Luke 6:31-36 -- On "Be Ye Therefore Merciful"

"And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful."
Luke 6:31-36


I like all of this in the same context, because it makes it clear that when God asks us to treat others as we would like to be treated, he isn't asking us something normal, like people being nice to us when we are nice, or trusting us when we are proven to be trustworthy. He's asking us to do something unusual and exceptional, yet still something that we wish from others. Forgiveness and kindness even when we are clearly in the wrong. Love in return for impatience and even antipathy. Generosity even when we have nothing to offer in return.

Significantly, God doesn't leave us with *only* the do unto others commandment, which we often seem to misinterpret in different ways, but he follows it up with "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." Note that he doesn't ask us to be "just" as he is, and in fact in the next verse asks us not to judge. Instead he asks us to emulate his mercy instead, which I think says a lot.

Today, let's think about doing the exceptional for God. Let's be kind to the unthankful and the evil, as he does, and work on being merciful, as he is.