only on a human level. We don't want people to run all over us. We don't want to be doormats. We don't want folks continually taking advantage of us. Clearly, in Scripture, there comes a time to stop...

 

[Jesus continued his teaching on our interactions with others, commanding,] "Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you."

—Luke 6:28 NLT

Key Thought​

Prayer has the power to change us. We can change as we see God's power work in people who have cursed and/or hurt us, making them into better people. Seeing their change helps us to continue our changing to be more like Jesus. However, even when folks don't change, prayer changes us as we offer ourselves to God for his...

 

[Jesus began teaching on our interactions with others:] "But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you."

—Luke 6:27 NLT

Key Thought​

The goal of a Christian is to be like the Master. That means we are redemptive in all that we do. But, I think these are some of the most convicting words of Jesus. Still, the goal is clear with our enemies: We are to love them and to do good to them. The question for us is not what our goal or our...

 

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[Jesus continued,]

"What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds, for their ancestors also praised false prophets."

—Luke 6:26 NLT

Key Thought​

For whom and for what do you live? Jesus warned us to avoid living for the approval of the crowd. [1] He demonstrated the importance of this principle in his own life. [2] Sometimes, the people in the crowd wanted to make him king. [3] Sometimes, they wildly accepted him: During his Triumphant Entry into...