Luke 6:27
Verse
Context
Sermons
Jim Cymbala
Vernon HelmuthJames R. Cochrane
J.C. Ryle
David Wilkerson
St. John ChrysostomSummary
Commentary
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
(See on Mat 5:44-48; Mat 7:12; and Mat 14:12-14.)
John Gill Bible Commentary
Bless them that curse you;.... In common discourse, or anathematize you in their synagogues: and pray for them which despitefully use you: so Christ himself did; See Gill on Mat 5:44.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
These verses agree with Mat 5:38, to the end of that chapter: I say unto you that hear (Luk 6:27), to all you that hear, and not to disciples only, for these are lessons of universal concern. He that has an ear, let him hear. Those that diligently hearken to Christ shall find he has something to say to them well worth their hearing. Now the lessons Christ here teacheth us are, I. That we must render to all their due, and be honest and just in all our dealings (Luk 6:31): As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise; for this is loving your neighbour as yourselves. What we should expect, in reason, to be done to us, either in justice or charity, by others, if they were in our condition and we in theirs, that, as the matter stands, we must do to them. We must put our souls into their souls' stead, and then pity and succour them, as we should desire and justly expect to be ourselves pitied and succoured. II. That we must be free in giving to them that need (Luk 6:30): "Give to every man that asketh of thee, to every one that is a proper object of charity, that wants necessaries, which thou hast wherewithal to supply out of thy superfluities. Give to those that are not able to help themselves, to those that have not relations in a capacity to help them." Christ would have his disciples ready to distribute, and willing to communicate, to their power in ordinary cases, and beyond their power in extraordinary. III. That we must be generous in forgiving those that have been any way injurious to us. 1. We must not be extreme in demanding our right, when it is denied us: "Him that taketh away thy cloak, either forcibly or fraudulently, forbid him not by any violent means to take thy coat also, Luk 6:29. Let him have that too, rather than fight for it. And (Luk 6:30) of him that taketh thy goods" (so Dr. Hammond thinks it should be read), "that borrows them, or that takes them up from thee upon trust, of such do not exact them; if Providence have made such insolvent, do not take the advantage of the law against them, but rather lose it than take them by the throat, Mat 18:28. If a man run away in thy debt, and take away thy goods with him, do not perplex thyself, nor be incensed against him." 2. We must not be rigorous in revenging a wrong when it is done us: "Unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek, instead of bringing an action against him, or sending for a writ for him, or bringing him before a justice, offer also the other;" that is, "pass it by, though thereby thou shouldest be in danger of bringing upon thyself another like in dignity, which is commonly pretended in excuse of taking the advantage of the law in such a case. If any one smite thee on the cheek, rather than give another blow to him, be ready to receive another from him;" that is, "leave it to God to plead thy cause, and do thou sit down silent under the affront." When we do thus, God will smite our enemies, as far as they are his, upon the cheek bone, so as to break the teeth of the ungodly (Psa 3:7); for he hath said, Vengeance is mine, and he will make it appear that it is so when we leave it to him to take vengeance. 3. Nay, we must do good to them that do evil to us. This is that which our Saviour, in these verses, chiefly designs to teach us, as a law peculiar to his religion, and a branch of the perfection of it. (1.) We must be kind to those from whom we have received injuries. We must not only love our enemies, and bear a good will to them, but we must do good to them, be as ready to do any good office to them as to any other person, if their case call for it, and it be in the power of our hands to do it. We must study to make it appear, by positive acts, if there be an opportunity for them, that we bear them no malice, nor see revenge. Do they curse us, speak ill of us, and wish ill to us? Do they despitefully use us, in word or deed? Do they endeavour to make us contemptible or odious? Let us bless them, and pray for them, speak well of them, the best we can, wish well to them, especially to their souls, and be intercessors with God for them. This is repeated, Luk 6:35 : love your enemies, and do them good. To recommend this difficult duty to us, it is represented as a generous thing, and an attainment few arrive at. To love those that love us has nothing uncommon in it, nothing peculiar to Christ's disciples, for sinners will love those that love them. There is nothing self-denying in that; it is but following nature, even in its corrupt state, and puts no force at all upon it (Luk 6:32): it is no thanks to us to love those that say and do just as we