A few weeks ago, Ted Smith challenged us to see others as God does, reminding us that we are “Made in the Image of God” (not just the people we like) and the next week our guest speaker challenged us to “Love Thy Neighbor.” This week two nearly identical scripture passages have popped up in my bible reading:

Luke 6: 27-36
27This is what I say to all who will listen to me:
Love your enemies and be good to everyone who hates you. 28Ask God to bless anyone who curses you and pray for everyone who is cruel to you. 29If someone slaps you on one cheek, don’t stop that person from slapping you on the other cheek. If someone wants to take your coat, don’t try to keep back your shirt. 30Give to everyone who asks and don’t ask people to return what they have taken from you. 31 Treat others just as you want to be treated.
32If you love only someone who loves you, will God praise you for that? Even sinners love people who love them. 33If you are kind only to someone who is kind to you, will God be pleased with you for that? Even sinners are kind to people who are kind to them. 34If you lend money only to someone you think will pay you back, will God be pleased with you for that? Even sinners lend to sinners because they think they will get it all back.
35 But love your enemies and be good to them. Lend without expecting to be paid back. Then you will get a great reward, and you will be the true children of God in heaven. He is good even to people who are unthankful and cruel. 36Have pity on others, just as your Father has pity on you.

Matthew 5:43-48
“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

While I’m just as guilty as anyone else of laughing at a joke at someone else’s expense (politics alone give us so much to work with), I’m finding it more distasteful and just plain tiring lately. So, I think God might be getting through to me in regard to how I see people, but I still have work to do.

How about you?

JL