Luke 6:27-36
Love for Enemies
27"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Loving Without Expectation
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Luke 10:25-37
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Many of Jesus teachings are hard and tough teachings...He teaches us and tells us to love our enemies...This, without any more added to it, is hard enough...Yet, He adds to this...He tells us to love our enemies, AND not expect to get anything back...Jesus is teaching us in our lives, we build up an expectation...This expectation is something we want in return...A simple example of this, might be the exchange between a thank you and a your welcome...When you hear a thank you, should you expect a your welcome...The expectation is there...
This (not to expect anything back) is very hard to see when we think of terms of our enemy or enemies, but it is easier to think about what Jesus said in terms of one you truly love...I think this expectation (to receive something) is best explained by St. Paul in his explanation of love...When we truly love someone (a non-enemy) and have done something for them, we expect nothing...Paul mentions that love is not self-seeking...It is not seeking anything for itself, but love...That is true love...When we can love unconditionally and not expect anything in return then love can happen...Love does not expect anything back...So when one loves his enemy, he may not be loved back...When you help someone, do not demand anything back...Jesus wants us to learn that love is free, with no expectations and no demands of the ones we love (even our enemies and the ones who mistreat us)....This is how He loves...
As far as loving my enemy, this is why I need a Savior...When I stand in the Presence of the God of Abraham, I will need One who help me make it through this type of situation, and can help me truly love my enemy, without expecting anything in return...It is not good enough to love just those who love me...Jesus wants me to completely loving everyone...It is not enough to have mercy for those we love, we must be completely merciful to all...