2/23/2025 Commanded to Love

Last Sunday, we heard the first several verses of Jesus' Sermon on the Plain in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus proclaimed blessings to those who are usually considered less fortunate (the poor, the hungry, the persecuted) and woes to those who are usually considered successful and admirable (the rich, the full, the well-regarded). It is the opposite of what we expect and experience in our own lives.

Jesus doesn't ease up in the rest of his sermon, as we hear from Pastor Katelyn Gordon Cooke, "Love your enemies," Jesus commands his disciples. "Do good to those who hate you, bless those that curse you, pray for those who abuse you." Again, it is the opposite of what we expect and experience in the world around us, but perhaps that is why Jesus is so adamant about it.