SUPERNATURAL LOVE
Opening Prayer
Lord, teach me Your ways and forgive me when I do wrong to others.
Read Luke 6:27–36
Love for Enemies
27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Meditate on how little you deserve God’s love, and yet how graciously and how generously he loves you. Let your praise and thanksgiving overflow!It’s not enough to accept the challenges of discipleship (Luke 6:20–23)—Jesus now instructs his followers to accept the “enemies” who cause such challenges (27–30). Such a response is neither natural nor customary. It is not an impulse of the heart, but requires the exercise of the will. It outdoes quid pro quo (32–34) and outstrips the “Golden Rule” (31), which even unbelievers may follow (32–34). Jesus’ disciples must rise above these minimum standards, seeking the highest good of even those who willfully set out to do them harm.
This challenge to love does not permit us to be selective about whom we love—what’s envisaged is not reciprocal love towards friends, but a revolutionary love for enemies. Nor may we be sparing in how we love, for we are to love lavishly, extravagantly, with no expectation of a return (35a).
Why should we love like this? Because that’s how God loves us (35b); because that was Jesus’ model (Rom. 5:10) and mandate (27). How can we possibly love like this? Only by the empowering of the Holy Spirit. God is our model, our motive and our means for this supernatural love.
Apply
Are there “difficult” people in your life for whom the Spirit is prompting you to pray? In what ways might he be asking you to reach out to them?
Closing prayer
Lord, empower me with Your Spirit that I may love others as You love them.
Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.
© 2024 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.
Discovery is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.