The
Truth in Print Vol. 28 Issue 3, Apr. 2022
A
Publication of the Valley church of Christ,
2375
W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364 (928-782-5058)
Website
Address ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Bless
those Who Curse You
Luk 6:27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do
good to those who hate you,
Luk 6:28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who
spitefully use you.
Jesus taught love
your enemies and do good to those who hate you. Recently I explained to an
acquaintance that most today do not understand the definition of Bible love.
Strong’s definitions show love can mean affection for, as well as duty ----
Phileo (G5368) “…to be a friend to (fond of [an individual or an object]), i.e. have affection for (denoting personal attachment, as a
matter of sentiment or feeling”; Agapao (G25) “…while Greek 25 (agapao) is
wider, embracing especially the judgment and the deliberate assent of the will
as a matter of principle, duty and propriety:”
Love to Christ
always comes first. Jesus said, Joh.14:15 "If you love Me, keep My
commandments.” And John said, 1Jn. 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that
we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”
To “do good” is
defined by Thayer: d. to do good to, benefit one. The Complete Word Study
Dictionary (TCWSD) (C) With poiéō (G4160), to do, followed by the acc. or
dat., to do well to anyone, to benefit (Mat 5:44; Luk 6:27).
What am I doing
when I love and do good? --- especially regarding my enemy.
Again, the TCWSD:
(III) To love one's neighbor, one's enemies (Mat 5:43; Mat 19:19; Mat 22:39;
Luk 6:32). …especially in regard to one's enemies, should not necessarily be
taken to mean doing that which will please them, but choosing to show them
favor and goodwill (Mat 5:43-44). One should realize the need of people to be
changed through Christ's grace, and do everything possible to bring them to a
knowledge of the Lord. This may involve expressions of benevolence or even
discipline and punishment, all as the outworking of this love.”
Do you really
think most get this point? “This may involve expressions of benevolence or even
discipline and punishment, all as the outworking of this love.”
Paul said, “Love
never fails” (I Co 13:8) --- “fails” [G1601 ekpiptō] Thayer: 1) “to fall
out of, to fall down from, to fall off.” In the context of the duration of
spiritual gifts “love” doesn’t leave its place or fall from its place God gave
it. This statement certainly never meant God forces one to accept His love.
Sadly, despite efforts to save some will never respond to the truths and
admonitions of the Gospel that saves (Mk. 16:15-16).
WHEN JESUS SAID BLESSED ARE YOU (Luk 6:22-23)
Luk 6:22 Blessed are you when
men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name
as evil, For the Son of Man's sake.
Luk 6:23 Rejoice in that day
and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner
their fathers did to the prophets.
“Blessed” [G3107 Makarios] Strong’s Definition: supremely
blest; by extension fortunate, well off: - blessed, happy (X -ier).
WHAT ENEMIES DO HERE:
•
Hate you (Luk 6:27).
•
Curse you (Luk 6:28).
•
Spitefully use you (Luk 6:28).
•
Strike you (Luk 6:29).
•
Take away your possessions (Luk 6:29-30).
When you became
a Christian you were welcomed into this club.
MUST REMEMBER IN SPITE OF THIS HATRED WE ARE TO
LOVE AND DO GOOD TO OUR ENEMIES (LK 6:27)
OUR GOAL IS TO BE MERCIFUL SONS OF THE MOST
HIGH
Luk 6:32
But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even
sinners love those who love them.
Luk 6:33 And if you do good to
those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the
same.
Luk 6:34 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.
Luk 6:35 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.
Luk 6:36 Therefore be
merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
KEY POINTS INCLUDE:
•
YOUR REWARD IS GREAT IN HEAVEN (LK. 6:23)
•
HOPING FOR NOTHING IN RETURN FROM THEM (Lk.
6:35)
•
BEING CHILDREN OF THE HIGHEST AND MERCIFUL LIKE
THE FATHER IS (Lk. 6:35-36)
•
TO EVEN THE UNGRATEFUL AND THE WICKED (Lk.6:35)
•
YOUR REWARD FROM THE FATHER (Lk. 6:35)
Concerning
“reward” [G3408 misthos] Thayer says: 2b) of the rewards which God bestows, or
will bestow, upon good deeds and endeavours.
Yes, that
difficult part “to even the ungrateful and the wicked” is to be understood and
practiced. I must remember it.
NOTE THE FOLLOWING IN THE CONTEXT
Luk 6:28 bless those who curse
you, pray for those who mistreat you.
Luk 6:29 “Whoever hits you on the
cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not
withhold your shirt from him either.
