"Beyond Our Borders"
March 6, 2005

The New Testament Lesson: Luke 6: 31 - 36

To expand our circle of love so that it reaches out to others in need

I.  What are the limits you’ve placed on your love?
   A. I recently read a story from a women confessing her own sin.
        1. She was walking down a city street when she was accosted
            a. a man she hadn’t seen had knocked her down & grabbed her purse.
            b. She hardly had time to even shout.
        2. When she looked up, she saw a young black man running away
            a. She called out after him “He took my purse.”
            b. But seconds later he was walking rapidly back to her.
            c. She cringed, expecting to be hit.
        3. the young man reached down, helped her up and returned her purse.
            a. It turned out, he was an undercover cop.
            b. While the mugger got away, he had retrieved her valuables.
        4. She had jumped to a conclusion.
   B. Have you placed limits on your love?
        1. I’d be willing to wager that you have.
            a. It’s entirely possible that you aren’t aware of those limits.
            b. You might not be called to cross those lines very often.
            c. We just aren’t aware of the barriers that exist until we hit them.
        2. You might have socio-economic limits.
            a. You love those who have a similar social standing.
            b. but someone asks you for a handout and you react negatively
            c. In your mind you say “Why doesn’t he just get a job?”
        3. You might have racial limits.
            a. You tell yourself that you don’t care about color at all.
            b. But as you’re getting on an airplane, you see an Arab looking man and you pray that they have screened him well.
        4. May you have some cultural expectations or even age.
            a. A young person sits down next to you all the bus.
            b. They have a number of piercings in their ears, nose, lip and God knows where else!
            c. you judge them as disrespectful and rebellious and dirty.
        5. All these people appear in the Bible.
            a. Do you know where?
            b. They are on Jesus’ guest list at the Great Banquet!

II.  Our love is to know no boundaries other than those of physical limitation.
   A. Jesus has challenged us to love differently because of our faith.
        1. We are not to be like everyone else when it comes to love.
        2. In this passage, we are placed in juxtaposition to Sinners
            a. those whose habit it is to sin; who’re out of relationship with God,
            b. having their self interest as their primary point of reference.
            c. Why do they love others?
                i It feels good to them.
                ii They find the people meet a need in their life.
                iii They expect to get something out of the relationship.
        3. Jesus’ charge to us is to love people without self interest.
            a love those who oppose you and your goals
            b Do good as an absolute, for its own sake with no expectation.
            c. Lend to others who without expecting to make a profit.
   B. Does this mean that we will go without a reward?
        1. No!  but we can’t expect a reward in the way people normally do.
        2. Our focus is on our relationship to God.
            a. Part of reward is satisfaction: knowing we are being God’s children
            b. Emulating God’s kindness which is for the ungrateful and wicked.
            c. the reward is completed in finding our home eternal with God.
        3. At times, this reward is hard to understand.
            a. I was preparing a funeral service for one of our older members.
            b. Spent time with her children who were not a part of any church.
            c. They extolled her virtues of a life lived in kindness.
            d. Talked about her generosity, the good work she did for others.
            e. Her record of involvement with the church bore witness as well.
            f. Then, one her sons made a chilling comment: “She always talked about giving to others because we would receive it back ten fold.  But I never saw anyone giving back to her!”  He said that with bitterness.
            g. I dare say that he was looking for the return in the wrong places.
        4. He didn’t see the many warm relationships which characterized her.
            a. Didn’t see the glow of joy she carried inside from righteousness.
            b. And didn’t see her happiness now that she was with her Savior.
    C. The bottom line is simple, be merciful like your Father.
        1. Every person we meet is in need of mercy.
        2. What is the mercy we are supposed to extend?
            a. oiktirmones is pity and compassion.
            b. Always used in the plural
            c. expresses the idea that it is not just an abstract concept
            d. it is seen in acts of mercy to others.
        3. Literal translation then is: Be mercies just as Your Father is mercies!
        4. Not just feeling.  It must also be action.

 III.  As we move through this life, we are to be walking reservoirs of mercy.
   A. This has been a great year for moisture.
        1. After years of drought we have finally gotten snow and rain.
        2. The reservoirs are full and overflowing.
        3. In the South, they are actually worried about the water spilling out.
        4. That is the image I want you to hold for how God has called us to walk through the world.
   B. Instead of water, however, we have received God’s mercy!
        1. It has been poured into us by the Holy Spirit.
            a. It flowed into us when we were ungrateful and wicked
            b. Those are just the kind of people with whom we have trouble.
            c. And it has not stopped flowing into those who remain open.
        2. But we have limited space!
            a. If we are open to the mercy of God, we will fill up.
            b. Once full, we can no longer contain that mercy.
        3. We have only two options then.
            a. One is to shut off the flow of mercy, “Thanks God, I’m all full!”
            b. Or, we can let that mercy flow out of us to others all around.
        4. Jesus is calling us to overflow to the ungrateful and wicked around us
    C. Friends, the world needs the flow of mercy that we can become.
        1. They are used to people being harsh with them.
            a. They have experienced demanding bosses who are never satisfied.
            b. They have experienced cut throat co-workers looking to get ahead.

In his best seller, The Road Less Traveled, M. Scott Peck said “since it requires an extension of ourselves, love is always either work or courage.”  It is not easy to love those who are outside your circle of friends.  It is frightening to extend yourself to others in this way.  But if it were easy, everyone would do it.  They do not.  The standard this world gives is to love those who love you back or who can do something for you.  The standard of the Kingdom of Heaven is to love the person whom God sends your way, especially if you can expect nothing from them, even if they are wicked and ungrateful.  Will you be one of Heaven’s standard bearers?

And as you go from this place, may you walk in the way of Christ Jesus and May God always find you faithful!