Gospel
THE HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
ACCORDING TO LUKE
Jesus said, "But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back."
LUKE 6:27-38
Sermon by The Rev. Dr. Maryann Amor
"Christianity is a lifestyle—a way of being in the world that is simple, non-violent, shared, and loving. Yet, we turned it into an established religion and avoided the lifestyle change itself. Throughout history, one could be warlike, greedy, racist, selfish, and vain, yet still believe Jesus was their 'personal Lord and Savior.' The world has no time for such silliness anymore. The suffering on Earth is too great." -Richard Rohr
What if being Christian wasn’t about what we believe but about how we live? What if it wasn’t about Sunday services or doctrine but about radical love in every aspect of our lives?
Franciscan priest Richard Rohr, who I just quoted, writes on this topic, also called orthopraxy…or right action…which contrasts with orthodoxy, right belief. For Rohr, Christianity is primarily about orthopraxy, embracing a simple, non-violent, shared, and loving way of life. Yet, for many, Christianity has become focused on orthodoxy, emphasising beliefs alone, being only about accepting and believing in Jesus. So, one could be warlike, greedy, racist, selfish, and vain, and still claim to be a Christian…as long as you believed correctly, how you lived didn’t matter.
Rohr calls this silliness. With so much suffering in the world, we need Christians to adopt the lifestyle Jesus sets before us. Only orthopraxy…right action…can change our world for the better.
This is a key message in the Gospels. Jesus, fully immersed in his Jewish faith, did not come to abolish Hebrew Scriptures or create a new religion but to intensify adherence. Some in his time emphasized religious rules, without embodying the lifestyle of love, grace, and mercy that God calls people to follow. For example, if someone was injured and in need on the Sabbath, the rule of Sabbath rest took priority over care for the other. Seeing this hypocrisy, Jesus called them to another way…a way of life rooted in radical love, where right action was prioritized.
Our Gospel today reflects this theme. In Luke’s Sermon on the Plain, Jesus lays out this new way of life: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who abuse you. Do not retaliate. Give to those who beg. Treat others as you would like to be treated. Forgive. Do not judge. In a world where eye for an eye was common, what Jesus is saying would have been incredibly challenging to hear. Yet, for Jesus, this radical way of living is not optional — it must be at the very core of life. He isn’t asking for belief in God alone but for a complete lifestyle transformation.
So, with Rohr’s quote and our Gospel in mind, we must ask ourselves: Do we embody what Jesus calls us to today? Do we live a faith that actively seeks the good of others?
At first I thought, sure we do, it’s not that hard…but upon deeper reflection I came to realise how difficult this is. What Jesus calls us to is something much deeper than be a nice person…instead he calls us to approach everyone…not just those who are kind to us, not just when it’s convenient…with an ethic rooted in love. Even when it feels impossible, even when it costs us something.
Here’s an example from my life that I hope illustrates how difficult this call is. My six-year-old niece is being bullied by a boy in her first-grade class. When I heard about this, I was so upset. I know the scars bullying leaves—I carry them myself and I don’t want my niece to suffer this kind of pain, I desperately want to protect her.
When she had to write Valentine’s cards for her entire class, she obviously didn’t want to give one to the boy who bullies her. I understood completely, I wouldn’t want to give him one either. But as her teacher required that she write a card to every child in the class, she did it. But to get back at him, she rubbed it on her dog’s bum.
When my sister told me this story, I laughed. It felt like justice, sweet revenge. But after reading today’s Gospel, I realized that the response I was fully supporting was not loving. I wanted my niece to get even with her bully, because I know what she is going through. However, this is not what Jesus calls us to do. He explicitly says in today’s Gospel that we are not to retaliate when someone does us wrong, we must respond with love.
So, while at first, I supported my niece's desire to get even…I now wonder, what if, instead, we taught her to respond by planting seeds of empathy and compassion? What if we talked to her about how we know nothing about the boy, he is only 6, he is still growing up and maybe he is being bullied at home and suffering in his life. This doesn’t justify his actions against my niece, but the response to his actions comes from a more loving, less vengeful, place. The reality is that retaliative actions are already rampant in our world, causing so much suffering and violence. It is silliness for me, as a Christian, to do anything that adds to this instead of opposing it with love.
Is there somewhere in your life where you struggle, as I do, with Jesus’ call? Where do you hold onto a lifestyle focused on something other than radical love?
To be Christian is not just to believe in something. It is to become something. It is to live in such a way that when people see us, they catch a glimpse of God. It is, as Rohr reminds us, not about right belief but right action. So, this week, I challenge you…and myself…to embrace this way of life. Maybe it’s reaching out to someone you’ve avoided. Maybe it’s giving without expecting in return. Maybe it’s choosing to forgive. Maybe it’s looking at bullies and responding with love instead of anger. I pray that we won’t ever settle for belief alone, but that we will live our faith so fully that it transforms not just us, but the suffering world around us. May we take up this challenge, may we embrace the way Christ sets before us today.
Amen.
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