Be Excellent to Each Other: Love Your Enemies

Aug 16, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: When Enemies Steal Your Coat, Offer Your Shirt

Radical generosity disarms hatred. Jesus calls his followers to respond to theft by giving more than what’s demanded, breaking cycles of retaliation. This isn’t passive weakness but active grace that confronts injustice with unexpected kindness. Like stripping off an inner garment after losing an outer cloak, this response reveals a heart anchored in heaven’s economy. It forces both the giver and receiver to confront the supernatural love fueling such actions. The goal isn’t fairness but freedom—for others to encounter Christ through surrendered generosity. [01:00:55]

“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.” (Luke 6:29-30, ESV)

Reflection: What tangible item or resource do you cling to tightly? How could generously releasing it—especially to someone difficult—become a doorway for God’s love?

Day 2: Praying for Those Gambling for Your Clothes

True mercy intercedes for mockers. While soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ garments, He prayed for their forgiveness. This moment reveals kingdom authority—not to destroy enemies but to redeem them. Praying for persecutors shifts our focus from their actions to God’s power to transform hearts. It exchanges bitterness for divine perspective, recognizing that “they don’t know what they’re doing” in their spiritual blindness. [01:07:51]

“And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ And they cast lots to divide his garments.” (Luke 23:34, ESV)

Reflection: Who actively opposes or belittles your faith? What specific blessing can you speak over them today instead of rehearsing their faults?

Day 3: Lending to Those Who Can’t Repay the Loan

Kingdom economics defy earthly math. Jesus commands lending without repayment expectations, mirroring God’s generosity to us. This isn’t financial recklessness but intentional investment in eternal returns. When we fund a struggler’s fresh start or a critic’s need, we become conduits of grace that whisper, “You’re worth more than your failures.” Such loans become living parables of salvation. [01:10:47]

“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.” (Luke 6:35, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you withheld help because someone “didn’t deserve it”? What would lending freely look like in that relationship?

Day 4: Tearing Up the List of Stolen Things

Forgiveness destroys accounting systems. Jesus’ followers tear ledgers tracking wrongs, refusing to let past wounds dictate present responses. This isn’t ignoring injustice but entrusting final judgment to God. Releasing the “list” creates space for new narratives—where enemies become mission fields, and old hurts birth compassion. Mercy remembers debts were already paid on Calvary. [01:17:11]

“Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” (Colossians 3:13, ESV)

Reflection: What specific offense still lives rent-free in your mind? How would burning that “file” free you to bless its offender?

Day 5: Modeling the Move When Orders Are Forgotten

Kingdom excellence shines in mundane frustrations. When workers forget your orange juice or slight you, respond with grace that reveals Christ’s patience. These small moments train us for larger tests of character. Every minor irritation becomes a drill for loving enemies—proving God’s Spirit overrides human pettiness. The world notices when we tip well despite poor service. [55:33]

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16, ESV)

Reflection: What daily annoyance consistently trips your temper? How could responding with deliberate kindness today become someone’s first glimpse of Jesus?

Sermon Summary

Luke 6 opens up the heart of the Jesus community with a simple but hard word: be excellent to each other, even when others are not excellent back. Jesus speaks to people who know what it is to be wronged, rejected, stolen from, and mistreated, and he does not hand them revenge. Jesus says, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.”

The love Jesus commands is not just a nice feeling. Love becomes sacrificial service that actually thinks about the welfare of the person who has caused harm. The natural fallen instinct wants to hurt back, and maybe hurt worse, but God’s kingdom moves in the opposite direction. The Jesus community first offers grace, forgiveness, mercy, and blessing.

The word blessing means speaking well, wishing good, and praying for the good of someone who may be cursing or harming. The image of an “under your breath” podcast exposes how much hidden cursing can live inside a person. Jesus disarms that inner pattern so that his people do not simply mirror the awfulness done to them. The person outside does not get control over the expression of Jesus through them.

Radical generosity becomes part of that same kingdom pattern. Jesus says to turn the other cheek, to give beyond what is taken, and to lend without expecting anything back. This is not permission to stay in abuse or let evil continue unchecked, but it is a call to keep the heart of God even while boundaries and safety are set. The kingdom is a “me first community” in the sense that it models the move first.

