Who Would Turn the Other Cheek to Their Striker?
VBC Albuquerque · Aug 3, 2025
The sermon teaches believers about Jesus' teaching on loving enemies and responding with grace. The Lord's instruction requires not only forgiveness but also love and prayer for those who harm us. This is a sign that we are children of the Most High, because God shows mercy to the ungrateful and wicked.
The sermon raises a challenging question about the ability to practice the teaching of loving enemies that Jesus taught in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus does not merely teach "do not resist" but demands a positive attitude: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. This requires a complete change in how we view our relationships with those who have harmed us.
The sermon clarifies theological principles through the contrast between Scripture passages. While the scribes and Pharisees acted hypocritically and kept the law formally, Jesus pointed out that true righteousness comes from the heart. For example, in the story of the woman caught in adultery, Jesus does not condemn her but invites her to go and sin no more—this is mercy rather than judgment. This love reflects God's compassion, for He shows mercy to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Jesus teaches that loving enemies is not a sign of weakness but evidence of our relationship with the Most High. When we love, do good, and lend without expecting repayment, our reward will be great. God demonstrated His love for us when we were still sinners, and Christ died in our place. If we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son while we were His enemies, then we will be saved by the life of His Son.
The sermon emphasizes the importance of speaking truth in love. Jesus does not only teach about salvation but about the balance between compassion and justice. The good that God demands is not external actions but doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God. Therefore, believers must apply this teaching to their daily lives, loving enemies, forgiving those who harm them, and living as children of the Most High.