In the Life of Christ
“Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.” —Luke 6:35, NIV
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” —Luke 6:36, NIV
Most families have a recognizable resemblance. We notice someone’s smile, hear a familiar laugh, or watch a child make a gesture that reminds us of a parent. As I read Luke 6:35–36, I hear Jesus calling His disciples to display a resemblance of another kind. Those who belong to the heavenly Father should reflect His mercy. That resemblance becomes especially visible when we encounter someone who offers us little reason to be kind. Jesus speaks of enemies, ungrateful people, and those who cannot—or will not—repay our generosity. He brings discipleship into the uncomfortable places where I must decide whether another person’s conduct will determine mine.
These words belong to Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain, where He teaches His followers how life under God’s reign changes their relationships. Loving those who love us is familiar territory. Doing good to someone who dislikes us requires a different source of strength. Matthew Henry acknowledges the difficulty plainly: “These are hard lessons to flesh and blood.” I appreciate that honesty. Jesus does not ask us to pretend that hostility feels pleasant. He calls us to seek another person’s good even while recognizing the wrong they have done. Mercy begins to show the Father’s likeness when kindness no longer depends on receiving kindness in return.
I see that mercy embodied in Jesus’ treatment of people. When He calls Matthew from the tax collector’s booth and shares a meal with tax collectors and sinners, He moves toward people others have dismissed. His welcome opens a door to repentance. Later, when Peter denies Him, Jesus does not allow that failure to become the final word over Peter’s life. Following His resurrection, He addresses Peter’s love and entrusts him again with responsibility for His flock. Jesus knows the truth about both men. His mercy makes room for their lives to change. When I am tempted to reduce someone to their worst decision, these encounters ask me whether I still believe God can work in that person.
David Guzik identifies the pattern behind Jesus’ command: “We should be merciful to others the way God has been merciful to us.” That takes my attention back to the grace I have received. I have needed patience while learning, forgiveness after failing, and correction delivered with love. The Father’s generosity toward me gives substance to His command concerning others. The Greek word translated “merciful,” oiktirmōn, conveys compassion or pity. Here, Jesus directs that compassion toward practical action: loving, doing good, and giving. Mercy has something to do with what I say, what I share, and how I respond when another person is difficult to love.
Consider the night of Jesus’ arrest. A disciple strikes the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. Jesus stops the violence and heals the injured man (Luke 22:50–51). Even while facing betrayal and arrest, He attends to someone’s suffering. That scene challenges me. Under pressure, I easily narrow my concern to my own injury. Jesus still sees the wounded person before Him. His conduct gives us a concrete picture of enemy-love: He acts for someone’s good in the midst of hostility. Following Him means asking what faithful kindness could look like in the situation actually before us.
Such kindness can include a firm boundary or an honest correction. Giving someone what they demand may sometimes deepen the harm. Mercy seeks their good with wisdom. It can refuse to assist wrongdoing while refusing contempt. It can report an offense truthfully while surrendering the desire for personal revenge. Today, perhaps your opportunity will be small: answer an impatient person calmly, acknowledge something good in someone you resent, or offer help without using it to secure praise. As you read Luke 6:27–36, ask Jesus to show you one relationship where the Father’s mercy can become visible through you. We practice mercy because we belong to a merciful Father, and His children are learning His ways.
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