God's ways and thoughts are higher than man's (Isaiah 55:9). That is why an unredeemed person might scorn or dismiss a passage like Luke 6:27-28. Yeshua's instructions would seem unreasonable:
Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
It is human nature to recoil at offenses. But as partakers of His divine nature, God equips His talmidim (disciples or students) to deflect and defuse personal attacks. Yes, we battle our flesh and make mistakes. In a war of words we say things we later regret. Yet we can ask Adonai to conform us to His likeness, which is reflected in His command above. The Holy Spirit empowers us to walk a new way.
That new way is expressed in the Greek word for love, agapao, and its corresponding noun, agape. According to Vine's Expository Dictionary, agapao describes the deep and constant love and interest of a perfect Being toward unworthy objects, an idea previously unknown in Greek literature. It also fosters reverential love in them toward the Giver, and a practical love toward those who are partakers of the same, and a desire to help others seek the Giver. When Adonai calls us to bless an accuser, He doesn't mean a half-hearted response like, "bless you, friend," and you move on. Luke uses the Greek word eulogeo for bless, from which we get our English word eulogize. It means to speak well of or invoke a benediction. Think of it: we are slandered in public or private and God demands that we praise or extol the person. And mean it.
Expressing agape love to an adversary is impossible without an imparting of God's Spirit. Carnal man cannot manufacture it. The enemy described in Luke is the other extreme. He targets the believer with insults and false accusations. His heart is devoid of mercy. Yet Yeshua commands us to stand down, swallow our pride and serve as a buffer between darkness and light, good and evil. When we bless, we are blessed. Verse 35 says our reward is great, for we become sons of the Most High. What could be better than that?
Posted by Jeff King at March 25, 2007 09:52 AM