by Rev. Eric Folkerth

Our Gospel lesson for Sunday is one of the most challenging in the Bible. And it gets a question that vexes us human beings:

“How should we respond to those who are ungrateful, selfish, and who spit in the face of love?”

Jesus’ answer in Luke (Chapter 6) is: “Love them anyway.”

Bless those who curse you, Jesus says. Turn your cheek to those who strike you, give even more of your clothing to someone who takes your coat, and lend to people who cannot pay you back.

Let’s don’t sugarcoat this. This is tough stuff. It is among the most specific and clear instructions that Jesus gives on just how far God’s love for us, and our love for others, is supposed to go.

We make assumptions, though. We assume that folks will be grateful for the gift that we give them. It feels good to give to grateful people. It feels good to be thanked. It feels good to believe that the good we do will multiply and grow in the lives of others. And we almost always hope for this.

But that doesn’t always happen, does it? Sometimes people are ungrateful for our gifts. Sometimes, they are flat-out hostile to us. Some people spit in the face, or bite the hand, of those who try to help.

What do we do then?

“Love them anyway.”

There are hard questions here:

Can you give a gift without expecting a response?
Can you love somebody without expecting that they will love you back?
Can you reach out your hand even when your hand is slapped down?

The unsaid part of this Gospel lesson is that we should change our expectations of giving and serving. Just because we do a “good thing” for somebody doesn’t mean we should expect a generous response from others. Sure, it’s nice when it happens. But don’t let it stop your love for them when it doesn’t

Perhaps one of the most powerful explanations of this comes from a poem attributed to Mother Teresa of Calcutta. We now know that she likely did not write this prayer. But it so moved her that she kept it on the wall of her apartment so that she would see it every day. And maybe it’s a great way to illuminate this challenging scripture from Jesus:

“People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you.
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight.
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God.
It was never between you and them anyway.”

We come to worship each Sunday to be reminded of these kinds of challenging truths and to gain strength and renewal to live them out in our daily lives.

See you Sunday,

Eric Folkerth