HOW to LIVE as GOD'S PEOPLE

BY THE END OF THE LESSON, WE WILL;

KNOW how to interpret the meaning of love and judgment; EXPLORE the difficult feelings associated with loving people who show total disdain for us; and COMMIT to praying in love for an "enemy."

 

FOCAL VERSES Luke 6:17-31

KEEP IN MIND

"But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you" (Luke 6:27).

 

AT-A-GLANCE

1. God's People are Recipients of God's Blessings (Luke 6:17-23)

2. God's People Anticipate Future Rewards (vv. 24-26)

3. God's People are Called to Live a Distinctive Lifestyle (vv. 27-31)

 

IN FOCUS STORY

Greg looked out on the lawn at all the trash and let out a deep sigh. "I'm tired of them knocking our trash cans over every week and I have to clean it up." Greg had a right to be upset. His neighbors, the Jacksons, had been a nuisance to his family since they moved in next door. It first started with the all-night parties and the loud music.

Greg's dad had asked them to turn it down a notch, and after that, the Jacksons intentionally began to show hostility toward Greg and his family. Knocking down trash cans and taunting Greg's dad were not enough. The Jacksons' oldest son, Dayshawn, began to insult and threaten Greg at school. Greg's dad walked out onto the front porch and shook his head. "I guess they need a little more love."

Greg was fuming with anger. "A little more love? I think they need a little more fists, and Dayshawn was going to be the first to get his."

"No, son," interjected Greg's dad. "That may be how they do things, but we do things differently in the family."

As followers of Jesus, we are called to live a distinctive lifestyle marked by love. In this lesson, we will learn how to love other regardless of how the treat us.

 

PEOPLE, PLACES and TIMES

The Disciples. The word disciple means learner or student. It is most often used for students or followers of Jesus and only used in the Gospels and Acts. These students of Jesus were distinct from the multitudes that gathered when he preached and performed miracles. The Gospels refer to the Twelve and another larger group of unnamed disciples. Jesus spent intensive time with the Twelve; the other larger group of disciples did not spend as much time with Jesus but accepted and followed His teaching and practices.

 

The Plain. The plain or level place could have been one of two things. It could have been an actual plain or flat piece of land; it also could have been level place on the side of the mountain. This word has confused scholars. as some have believed this passage is parallel to Matthew 5-7. If not parallel, then Jesus repeated some of the same sayings on a different occasion (which was often the case for an itinerant teacher).

Tyre and Sidon. Important cities on the coast of what is present-day Lebenon. In the Old Testament, they were powerful city-states and home to the Phoenicians. They were also know as the Sidonians- a Canaanite people who were not driven out by the Israelites when they entered the Promised Land. Instead, they remained on the coast and became powerful and rich through shipping and trading. Both cities were conquered by the Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans and consisted of mixed populations. The Greek woman in Mark 7:23-30 was a citizen of Tyre or Sidon.

 

BACKGROUND

After spending all night prayer in choosing the 12 apostles who would continue His ministry, Jesus descended to a plain where a group of disciples and a great multitude from all over the surrounding country were waiting for Him. They had traveled to hear this great teacher and be healed of their diseases and cured of evil spirits. Jesus came down with the Twelve and their presence symbolized the creation of a new Israel. Just like Israel had set of laws that governed their behavior as a people, Jesus gave His disciples as set of "laws" that would govern their behavior. This set of laws is called the Sermon on the Plain.

The Sermon on the Plain is one of the most powerful passages in the entire Bible. In it, Jesus gives an agenda for God's kingdom, a set of rules and instructions for His people to live by. The first part of these instructions consists of four blessings and four woes. These blessings and woes are followed by more explicit instructions on loving our enemies and doing good to those who mistreat us. These instructions are general guidelines and do not cover every situation but can all be grouped under golden rule: "Do to others as you would like them to do to you" (6:31, NLT).

 

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES

1. What is the significance of people coming from Tyre and Sidon to hear Jesus (Luke 6:17)?

2. What "over the top" response are we to demonstrate even the persecution (v. 23)?

3. What does it mean to bless those who curse us (v. 28)?

 

DISCUSS THE MEANING

1. What is the kingdom of God?

2. How are we as believers empowered by God to love our enemies?

3. What can we do now to cultivate joy about the future reward we will receive from God?

4. In the In Focus story, what advice would you give Greg and his dad?

 

 

LESSON IN OUR SOCIETY

1. As followers of Jesus, we are called to live in a upside-down kingdom. We are not to follow the ways of this world. We are to live a distinctive lifestyle marked by love-not only for those who love us, but for those who are considered our enemies as well. This is the way of Jesus. Jesus, however, did not call us to love our enemies just for our own sakes. What impact should our love have on our enemies and onlookers?

 

 

2. Are those who are baptized in Jesus' Name ever in danger of the woes Jesus gives in verses 24 to 25?

 

3. There are some people who would say that Jesus is anti-rich. What argument can you formulate either for or against that idea based on Luke 6:17-31?

 

MAKE IT HAPPEN

1. Make a list of the people who really anger or oppose you. Then prayerfully review your list to discover why you consider that person an enemy. Is it based on religion, ethnicity, political differences, their relationships with someone else, or their personal interaction with you?

Examine your own attitude and seek the Lord's direction on how to show them mercy and love, rather than either seeking to get even or ignore them.

 

2. It is easy to love those who love us. It is only natural to embrace people who embrace us. It is supernatural, however, to love those who hate us and mistreat us. Yet this is what we are called to do. Because we have the favor of God and the power of the Holy Ghost, we can embrace and love our enemies. Examine Jesus' command in verse 31. Then instead of posting hateful or demeaning notes on social media of discussing your disdain with others, offer prayers for those you find it difficult to love. Finally, consider have lunch or coffee with someone you consider an enemy.

 

(Except from The Apostolic Light P.A.W)