Luke 6:27-36
“But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat 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 asks of you, and if anyone takes away what is yours, do not ask for it back 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 expect to receive payment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. Instead, 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 himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
I love etymology, the history and linguistic development of words. This week’s theme, dreaming of mercy, begged a closer look, not so much at dreaming, but at mercy. Mercy takes its roots back to Latin where the prefix ‘merc’ meant wages, fee, bribes, rent, etc. Fast forward to its adoption into modern Romance languages and one can still see its origins through the lense of the French word for thank you (merci) or the Spanish word for reward or favor (merced). In English we use the word “mercenary” to refer to someone working for wages. And then, of course, we have mercy itself: compassion shown to an offender, a person in a position of powerlessness or subjection, even the pardon of a fine, a fee, or an expected wage.
Well, how does all that relate to today’s passage? It’s easy enough to see mercy in Luke’s challenge here: “Give to everyone who begs from you, and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again.” Show compassion to your offender. Luke’s writing here could not be more direct, nor more condemning. This passage is a tough pill to swallow and feels, perhaps, like an assault at our own character. Is Luke comparing us to a common sinner when we give and expect to receive equally? Oof, that’s harsh. But there is truth here. We have a tendency to seek economic equality, fairness when trading, giving and receiving. We want it to be mutual, but that’s not what Luke is asking of us. He’s challenging us to be far more radical: “and from anyone who takes away your coat, do not withhold even your shirt.”
Now, as we attempt to wrestle our way to a resolution and succeeding action from this message, I would encourage us to move back to the other portion of our theme, dreaming. We all have dreams. We have dreams at night, daydreams, even delusions of grandeur. If you’re like me you may like to think Luke was dreaming when he wrote this passage: “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” Really, Luke? But where do our dreams relate to this passage? First, dreams are forward thinking. They are not reflections of the past, or memories. They are visions of an ideal situation, a beautiful place, or even a manifested fear, but are never centered in a past event. Second, dreams allow us to visit an altered reality. This is important. We can perceive in our dreams what we simply cannot in reality. And for something as radical and unreal as what Luke challenges us to here, dreaming is absolutely a part of understanding. We must dream of extending mercy to our own enemies. We have to picture this ideal world in which when struck on the cheek we turn and offer the other.
I don’t know about you but that’s hard for me to imagine. Yet, just what was true for Luke is true for us today. We must imagine, then show radical, unbelievable mercy. That’s what turns enemies into friends and tips the balance from a cruel world to a loving one. Dream of mercy, then go live it out.
How can you show mercy in the least expected and most loving way, as God shows us mercy?
How can you give this Christmas season while expecting nothing in return?