Luke 6:20-38
How often we feel challenged by the teaching of the Master. Let us allow it to penetrate deep into our hearts and especially let us live it out practically in our daily lives! Most of this teaching is to be found in Matthew 5:1-48; Matthew 6:1-34; Matthew 7:1-29; but here the message is more personal. It is not "Blessed are they which . . ." but "Blessed are ye . . ."
V. 31 summarises the exhortations addressed to "you which hear" (v. 27): "As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise" (v. 31). Our fellow men would be better treated if we were to obey this command!
All these characteristics are foreign to our nature which is proud, selfish and impatient. The Lord emphasizes that these are the characteristics of God Himself; and by them we will be recognisable as children of the heavenly Father . . . while still here on this earth (vv. 35 end, 36). We will no longer have the opportunity to manifest these traits in heaven, since there will be no enemies to love up there, no injustice to bear, no misery to relieve. Our responsibility, and our privilege, is to reflect the Lord Jesus down here, to reflect the gentleness, the love, the humility, the patience of the perfect Example, "who when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not . . ." (1 Peter 2:21; 1 Peter 2:23).