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Gospel Reading for February 23, 2025 – Luke 6: 27-38
GO THE EXTRA MILE
Jesus said to his disciples: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”
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When we love only those who love us, and do good only to those who are good to us, there would be no real effort, no real sacrifice, no real giving of self. We are just returning a good deed done to us. But, we can claim that we TRULY LOVE, when we GO THE EXTRA MILE even if it will cause us discomfort and even if do not gain anything from it.
As 1 John 2: 6 says, “Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did.” God is the source of Love, therefore Jesus is the master of loving. If we can emulate him in his treatment of his enemies, then we can say that we truly know how to love.
Lord Jesus, remove from our hearts the desire to retaliate and destroy our enemies and people who do us wrong. Help us have a loving heart like yours!
