Entitlement vs. Love

Luke 6:27-36, NIV

But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 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. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. 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 are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 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. 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. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Ok wow. Let’s be honest—this passage is a tough one to live out. And before we go any further, we have to clarify that Jesus is not talking about living under abusive circumstances here. He is expounding upon His counter-cultural (and counter-natural!) message that our lives are not about us. 

We live in a society that screams entitlement everywhere we turn. Entitlement says we hate those who hate us, we curse those who curse us, and we retaliate against those who hurt us. Entitlement says we give when it benefits us. But here, Jesus is teaching that entitlement is not the tool by which we measure our actions—love is. And basically, love says “do unto others even when they haven’t done (and may never do) unto us” OR "don't do unto others even when they have done unto us."

This is so hard, but Jesus taught this and modeled this.

He washed the feet of the one who would betray him.

He grieved for those who would mock him.

He prayed for those who crucified him. 

We weren’t entitled to God's mercy, yet He gave it to us anyway. And we are commissioned to extend it to others—not because they are entitled either, but because we are commissioned to represent Jesus to them!