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Luke 6b: HG Bishop Youssef

Love Your Enemies

01:20

27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. 

  • I say to you who hear
    • These commandments are given to all of us - all who hear and pay attention to what is said; all who are actively listening to the word and teaching of the Lord; all who diligently hearken to Christ; who feel that what the Lord is saying is worth their time
  • Love your enemies
    • This is a radically new teaching
    • In the Old Testament it was said "love your neighbor and hate your enemy" - we never heard before the Lord Jesus Christ that anyone said "love your enemies"
    • It is a very simple command to understand, but very difficult to obey - unless you receive grace from the Holy Spirit
    • Love is not emotion (warm fuzzy feeling)
      • We don't control our emotions
      • If we wait for our emotions or feelings, we may never love them
    • I need to make the decision that I will love my enemy and do good for them - 
      • He is speaking about acts of love.
      • "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink" (Romans 12:20)
      • When God sees me doing this, then this love will be processed by the Holy Spirit from the mind and will and intellect to the heart and emotions
  • Enemies?
    • The Lord recognizes that we will have enemies... but enemies are those who hate us, not those who we hate. We respond to them in love, trusting that God will protect our cause.
    • Many times we are concerned lest when we show love, people will take advantage of us... but if we trust in God, He will protect our cause
  • How to love enemies:
    • Do good to those who hate you
    • Bless those who curse you
      • We must speak well of those who speak ill of us
    • Pray for those who spitefully use you

29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. 31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.

  • If someone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also
    • We are peacemakers.
      • We must accept certain evils committed against us... not out of weakness, but by our free will
      • It is easy to repay evil with evil
      • We choose to repay evil with good because we are peacemakers
    • Practical Ways of Love
      • When struck on the cheek, resist and bear it; if we respond in like manner, then we become like him
      • "who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously" (1 Peter 2:23)
    • Accept Certain Evils Against Us
      • Does not mean to accept the evil of sin or bad actions or false doctrine - those that we oppose
      • The evil man is a victim of Satan, and we need to bear their weakness, praying for him
    • There was a man who was demon possessed and they took him to see an elder hermit that God had graced with the power to cast out demons. The demon caused the man to slap the hermit... the hermit turned the other cheek and the demon immediately left the man. The demon cried out "I must leave - I cannot stay any longer. The commandment of Christ is casting me out." Nothing puts down the pride of the devil as humility and obedience to the commandment of God.
    • In Egypt, one of the Sheikhs was making fun of Christianity and the Bible all over the media and insulting and slandering us for many many years. He got very sick and was taken to a hospital in London. HH Pope Shenouda III sent him a delegation of bishops to check on him in the hospital. He could not believe that after all he did to Christians, they are asking about him... this practical love changed him completely. And when he got back to Egypt he went straight from the airport to the Cathedral to thank HH Pope Shenouda. From that moment until he died, he never again spoke against Christianity. This is the power of love and forgiveness.
  • If someone takes your cloak, give him your tunic too
    • Giving willingly and out of love
    • By doing this, you don't disturb the calm of your own spirit with arguments, disputes, and debates
  • Give to everyone who asks of you, and do not ask them back
    • Whether Jew or Gentile, friend or enemy, believer or unbeliever, good or bad, worthy or unworthy, deserving or not
    • Give from your alms - food or money
    • Give freely, readily, cheerfully, according to your ability, abundantly, and as the necessity of the object requires
    • "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35)
  • Treat others as you want to be treated
    • The Golden Rule
    • Put yourself in his place and ask yourself how would I want to be treated?
    • Reciprocity
  • This sums up all moral and ethical requirements of men who live in society as citizens of the Kingdom of God
    • Christianity demands a standard that surpasses what is normally expected
    • We have the grace of the Holy Spirit - so we are expected to behave in a behavior which surpasses the normal
    • The Lord urges us to pursue a lifestyle that demonstrates God's mercy to everyone
    • If we are grounded in God's love, trusting fully in the Holy Spirit, it will be easy for us to live in this way

32 “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

  • What credit is that to you?
    • The Lord wants us to imitate Him
    • Anyone in the world can return love for love, good for good, lend and expect back - and even sinners do the same. This is the ordinary rule for man.
    • Some people are even worse sinners and return evil for good - these are less than normal. So what about returning good for evil? This is divine.
    • When we give, it's not with "strings attached"
    • When I help someone, I'm not helping him because he will help me back. I help him expecting nothing in return
    • The Lord calls for works that demonstrate love and good deeds
  • Three Commandments:
    • Love your enemies
    • Do good
    • Lend hoping for nothing in return
    • These are not simply recommendations or suggestions... these are commandments.
  • Blessings of earthly substance and also in heaven
  • Be merciful just as your Father also is merciful
    • Pardons others without being asked
    • Does not permit repeated returns of ingratitude to discourage him from doing good
    • Easily forgets any injury
      • Sometimes when someone hurts me, I can't forget it for years... because I am not merciful or compassionate.