would have them. "And (Luk 6:33) if you do good to them that do good to you, and return their kindnesses, it is from a common principle of custom, honour, and gratitude; and therefore what thanks have you? What credit are you to the name of Christ, or what reputation do you bring to it? for sinners also, that know nothing of Christ and his doctrine, do even the same. But it becomes you to do something more excellent and eminent, herein to out-do your neighbours, to do that which sinners will not do, and which no principle of theirs can pretend to reach to: you must render good for evil;" not that any thanks are due to us, but then we are to our God for a name and a praise and he will have the thanks. (2.) We must be kind to those from whom we expect no manner of advantage (Luk 6:35): Lend, hoping for nothing again. It is meant of the rich lending to the poor a little money for their necessity, to buy daily bread for themselves and their families, or to keep them out of prison. In such a case, we must lend, with a resolution not to demand interest for what we lend, as we may most justly from those that borrow money to make purchases withal, or to trade with. But that is not all; we must lend though we have reason to suspect that what we lend we lose, lend to those who are so poor that it is not probable they will be able to pay us again. This precept will be best illustrated by that law of Moses (Deu 15:7-10), which obliges them to lend to a poor brother as much as he needed, though the year of release was at hand. Here are two motives to this generous charity. [1.] It will redound to our profit; for our reward shall be great, Luk 6:35. What is given, or laid out, or lent and lost on earth, from a true principle of charity, will be made up to us in the other world, unspeakably to our advantage. "You shall not only be repaid, but rewarded, greatly rewarded; it will be said to you, Come, ye blessed, inherit the kingdom." [2.] It will redound to our honour; for herein we shall resemble God in his goodness, which is the greatest glory: "Ye shall be the children of the Highest, shall be owned by him as his children, being like him." It is the glory of God that he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil, bestows the gifts of common providence even upon the worst of men, who are every day provoking him, and rebelling against him, and using those very gifts to his dishonour. Hence he infers (Luk 6:36), Be merciful, as your Father is merciful; this explains Mat 5:48, "Be perfect, as our Father is perfect. Imitate your Father in those things that are his brightest perfections." Those that are merciful as God is merciful, even to the evil and the unthankful, are perfect as God is perfect; so he is pleased graciously to accept it, though infinitely falling short. Charity is called the bond of perfectness, Col 3:14. This should strongly engage us to be merciful to our brethren, even such as have been injurious to us, not only that God is so to others, but that he is so to us, though we have been, and are, evil and unthankful; it is of his mercies that we are not consumed.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
6:27 love your enemies! People were commonly taught in the ancient world to love their family and friends and hate their enemies. Jesus announced a radical new ethic of loving even one’s enemies and overcoming evil through self-sacrificial love for others, not through violence and hatred (cp. Rom 12:14-21).
Luke 6:27
Love Your Enemies
26Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers treated the false prophets in the same way.27But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
The Position of Power
By Jim Cymbala1.7K35:32PowerPSA 50:15MAT 5:44LUK 6:27ROM 12:14JAS 5:13In this sermon, Pastor Jim Simba emphasizes the importance of prayer in our lives. He acknowledges that Satan tries to distract and cut us off from our supply line, which is prayer. He encourages the congregation to pray and seek God's help, as prayer has the power to change lives in just 60 seconds. Pastor Simba also highlights the need for a spirit of prayer in the church and urges everyone to prioritize prayer over busyness and distractions. He shares personal experiences of how prayer has brought breakthroughs and encouragement in his own life.
Overcoming Evil With Good
By Vernon Helmuth6951:13:03Christian LifePRO 25:21MAT 5:44LUK 6:27ROM 12:9ROM 12:211TH 5:151PE 3:9The sermon titled "Overcome Evil with Good" discusses the principle of responding to evil with good in our lives. The speaker shares that as we grow in our Christian life, God often brings harder challenges into our lives to teach us this principle. He uses the example of a familiar saint, Dirk Williams, who was fleeing for his life and encountered a thief catcher chasing him. Despite the danger, Williams chose to help the thief catcher when he cried out for help, demonstrating the principle of overcoming evil with good. The sermon emphasizes that we can be more than conquerors through Christ and encourages the audience to continually strive to overcome evil with good in their lives.
