Fresh Bread

Guest (Male): You are listening to Fresh Bread, Dr. Harry Reeder's daily devotional from the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.

Harry Reeder: Luke chapter six. We are in the Sermon on the Mount as recorded by Luke, which is an edited version of what you have recorded in Matthew 5, 6, and 7. We've seen the Beatitudes and the parallel to them with the pronouncing of the cursing. You've got the blessings of the Beatitudes and the cursings of the woes or maledictions that stand in contrast to the blessings.

Now we come to another exhortation. Let's look at Luke chapter 6 and verse 27. "But I say to you, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless them who curse you. Pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods, do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them."

We're going to stop right here at that point and just see these basic exhortations that have been given. What this is talking about is when somebody would declare themselves as enemies. You don't declare them as an enemy personally. That doesn't mean there's not room for national enemies or theological enemies. What this is telling you is what you do with enemies. You don't pretend like they're not enemies. What you do, though, is you love them.

How do you love them? You speak truth in love. You speak truth with integrity, with clarity, and you speak truth winsomely, but you still speak the truth. And then He says to those who hate you, do good to them. Don't be overcome by evil; overcome evil with good. So, for those who would even abuse you, you pray for them. What about those who would strike you on the cheek? Well, turn the other cheek.

Now, it doesn't mean you don't defend your family. That's another issue. What we're talking about is personally. What do you learn to do when it comes time for your witness? Is there a place for self-defense? Yes. What this is talking about is when you're living for Jesus and you suffer for Jesus, then you are willing to suffer and you don't need to pay back. You turn the other cheek.

Here's another one for you. You learn to give to those who beg from you. Now, it doesn't mean that everybody that's a beggar should get the money. Professional beggars and slighting people, you're not doing them a favor by reinforcing that behavior. But those who are in need and they come to you for alms, you be ready to give to those who beg from you who are truly in need.

This is another way in the new covenant with alms and graciousness and generosity and hospitality, we are able to help them, and we don't float a loan to them and then demand it to be paid back. You love others the way you would have them love you. If you were mired in sin, you wouldn't want people to reinforce your sin, but you would want them to love you well, even as they speak the truth.

If you're there out of consequences because of what's happening with a business closing, a sickness, or something, then you want to step in just like you would as the good Samaritan. You want to minister to people to take care of them. One of your standards is you do it for the glory of God, but another standard is you put yourself in their place. What would you want someone to do for you if you were in that situation?

Well, if you're lying and manufacturing a deceitful scheme to take people's money, you would want people not to reinforce that but confront it. But if there's a genuine need that's there and someone is now at the extenuating circumstances of life, then you want to reach out in ministry to care for them. That's what you would want them to do for you; now, that's what you do for them.

Aren't you grateful that when you were the enemy of God, He not only prayed for you, He gave His Son for you? And Jesus, when you were in the poverty of sin, gave the riches of Himself to secure the glorious riches of grace on your behalf and the gifts of eternal life? Oh, those glorious truths that are seen in Jesus. Now, may they be seen in the way we live. And that's another slice of Fresh Bread.

Guest (Male): Could you make a solid defense when someone questions the trustworthiness of the Scripture? Request this month's free gift, Dr. Reeder's series, Is the Bible Reliable? Call 1-800-488-1888.