Pastor's Corner - 3/18

Jesus gives one of his most challenging commands in Luke 6: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

Loving friends is natural. Loving those who oppose us is not. Our instinct is to protect ourselves, to withdraw, or to hold onto the hurt. Yet Jesus calls us to a different way, one shaped not by retaliation, but by mercy.

Why would he ask this of us?

Because this is how God has treated us.

Scripture reminds us that we were once his enemies. But, instead of rejecting us, Christ pursued us. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). The mercy we receive from Jesus becomes the mercy we extend to others.

This kind of love does not mean ignoring wrongdoing or pretending pain is not real. It means refusing to let bitterness take root. It means choosing prayer over revenge and grace over resentment.

So take a moment to reflect on the following questions. 

Who is the person you find hardest to love right now?

Where is resentment quietly growing in your heart?

Do you believe that the mercy of God toward you is greater than the wrong that has been done to you?

As we look to the cross, we are reminded that God’s mercy is greater. And as His mercy fills our hearts, it begins to reshape how we respond to others.

Dear Church, let us become people who reflect the mercy we have received to those around us.