Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
The powerful love of God overcomes the hate that evil thrives on. His love covers a multitude of sin. What does God require of me? He requires me to be fair, to forgive quickly and always walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8). Easy to do in a world full of division and sparked by cruelty? No, but I have been forgiven much and I want that same forgiveness offered to everyone. I seek His heart of flesh to replace my heart of stone. Carla
Luke 6:32-38
32 “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.
35 But love your enemies, •do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, •shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”, NKJV
The practice of loving one’s enemies is modeled by God Himself, who is kind to the unthankful and evil. Jesus also notes that the reward will be great for the losses suffered while practicing this type of love. This reward will be a hundredfold—that is, ten thousand percent (Matthew 19:28, 29). The idea here is not that one should ignore sin or refuse to discuss its consequences (11:39–52; Galatians 6:1, 2); rather, one should be gracious and quick to forgive.
The good measure illustration comes from the marketplace where grain was poured out, shaken down, and then filled to overflowing so the buyer received the full amount purchased. Such is the full measure that will be returned to one who has been generous. The NKJV Study Bible
Followers of Jesus who freely give away and share their material goods not only obey Jesus’ teaching but demonstrate they are true followers of God by acting according to His ways.
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. God’s character and actions are the ethical standards for His followers. Leviticus 19:2; Deuteronomy 10:17–18; Matthew 5:48; 1 Peter 1:15.
This section parallels several traditions that also occur in Mark and Matthew—some of these occur in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount (Luke 6:17–23). As in the preceding section, Jesus is calling for righteous behavior and emphasizing love, forgiveness, and generosity.
Do not judge, and you will never be judged. Pardon, and you will be pardoned. In response to God’s forgiveness of them, Jesus’ followers should offer forgiveness to those who have wronged them. As with His teaching in Luke 6:27–36, Jesus calls His followers to imitate God by displaying sacrificial love. In good measure—pressed down, shaken, overflowing—they will pour out into your lap this describes the abundance that is given to the generous. Faithlife Study Bible
Matthew 5:45–6:1
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same…
Matthew 5:42
Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
Matthew 7:1–5
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you…
My friends, in our discordant world, I believe—no, I know—that the light shines precisely because there are broken places.
Remember, Jesus never told us to create the light. He did not even ask us to make a resolution to try harder. He simply invited us to let the light shine.
Meaning that the light is already there. To paraphrase Leonard Cohen, There’s a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in. And that’s how the light gets out.
So. Here's the deal: our journey to wholeness and wholeheartedness, or making a difference or spilling light, is not about becoming something I am not.
The journey is about reflecting what is already there. Inside. It is about making a difference, by just being you. One small gesture—kind and healing word or gift at a time.
So, why are we afraid to let this be enough?
In fact, there is abundance, to know that one kind touch means the world.
You may doubt it if you wish.
But know this, you still make a difference.
Thank you.
“Our life is full of brokenness – broken relationships, broken promises, broken expectations. How can we live with that brokenness without becoming bitter and resentful except by returning again and again to God’s faithful presence in our lives?” Henri Nouwen
Sabbath Moments”
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