Week 35

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.

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:27-38 NIV

I intended to use Luke 6:38 for my devotional, but I wanted to see the scripture in context. I discovered that verse 39 was not of interest, but I kept going back and back and back until finally I stopped at verse 27.

The thing about this scripture is that I am not sure how literal I should interpret it. If someone slaps me, I really offer them my other cheek? Really? If some steals my coat, I really give them my shirt? Really?

But verses 27-31 point to what I struggle with. Verses 37-38 point to what I am aiming for.

I worry about things that I don’t really have an y control over. My ego gets in the way when I feel slighted, and my reaction is to defend. My struggle keeps me a long way off. But, ironically, I feel like I am get close to my aim.

Does that make any sense? Is that even possible?

This paradox and contradiction reminds me of one of the reasons I enjoy my walk with God. It’s messy and often my head is spinning. Quite simply, at times, it defies logic.

I imagine God as a loving father who has given me, His child, water point and a blank canvas. He is there to supervise, and He lovingly oversees as I create. Other people might call it anything but art, but God sees the beauty.