One of the goals that our Heavenly Father has for us is to make us more like Jesus. As I survey social media and political movements, I am often disappointed. Here in the US, Christians seem to be more interested in preserving their political and social agendas than they are in becoming more like Jesus. How do we become more like Him? Let’s find out by listening to today’s familiar passage:

If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return. Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. (Luke 6:32-36)

This passage sounds a lot like the Sermon on the Mount, doesn’t it?  In fact, it is taken from what is sometimes called the “Sermon on the Plain.” Luke writes, in verse 17, “When they came down from the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level area.” The message is strikingly similar to the Sermon on the Mount…and it stings! He tells us that if we only love people who love us, if we only do good to people who do good to us, if we only lend money to people who can repay us, we aren’t being like Jesus at all; we’re being like sinners. What do you think of that? Jesus can be so impractical! He says that if we want to become more like Him, we must begin to think differently about our relationships with people. Jesus has very little to say about our rights or what we think our social agenda should be. Instead, He says, “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High.”

This kind of behavior might sound like bad news to you and to me, but guess what? When we become more like Jesus…that’s always very Good News!