Written by Scripture
“But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” – Luke 6:35-38 (KJV)
Historical and Exegetical Context
This passage is part of Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” in Luke 6, where He challenges His followers to live the life of the radical mercy and love of God. These teachings emphasize sacrificial love and forgiveness, revealing the principle of recompense in God’s Kingdom.
Authorship: The Gospel of Luke was written by Luke, a physician and close companion of the Apostle Paul. Luke’s careful writing highlights Jesus as the Savior for all people, with the focus on grace, inclusion, and love.
Audience: Written to Theophilus and a Gentile audience, these teachings extend to all believers as a call to live in God’s mercy and generosity.
Context: The teaching reflects God’s divine justice: how we treat others determines how we will be treated. It shifts the focus from earthly rewards to eternal blessings, urging believers to align with God’s heart of compassion and grace.
Greek Word Insight
“Merciful” (οἰκτίρμων, oiktirmōn): This word highlights deep compassion and tender pity, mirroring the Father’s merciful nature.
“Judge not” (κρίνω, krinō): Refers to avoiding self-righteous condemnation or harsh judgment of others.
“Give” (δίδωμι, didōmi): Indicates an act of freely offering or granting without expecting repayment, symbolizing generosity inspired by God’s grace.
Reflection
Under the old covenant, only the perfect person was allowed into heaven. The perfect person was the one who kept all of God’s ten commandments perfectly from the time of birth until death. To break even one commandment made the person guilty of breaking them all. No one in history was able to keep God’s commands this perfectly. Children still under the age of innocence, where they could not discern good from evil, were shown grace until the time of accountability. It’s only then, when they too are condemned, as they are aware of their actions committed that break the law (greed, selfishness, fits of rage, and the like). The power of the law found all humankind guilty and deserving of eternal judgment in hell.
But the plan was in motion before the very foundations of the world were laid, that a Savior would arise to save us all; His name is Jesus Christ. His sacrifice broke the curse of sin that kept us guilty under the law. Humankind is now set free from the second death; the written law that brought death has now been transformed into a law of grace through our faith in Jesus Christ, the only one who was worthy and able to obey it perfectly.
Now, what is in effect according to the scriptures is the rule of recompense; we are now judged not by the Old Covenant law, but by the law we create upon ourselves. Jesus is teaching us that every action, every idea, every value, every belief system we create for ourselves in the way we decide to treat others becomes the law by which Jesus will judge us. If we walk in unforgiveness towards others, we will not be forgiven by God for what we do towards Him. If we look down on others, God will look down upon us. If we withhold doing good for others, God’s blessings will be withheld from us. If we choose to unconditionally serve others, He will unconditionally serve us. If we freely give to others, God will give back to us more than we can contain. Many blessings that are stored up in our life are only one freewill offering away in blessing someone else.
Today, may we take time out in God’s presence and ask Him to expose how we erred in our way in creating laws over our life which shut the rains of heaven over our land. Let us repent so we may be restored.
Prayer
“Lord Jesus, please search my heart and expose to the light where I have created laws that hinder my blessing, my healing, my deliverance, and my restoration. Help me to repent and live under the law of grace by which You died to give me. It’s in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”
Action Step
Today, take time in prayer and reflection to ask the Lord to show you areas where you’ve created barriers to His blessings through judgment, unforgiveness, or withholding good from others. Write down what He reveals, repent of those areas, and commit to living under the law of grace. Find one way to bless or forgive someone today as a practical step toward restoration.
January 8, 2025
By MaryEllen McCloud, Replenished Hope Ministries
The Lord says, “There is a mystery in My Kingdom. As you give sacrificially to where My Spirit leads you, the storehouses will become more and more open to you. No one is able to out give Me. When your heart is turned towards My Will, you will find giving a joy and seek to give even more out. Be generous for I Am a Generous Father. You are My hands. Be one who values the in’s and out’s of My Kingdom. I am your source and your lead.
A cheerful and faithful giver sows and reaps favor and blessings that are not unlocked any other way. Many of My people have become takers. If someone blesses you, My desire is for you to bless them in due measure. The widow at Zarephath was waiting for death to take them. She served My servant anyway. From that sacrifice, she not only was restored in provisions that would not run dry, but her son was brought back to life. She could have thought that their last meal was too much of a sacrifice to give away, but her willingness to look and go beyond her own needs led her out of the circumstances. I am in your midst to do the miraculous!”