Do Not Judge

26:35

37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

  • Judge Not, Condemn Not, Forgive
    • Jesus warns us against passing judgment upon others because when we do so, we will be judged in a similar manner and with the same measure
    • This verse is very popular among people who don't know the Bible well...
    • When HGBY came to America, he heard "don't judge" and "it's not fair" frequently from the younger generation... as if God wants us to be blind without discernment... as if Christ, when He said don't judge, He's commanding a universal acceptance of any lifestyle or teaching... 
      • The Lord Jesus Christ told us "you by their fruits you will know them" - so He wants us to make assessments... to discern between good and evil, between a Godly lifestyle and an evil lifestyle
      • Discerning between good and evil is a sign of maturity (Hebrews 5:12-14)
      • "Evil company corrupts good habits" (1 Cor 15:33) - how will I know if company is evil?
      • If I tell someone "don't follow him he's bad company" or "he's a false teacher" and someone replies "don't judge" - this is a misinterpretation and misuse of this verse
    • Christians are called to unconditional love, but not unconditional approval
      • We can love people who do things that we don't approve, but we should not imitate, follow or accompany them for "there is no fellowship between light and darkness." (2 Cor 6:13)
    • Judgment is when you say "this person is a bad person" - Condemnation is when you say "this person deserves to go to the Lake of Fire" - as if you are God and deciding who goes to heaven and who doesn't
    • Rather than judging or condemning, forgive
  • Generosity
    • Measure of grain so pressed and shaken that it could hold no more and has started to run over
    • With the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you
    • It is a powerful motivation for us - if we want more from the Love of God and forgiveness and goodness, then give more to the others and you will receive
    • Disciples of Christ are known as givers rather than judges
    • We cannot out-give God - once you give, He will return to you more than you gave

39 And He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. 41 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

  • "Can the blind lead the blind?"
    • This was a general proverb to signify that a man cannot teach what he is lacking
    • If I am lacking forgiveness, I cannot teach forgiveness
    • A man who is not illuminated from above, is incapable of judging spiritual things and wholly unfit to be a guide to others
    • Is it possible that a person who is covered with a thick darkness of hatred, unforgiveness, greediness, dare to judge the state of others? If I am blind, I cannot lead a blind person.
    • The Scribes and Pharisees were blind... can they lead blind people in the right way?
  • A disciple is not above his teacher, but will be like his teacher
    • If I have the mind of Christ, I will be like Him - holy, harmless, undefiled, above sin
    • We can imitate Him, but never be above Him, but I can become like Him
    • Those who put themselves under the direction of Christ will be like Him
    • By judging others, it is as if we are saying we are above our Master... our Master refrained from judging others
    • The followers of Christ cannot expect better treatment in the world than our Master... our Master was mistreated, so we cannot expect better treatment than Him
    • We should not aim for worldly magnificence or fame, because our Master did not have that
    • Live a life of labor and self-denial as our Master did
  • Speck/Plank
    • The Lord used an exaggerated image to make His message easier to understand and more memorable. We can have a speck in our eye, but not a plank... having a speck is highly irritating and causes the eye to turn red. So imagine a plank!
    • Those who are led by the standards and common opinions of the world, are blind, with a plank in their eyes
      • Many people now spend most of their time on Social Media - and the opinions that are on social media brainwash them... and become their Bible. And they are "following" certain "leaders" on Social Media. 
      • Following the multitude in evil is ignorance
      • Following the blind way that leads to destruction
      • We need to let our light shine, but without judging
    • The Lord is not saying it's wrong to help our brother with the speck in his eye... but before trying to do that, remove the plank from your own eye.

A Tree is Known by Its Fruit

45:00

43 “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

  • In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord used this parable to discern between true and false prophets
    • In the Old Testament, there were true prophets (e.g. Elijah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel) and false prophets
    • In the time of Christ, there were true and false teachers
    • In the end of times, there will be true and false teachers
  • How can we recognize the true Child of God who is a guide to others?
    • We can assess by the quality of his deeds: the fruits
    • His compassion, mercy, charitable deeds to the poor, forgiving heart, etc.
  • A tree is known as good or bad by its fruits and a man is known to be good or bad by his words and deeds
    • If the fruit is good, you may conclude that the tree is good
    • You can never know what the heart looks like, but from the fruit you can tell to a major extent
    • "For the foolish person will speak foolishness" (Isaiah 32:6)
    • "Wickedness proceeds from the wicked." (1 Samuel 24:13)
  • The fruit is the inevitable result of who we are... the heart is the essence of a person for good or evil.

Build on the Rock

50:00

46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? 47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. 49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”

  • If we call Him "Lord" then He is our Master and we should be obedient and compliant with His words
    • Those who go to church, fulfill some religious duties, but sin against God and man as anyone else in the world.
    • It's not enough to confess my relationship to Him as "Christian" or "His Servant" - but I have to consciously obey Him
    • We are deceiving and cheating ourselves
  • Three Steps
    • Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them:
    • Come
      • Come in submission and surrendering
    • Listen
      • Hear Him because we are His disciples
    • Obey
      • Because we are obedient
  • Build on the Rock
    • The two houses look exactly the same, but the foundation which is under the house is different - and it's the only thing that prevents the storm from destroying the house
    • If you come and hear but don't do, then you are building your house on the sand. If you are coming and hearing and doing, then your house is on the rock.
    • The wise man "dug deep" in toil and labor, as we fight the good fight to lay the good foundation
  • Assessing the strength of your foundation
    • How do you deal with adversity?
    • How do you deal with hardship?
    • It is good for our foundation to be tested now, rather than after we die and it's too late
  • The ruin of that house was great
    • Why is it great? It's just one person...
    • Every single person is so important to the Lord - the salvation of each individual causes the Lord's rejoicing and the ruin of just one causes sorrow
  • The Lord ends His sermon with these words to remind us not just to hear but to do, because if we don't take care of our foundation, then the ruin of that house will be great. And if I am a hypocrite, or inconsistent, or I am not doing... then that ruin will be my ruin.
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