Week of Meetings 1974-04 Savoring Things of God
By James R. Cochrane6631:03:05MAT 16:20MAT 17:9MRK 8:30MRK 9:28MRK 9:30LUK 6:27In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes that statistics alone cannot move us, but it is the Spirit of God that can truly inspire us to reach out and help those in need. The speaker refers to a young man in the presence of his father as a symbol of the human race and its desperate condition. The story focuses on a father whose son is possessed by a demon, and how the disciples of Jesus were unable to cure him. The speaker highlights the tragic state of the world we live in today, drawing parallels between the boy's situation and the spiritual misery of society. The sermon also mentions the upcoming opportunity to share recent developments and blessings in the Dominican Republic.
Loving Your Enemies
By J.C. Ryle0Mercy and ForgivenessChristian LoveLUK 6:27J.C. Ryle emphasizes the profound teaching of Jesus on loving one's enemies, highlighting that true Christian love is selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional. He explains that this love should extend even to those who hate us, urging believers to act with kindness and patience, reflecting God's mercy. Ryle points out that Christians are called to a higher standard of love than the world, which often reciprocates kindness only when it expects something in return. He encourages believers to look to God's example of mercy and assures them that practicing such charity will ultimately lead to blessings. Ryle concludes by stressing that genuine love stems from faith in Christ and the transformative work of the Holy Spirit.
How Important Is It to Forgive and Bless Our Enemies?
By David Wilkerson0Love for EnemiesForgivenessPRO 19:11MAT 5:44LUK 6:27ROM 12:19EPH 4:32COL 3:13David Wilkerson emphasizes the critical importance of forgiving and blessing our enemies, as outlined in Romans 12:19. He warns that refusing to forgive leads to greater guilt, a shutdown of God's mercy, and a loss of peace, allowing our persecutors to triumph over us. Wilkerson highlights the need to control our anger and not act on it, as true forgiveness brings glory to God and builds our character. He reminds us of Jesus' command to love our enemies through blessing, doing good, and praying for them, which opens the door to divine favor and blessings.
1 Timothy 2:1-4
By St. John Chrysostom0MAT 5:44LUK 6:27ROM 12:14EPH 4:321TI 2:1John Chrysostom emphasizes the importance of praying for all people, including kings and those in authority, to lead a peaceful life in godliness and honesty. He highlights the power of prayer in transforming hearts, fostering love, and drawing people to God. Chrysostom urges Christians to offer supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving for both believers and unbelievers, showcasing the significance of forgiveness and compassion towards enemies. He stresses the need for Christians to imitate God's mercy and kindness by praying for those who persecute them, as this reflects the essence of true Christian love and discipleship.
Jesus Continues to Explain God's Standards of Holiness Matthew 5:31-48
By David Servant0MAT 5:31LUK 6:27ROM 12:20David Servant preaches on Jesus' sermon on the mountainside, explaining the difference between God's standard of holiness and the misinterpretations of the religious teachers of His day. Jesus addresses the topics of divorce, making vows, revenge, and loving one's enemies, emphasizing the importance of following God's higher standard of truth, mercy, and love towards all, even those who wrong us.
And Pray Ye Without Ceasing in Behalf of Other Men
By Ignatius of Antioch0JER 18:11MAT 5:5LUK 6:27ROM 12:19ROM 12:21EPH 4:271TH 5:172TI 2:241PE 3:9Ignatius of Antioch emphasizes the importance of praying continuously for others, holding onto hope for their repentance and return to God. He encourages believers to be ministers of God and the mouth of Christ, guiding others with humility, gentleness, and meekness. Ignatius urges Christians to respond to hatred and persecution with kindness, making enemies into brethren for the glory of the Lord. He highlights the example of Jesus, who showed patience, forgiveness, and love even in the face of suffering and betrayal.
Pray for Kings and All in High Positions
By John Piper0PRO 21:1ISA 10:5MAT 5:44LUK 6:271TI 2:1John Piper preaches on the importance of prayer, specifically focusing on 1 Timothy 2:1-4, where the apostle Paul urges believers to pray for all men, including kings and those in high positions. Paul emphasizes the paramount importance, wideness of scope, and content of these prayers, highlighting the significance of praying for others to maintain a clear conscience and vibrant faith. Piper explains that prayer taps into God's power, is the easiest act of love, and reaches farther in its effects than any other action we can take. He challenges listeners to expand their hearts to embrace the world in prayer, including even those who may seem difficult to pray for, such as rulers who may be distant or godless.
As He Has Done
By Mary Wilder Tileston0MAT 5:44LUK 6:27JHN 13:15ROM 12:18PHP 2:31PE 4:8Mary Wilder Tileston, in the sermon, reflects on the example set by Jesus in serving others, even those who may be difficult to love or understand. She challenges the listeners to examine their relationships and interactions, urging them to show compassion, forgiveness, and love towards both friends and foes. Tileston emphasizes the importance of self-reflection during Lent, encouraging individuals to emulate Christ's humility and grace in dealing with those who may be challenging or irritating. The sermon calls for a shift from judgmental attitudes to a spirit of prayerful self-improvement and understanding of the vast difference between human nature and the divine.
Preach It Tenderly
By Arthur Vess0MAT 5:44LUK 6:272CO 1:31PE 3:8Arthur Vess emphasizes the importance of preaching tenderly with tears of compassion, mirroring Jesus in Gethsemane, to touch the hearts of both saints and sinners. Despite facing opposition from the Pharisees and Sadducees, the preacher is encouraged to continue in humility, seeking God's blessing even in the face of stress and persecution. The goal is to soften hearts through love, leading to repentance and transformation, as the preacher's love for souls becomes a catalyst for melting both their own heart and the hearts of the listeners.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
(See on Mat 5:44-48; Mat 7:12; and Mat 14:12-14.)
John Gill Bible Commentary
Bless them that curse you;.... In common discourse, or anathematize you in their synagogues: and pray for them which despitefully use you: so Christ himself did; See Gill on Mat 5:44.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
These verses agree with Mat 5:38, to the end of that chapter: I say unto you that hear (Luk 6:27), to all you that hear, and not to disciples only, for these are lessons of universal concern. He that has an ear, let him hear. Those that diligently hearken to Christ shall find he has something to say to them well worth their hearing. Now the lessons Christ here teacheth us are, I. That we must render to all their due, and be honest and just in all our dealings (Luk 6:31): As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise; for this is loving your neighbour as yourselves. What we should expect, in reason, to be done to us, either in justice or charity, by others, if they were in our condition and we in theirs, that, as the matter stands, we must do to them. We must put our souls into their souls' stead, and then pity and succour them, as we should desire and justly expect to be ourselves pitied and succoured. II. That we must be free in giving to them that need (Luk 6:30): "Give to every man that asketh of thee, to every one that is a proper object of charity, that wants necessaries, which thou hast wherewithal to supply out of thy superfluities. Give to those that are not able to help themselves, to those that have not relations in a capacity to help them." Christ would have his disciples ready to distribute, and willing to communicate, to their power in ordinary cases, and beyond their power in extraordinary. III. That we must be generous in forgiving those that have been any way injurious to us. 1. We must not be extreme in demanding our right, when it is denied us: "Him that taketh away thy cloak, either forcibly or fraudulently, forbid him not by any violent means to take thy coat also, Luk 6:29. Let him have that too, rather than fight for it. And (Luk 6:30) of him that taketh thy goods" (so Dr. Hammond thinks it should be read), "that borrows them, or that takes them up from thee upon trust, of such do not exact them; if Providence have made such insolvent, do not take the advantage of the law against them, but rather lose it than take them by the throat, Mat 18:28. If a man run away in thy debt, and take away thy goods with him, do not perplex thyself, nor be incensed against him." 2. We must not be rigorous in revenging a wrong when it is done us: "Unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek, instead of bringing an action against him, or sending for a writ for him, or bringing him before a justice, offer also the other;" that is, "pass it by, though thereby thou shouldest be in danger of bringing upon thyself another like in dignity, which is commonly pretended in excuse of taking the advantage of the law in such a case. If any one smite thee on the cheek, rather than give another blow to him, be ready to receive another from him;" that is, "leave it to God to plead thy cause, and do thou sit down silent under the affront." When we do thus, God will smite our enemies, as far as they are his, upon the cheek bone, so as to break the teeth of the ungodly (Psa 3:7); for he hath said, Vengeance is mine, and he will make it appear that it is so when we leave it to him to take vengeance. 