Luk 6:33-35 | KingComments | STEP | The disciple is out to do good to others. He does not think in negative terms. He doesn’t think: What I don’t want others to do to me, I don’t do to others either. He thinks in positive terms: What I want others to do to me, I want to do to others. This is also true of God and Christ. The Lord Jesus began to do good and then He could count on man to do good to Him. The Lord concentrates on the previous by pointing out that it is not about the behavior of disciples among themselves. If there is love – and there should be – then it is not difficult to love. This does not give rise to any special feelings of gratitude to others. It is something that is also found among sinners. Here it is not about the characteristic of having feelings of love. It is about cases in which love is revealed when the other person does not expect it. Also when it is about doing good it should not happen as a kind of recompense to those who have done good to us. Then there is no reason why the other person should be grateful. The people in the world act in the same way. When we lend money to someone who is in need of money and we do so with in mind the hope that we will earn something from it, when there will be a quid pro quo in any form, we have not lent selflessly, out of love. We are no better than sinners who only lend when they are sure that they will get back at least the amount they have lend. It is about loving and doing good and lending to enemies. If we do it as the Lord meant and has done it Himself, we will receive a great reward. Moreover, we will then be real sons of the Most High. God has given love, done good, lent. When we do that, we are like Him. “Most High” is the glorious Name of God in the realm of peace, when He has laid all powers at the feet of the Son of Man. God is already the Most High. His exaltedness above all things is expressed in a special way in His exaltedness above evil. What encouragement for disciples who are surrounded by evil and sometimes think they will be overcome by it. The Most High is exalted above it. He shows this exaltation in His mercy, which is His full goodness over the ungrateful and the evil ones instead of destroying them. If we do this, we are real sons who look like their Father. This is sonship as the Lord means it, sonship that is to the Father’s delight. Even reward is linked to this behavior. The Lord summarizes the foregoing in one word: mercy. All people have a need for mercy. The Father has taken care of the disciples. In the awareness of that mercy, the followers of the Lord can go to all those around them to practice the previous teaching. Sons do not feel exalted above others and don’t judge. This mind and attitude are presented in the following section.

‏ Luke 6:33-35

Be Merciful

The disciple is out to do good to others. He does not think in negative terms. He doesn’t think: What I don’t want others to do to me, I don’t do to others either. He thinks in positive terms: What I want others to do to me, I want to do to others. This is also true of God and Christ. The Lord Jesus began to do good and then He could count on man to do good to Him.

The Lord concentrates on the previous by pointing out that it is not about the behavior of disciples among themselves. If there is love – and there should be – then it is not difficult to love. This does not give rise to any special feelings of gratitude to others. It is something that is also found among sinners. Here it is not about the characteristic of having feelings of love. It is about cases in which love is revealed when the other person does not expect it.

Also when it is about doing good it should not happen as a kind of recompense to those who have done good to us. Then there is no reason why the other person should be grateful. The people in the world act in the same way. When we lend money to someone who is in need of money and we do so with in mind the hope that we will earn something from it, when there will be a quid pro quo in any form, we have not lent selflessly, out of love. We are no better than sinners who only lend when they are sure that they will get back at least the amount they have lend.

It is about loving and doing good and lending to enemies. If we do it as the Lord meant and has done it Himself, we will receive a great reward. Moreover, we will then be real sons of the Most High. God has given love, done good, lent. When we do that, we are like Him. “Most High” is the glorious Name of God in the realm of peace, when He has laid all powers at the feet of the Son of Man. God is already the Most High. His exaltedness above all things is expressed in a special way in His exaltedness above evil.

What encouragement for disciples who are surrounded by evil and sometimes think they will be overcome by it. The Most High is exalted above it. He shows this exaltation in His mercy, which is His full goodness over the ungrateful and the evil ones instead of destroying them. If we do this, we are real sons who look like their Father. This is sonship as the Lord means it, sonship that is to the Father’s delight. Even reward is linked to this behavior.

The Lord summarizes the foregoing in one word: mercy. All people have a need for mercy. The Father has taken care of the disciples. In the awareness of that mercy, the followers of the Lord can go to all those around them to practice the previous teaching. Sons do not feel exalted above others and don’t judge. This mind and attitude are presented in the following section.