As Jesus taught, he said many things that, I am sure, shocked the people who were listening to him. Possibly most shocking amongst those things were his teachings on love: To whom we should show love. How we are to love others. Those teachings were shocking because that which he taught was completely different, completely upside-down and contrary to how our world typically works. Here are a few examples:

You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Matthew 5:38-42

Jesus says that if someone comes against you, even an evil person, even in violence, slapping you or hitting you, don’t resist them.

In fact, turn the other cheek to them so that they can easily hit that one too.

If they come against you, wanting to sue you… To take your shirt… To take your coat, give it to them.

Wow.

Or we could also look at the teaching that immediately followed:

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?

Matthew 5:43-47

Don’t just love your neighbor. No, love your enemy as well.

And who is the person who is your enemy? He is the one that we just spoke about, the one who is standing there slapping you. Or the one who is suing you.

Love him!

How many times have I failed in carrying out Jesus’s teaching? How many times have I, instead of loving my enemy, sought to bring retribution on them?

So I see a reminder again in the book of Romans:

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:14-21

This is very similar to Jesus’s teaching. Paul says that we should bless those that persecute us. Bless our enemies.

So, we should ask ourselves: Why? Why do good to our enemies instead of repaying them with what they have given to us?

The reason is that this is precisely what God did for us through Jesus. While we were God’s enemies, Jesus came and gave himself for us. It wasn’t that we were worthy of him dying. It wasn’t that Jesus thought that everything was going to work out between us and him. It wasn’t that he just couldn’t exist without us.

No, we were his enemies, and not only did he bless us, not only did he feed us, but he died for us. For his enemies Jesus died.

I believe that this is one of the ways that we can really know if someone understands the weight, the importance, the value and worth of the gift that they have been given in Jesus. Are they willing to be harmed by their enemies as Jesus taught? Are they willing to bless their enemies? To me, this is a tell-tale sign that someone not only understands the value of the death and resurrection of Christ for their life, but is truly living it out: If they are willing to follow Jesus’s teaching in this way, we can truly see the fruit of the Gospel coming through their lives.

So I can look back at my own life and ask: Did I understand? Did I place the appropriate value of the Gospel upon my life? I suspect that I didn’t at that time, but my desire is to continue to grow, not only in my understanding from the perspective of my head knowledge, but primarily in my practice on a daily basis as I walk with Christ.