Luk 6:30 “Give to everyone who
asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.
It is obvious
there is abuse here, i.e., some degree of violence and / or misuse of
authority. Some have applied the turning
of the cheek to an insult--- the smiting is his folly not yours. You also see
the “taking” from you--- no one is so foolish as to use force to take what does
not belong to them. In some cases, if you have your life there is no need to
start something that ends in tragedy for yourself or others with you. If it is
not life threatening don’t make it so. But then, our woke society doesn’t want
to hear about the right to protect yourself. Jesus said, Luk 22:36 “Then said
he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his
scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.” Look
at the mess made with defund the police --- and now, after their stupidity, we
must fund the police they say.
THERE IS A TEACHING ELEMENT IN GOOD WORKS
Mat 5:16 Let your light so
shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father
which is in heaven.
Here are some selected following admonitions
in Matthew 5:
Mat 5:41 And whoever compels
you to go one mile, go with him two.
At the Crucifixion: Mat 27:32 And as they
were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into
service to bear His cross. And what did John say to the soldiers? Luk
3:14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we
do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely;
and be content with your wages.
Mat 5:42 Give to him who asks
you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
I believe Lk 6:34 gives some help in
understanding this. Lk 6:34 “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.”
So, there’s teaching done there!
Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it
hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44 But I say to you,
love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you,
and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
Mat 5:45 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.
Mat 5:46 For if you love those
who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
Mat 5:47 And if you greet your
brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors
do so?
Mat 5:48 Therefore you shall
be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
IN JESUS’ TEACHING THINGS WERE TO BE CONSIDERED
IN THE CONTEXT OF SALVATION BEING OFFERED FOR ALL MEN
When A Samaritan Village Rejected Jesus
Luk 9:51 And it came to pass,
when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his
face to go to Jerusalem,
Luk 9:52 And sent messengers
before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans,
to make ready for him.
Luk 9:53 And they did not
receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
Luk 9:54 And when his
disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command
fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
Luk 9:55 But he turned, and
rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
Luk 9:56 For the Son of man is
not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another
village.
Here the “Sons of
Thunder” (Mk. 3:17) were rebuked --- they did not see the need for the
salvation of all men. Paul said, Rom 12:14 Bless them which persecute you:
bless, and curse not.
DEFINING “BLESS” (Lk. 6:28)
Wanda (my wife)
and I were talking about watching Senator Ted Cruz when the news showed
activists confronting him and his wife at a restaurant -– it was a nasty scene,
and he finally got up and said, “God bless you” and left –- obviously he’s
trying hard not to do what they’re doing. Jas 3:10 says, Out of the same mouth
proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
We were
considering what it means to bless. First, we agreed trying not to be complete
idiots that it certainly doesn’t mean that we tell an outright rouge he’s a
great guy, flatter him and hope to get something in return!
Some in the world
might even consider something like the Irish blessing, “May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and
until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand” – said to be an
old Celtic prayer. Skilled artists can put that in a song and entertain with it
and everyone gets that feel-good feeling.
On the internet
thousands of so-called blessings are posted and circulated continually that
leave the impression one is saved--- sending them to acquaintances, friends and
family who are lost in sin.
Thinking of the
church and our speaking to one another, often we close in writing or speech
with, “God bless.”
Strong’s
definition: “Bless” [G2127 eulogeō, vb.] Strong’s: to speak well of, that
is, (religiously) to bless (thank or invoke a benediction upon, prosper): -
bless, praise.
The word “invoke”
appears in this definition--- The American Heritage Dictionary definition is:
1. To call on (a higher power) for assistance, support, or inspiration.
The word
“benediction” also appears--- The American Heritage Dictionary definition is:
1. A blessing. 2. An invocation of divine blessing. …4. An expression of good
wishes.
A dear brother
advised on considering further the word it comes from. It comes from [G2095 eu,
adv.] Strong’s: (adverbially) well: - good, well (done) and [G3056 logos]
Strong’s: something said (including the thought). Thayer: 1) of speech 1b) what
someone has said.
Realizing my
obligation in love is duty first always to the Lord, and thinking of my speech
and what I say to others --- I’m speaking “well” when I guard my mouth and
speak what is a benefit “to” them. Often that’s not the same as “to speak well
of” them.
Valley Church of Christ
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ
85364
(928) 782-5058 ~
http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Sunday Services – Classes ~10:00;
Assembly 10:50 am; Evening: 6:00 pm.
Wednesday evening – 7:00 pm
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learn more call, visit or visit our website at: