Luke 6:27-49

Broadside!

When I was a kids I had a game called Broadside. It was a board game in which each player had ships which they moved along a grid. You rolled dice to see how many moves you got. Some ships were fast but had little power. Others were slow but had tremendous power. Regardless of speed or power your ship couldn’t fire until you managed to come broadside your opponent. Once you came broadside, “BAM,” you let him have it.

In this passage Jesus lines up broadside all of our cherished worldly notions and blows them to smithereens. “Love your enemies.” For those of us in the USA that would be radical Muslims, Communists, and perhaps even immigrants. “Give to everyone who asks.” Really? “Do not judge.” What about sinners? What about people who are pushing a sinful agenda?

“Give and it will be given to you.” Surely He is talking about paying a fair price for a fair return? He really couldn’t be talking about just...giving, could He? “Understand that whatever you see wrong in your brother is likely small stuff compared to what is wrong with you.” Does He really expect us to pay attention to this one?

What kind of rules are these? How can you expect to build a big church or elect the next high official or change the world playing by these rules? But then again, you can’t ever change the world if you don’t play by these rules because you have otherwise become the world. These rules undermine everything the world hold dear.

And one more thing. If you don’t take Jesus seriously and put these words in to practice then whatever you do build, whatever you do accomplish, will be completely and utterly destroyed. The world and its desires are passing away, but the one does the will of God remains forever.