Luke 6:27-36 Let the Blanket Go!
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: July 19, 2018 Luke 6:27-36
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
(Revelation of God) First, Jesus forces us to face the negative reality that is in the world. Then, He tells us that we have to react differently than everyone else in the world reacts. In the end, Jesus justifies what He is commanding by telling His disciples that this is what they have to do if they want to be like God. In effect, these are the ways that God would react in the same situations. In fact, Jesus did react in these ways. People hate God, but He still gives them blessings and does not turn His face or mercy from them. God even loves Satan even though there is nothing that can be done to turn him back to the ways of heaven. God gives and gives to those who try to steal from Him and take by force. God is not concerned with His rights, but with our needs.
(Understanding the Text) “from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either” The word translated as cloak here is /himation/. According to Derek Morris in his “Life and Teachings of Jesus” series , the /himation/ was a sleeveless outer robe that could be used as a blanket for the cold or to shield from the sun. It was more expensive than the /chiton/. The word translated as tunic is /chiton/. A chiton was the cheaper lightweight inner robe. “from one who takes away your himation do not withhold your chiton either” The preacher that I listened to mixed up the two in his sermon saying that the message is to give the more expensive when they take the cheap, but that’s not the message. The message is that they are taking the more valuable non-essential clothing, but you should give all, even the inner robe that you need to cover your nakedness. This is a call to stop protecting yourself from the world but, instead, to give all you have and goes directly in the face of prosperity gospel.
(Understanding the Text / Application) What do we face in the world? Hatred, enemies, people cursing us, abuse, violent physical attacks, theft, people begging us to give up our stuff to them, and privation. Jesus says not to fight against this to protect our own rights, but to follow the path of love which demands that we submit to abuse, theft, violent attack, and hatred without retaliation, or more accurately that we retaliate with loving acts. We are not to be passive victims. We are to fight back, but our method of warfare is something radically different. We are to fight back with loving acts of kindness. We are to look at the other wretched human and see God’s child and treat him/her not as they deserve but as they need.
This is a call to become something different, to live by the rules of heaven. This is a call to be sanctified, to become like our Father. It is not a call to become victims, but it’s a call to become resisters. We are to resist the world’s call to retaliate, to stake a claim, to place a value on things above people, to become callous, to protect ourselves instead of others, to justify our own wrong because of the wrongdoing of others, to react rather than act. This is the call to reject the world’s control of our lives and be the children of God no matter what situation we find ourselves in. We are blest when these things happen to us because it is a chance to work for Jesus in the salvation of the human race.
The ultimate characteristic that shows that we are becoming like our Father in heaven is mercy. When we have every right to condemn someone and instead we forgive and give, we are merciful and reflecting our Father’s character. It is not when we deserve the evil that we receive that we are blessed. It is when we are right and righteous, yet receive unprovoked attacks that we are blessed. It is then that we can leave this world and its ways behind and enter into the heavenly kingdom by reacting with giving and mercy rather than with self-righteousness.
(Application) My application to myself is that this is hard. It’s hard to live like this. Only allowing God to live in me fully can I live like this. It’s easy to be nice to nice people or if I am wrong, but when I am right, it’s hard to not react with anger and self-protection. I pray for the Spirit to give me the power to live by heavenly principles rather than the ways of this world.
(Prayer) I can’t do this. I can’t act like You. I can’t feel pity rather than resentment and anger. I can’t love my enemies. I can’t stop from protecting myself. You can. Transform me so that I become like You. Thank You that You love me even when I act as Your enemy. Forgive me. I need that love so much.