3. Nay, we must do good to them that do evil to us. This is that which our Saviour, in these verses, chiefly designs to teach us, as a law peculiar to his religion, and a branch of the perfection of it. (1.) We must be kind to those from whom we have received injuries. We must not only love our enemies, and bear a good will to them, but we must do good to them, be as ready to do any good office to them as to any other person, if their case call for it, and it be in the power of our hands to do it. We must study to make it appear, by positive acts, if there be an opportunity for them, that we bear them no malice, nor see revenge. Do they curse us, speak ill of us, and wish ill to us? Do they despitefully use us, in word or deed? Do they endeavour to make us contemptible or odious? Let us bless them, and pray for them, speak well of them, the best we can, wish well to them, especially to their souls, and be intercessors with God for them. This is repeated, Luk 6:35 : love your enemies, and do them good. To recommend this difficult duty to us, it is represented as a generous thing, and an attainment few arrive at. To love those that love us has nothing uncommon in it, nothing peculiar to Christ's disciples, for sinners will love those that love them. There is nothing self-denying in that; it is but following nature, even in its corrupt state, and puts no force at all upon it (Luk 6:32): it is no thanks to us to love those that say and do just as we would have them. "And (Luk 6:33) if you do good to them that do good to you, and return their kindnesses, it is from a common principle of custom, honour, and gratitude; and therefore what thanks have you? What credit are you to the name of Christ, or what reputation do you bring to it? for sinners also, that know nothing of Christ and his doctrine, do even the same. But it becomes you to do something more excellent and eminent, herein to out-do your neighbours, to do that which sinners will not do, and which no principle of theirs can pretend to reach to: you must render good for evil;" not that any thanks are due to us, but then we are to our God for a name and a praise and he will have the thanks. (2.) We must be kind to those from whom we expect no manner of advantage (Luk 6:35): Lend, hoping for nothing again. It is meant of the rich lending to the poor a little money for their necessity, to buy daily bread for themselves and their families, or to keep them out of prison. In such a case, we must lend, with a resolution not to demand interest for what we lend, as we may most justly from those that borrow money to make purchases withal, or to trade with. But that is not all; we must lend though we have reason to suspect that what we lend we lose, lend to those who are so poor that it is not probable they will be able to pay us again. This precept will be best illustrated by that law of Moses (Deu 15:7-10), which obliges them to lend to a poor brother as much as he needed, though the year of release was at hand. Here are two motives to this generous charity. [1.] It will redound to our profit; for our reward shall be great, Luk 6:35. What is given, or laid out, or lent and lost on earth, from a true principle of charity, will be made up to us in the other world, unspeakably to our advantage. "You shall not only be repaid, but rewarded, greatly rewarded; it will be said to you, Come, ye blessed, inherit the kingdom." [2.] It will redound to our honour; for herein we shall resemble God in his goodness, which is the greatest glory: "Ye shall be the children of the Highest, shall be owned by him as his children, being like him." It is the glory of God that he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil, bestows the gifts of common providence even upon the worst of men, who are every day provoking him, and rebelling against him, and using those very gifts to his dishonour. Hence he infers (Luk 6:36), Be merciful, as your Father is merciful; this explains Mat 5:48, "Be perfect, as our Father is perfect. Imitate your Father in those things that are his brightest perfections." Those that are merciful as God is merciful, even to the evil and the unthankful, are perfect as God is perfect; so he is pleased graciously to accept it, though infinitely falling short. Charity is called the bond of perfectness, Col 3:14. This should strongly engage us to be merciful to our brethren, even such as have been injurious to us, not only that God is so to others, but that he is so to us, though we have been, and are, evil and unthankful; it is of his mercies that we are not consumed.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
6:27 love your enemies! People were commonly taught in the ancient world to love their family and friends and hate their enemies. Jesus announced a radical new ethic of loving even one’s enemies and overcoming evil through self-sacrificial love for others, not through violence and hatred (cp. Rom 12:14-21).