The Gospel of the Lord according to Luke
Chapter 6 Verses 27 through 38
From the Translation – Lectionary for the Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States
Jesus said to his disciples:
“To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.
“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”
For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you
What are you doing today for your fellow man? Your friend, your neighbor, your family member? How about your enemy? How about the people who hate you? The people who mistreat you? How about the people you don’t want to help? The lost or homeless, people who smell bad or look bad, the people who made bad decisions and now have to live with the consequences? The people who are hard to speak to and hard to deal with? The people who grate on you day after day after day? The people you are afraid of?
Are you measuring out a large portion to some but a small portion to others? What do you expect to be measured out to you on the last day?
There is no need to go and put yourself in harms way. God has and will provide you the opportunity to give, to forgive, and to love. All you have to do is open your eyes to the opportunities, see Jesus in all of those people, and say, “Yes God, I will help.”