Christ on the cross becomes the full picture. Beaten, mocked, stripped, and nailed there by the very people he came to save, Jesus could have called angels down with one word. Christ chose mercy in every moment, and the words from the cross were, “Father, forgive them. They have no idea what they’re doing.”

The Father is gracious to the ungrateful and evil, and his children are called to carry the family pattern. Forgiveness begins by tearing up the list of wrongs before God. Bitterness traps the heart, but forgiveness opens the door. The call of Luke 6 is to bless and not curse, to pray for enemies, to seek their excellence, and to let the Holy Spirit form a different kind of people.

Key Takeaways

1. Enemies reveal kingdom family patterns Jesus does not let enemies define the behavior of his people. The family of God has a different way of existing, and old patterns from the old life cannot simply be carried into the kingdom. Love for enemies becomes evidence that the Father’s mercy is shaping the inside, not just religious activity on the outside. [73:51]
2. Blessing breaks the mirror instinct The fallen instinct wants to mirror harm with harm, curse with curse, and insult with insult. Jesus calls his people to bless, which means speaking and praying for good where retaliation would feel natural. That kind of response refuses to let another person’s sin become the pattern of the believer’s soul. [57:04]
3. Forgiveness tears up the list Bitterness keeps records, names enemies, and rehearses what was stolen. Forgiveness does not pretend the wrong was small, but it brings the list before God and releases the right to curse. The heart that cannot deal with yesterday’s wounds will keep repeating yesterday’s pattern in today’s conflict. [76:49]
4. The cross models costly mercy Christ’s mercy was not weakness, because one word could have stopped the cross. Jesus held back judgment while being mocked, torn apart, and killed, and his prayer was forgiveness for people who did not understand their own evil. The cross shows that mercy is not passive niceness, but holy strength under pain. [66:15]
5. Generosity becomes supernatural witness Radical generosity makes no sense when repayment is impossible and appreciation is unlikely. Jesus says that loving only those who love back is simply the normal pattern of the world. Kingdom generosity becomes a visible sign that a supernatural God has formed a supernatural people.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[48:23] - Opening Prayer Over Luke 6
[49:53] - Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure
[50:56] - Be Excellent To Each Other
[52:38] - Loving When People Hurt
[54:17] - Jesus Says Love Your Enemies
[57:04] - Bless Those Who Curse
[58:21] - Reflecting Jesus Instead Of Awfulness
[60:32] - Turn The Other Cheek
[65:14] - Jesus Models Mercy On The Cross
[70:14] - Going Beyond The World’s Normal
[73:12] - Children Of The Most High
[75:53] - Tearing Up The Bitterness List
[79:25] - How To Be Excellent To Enemies
[81:45] - Prayer Of Forgiveness

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 6:27-36
“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.” [54:25]

Luke 23:34
“And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ And they cast lots to divide his garments.” [01:06:18]

Matthew 5:38-39
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” [01:01:56]

Observation questions

In Luke 6:27-36, what actions does Jesus specifically command toward enemies, haters, cursers, and those who mistreat people?
What are the repeated contrasts in Luke 6 between what “even sinners” do and what Jesus calls his people to do? [01:10:14]
In the passage about blessing those who curse, what does “bless” look like in actual words and actions? [57:04]
In Luke 23:34, what does Jesus say while being crucified, and what is happening around him at that moment? [01:07:39]

Interpretation questions

Jesus says, “love your enemies” and then describes doing good, blessing, praying, giving, and lending. What does that show about the kind of love Jesus is talking about? [55:25]
Jesus says to turn the other cheek and to give beyond what is taken. How should that be understood without treating evil as acceptable or pretending safety does not matter? [01:04:59]
Jesus says that loving only those who love back is just the world’s normal pattern. Why does enemy-love stand out as evidence of God’s kingdom at work in a person? [01:11:32]
Jesus connects mercy to the Father’s character: “he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” How does seeing God that way change how a believer thinks about forgiveness and kindness toward difficult people? [01:13:27]

Application questions

Who feels hardest to bless right now: someone in the home, workplace, church, extended family, or public life? What usually rises first in the heart toward that person: anger, avoidance, sarcasm, silent judgment, or something else? [01:15:16]
Hidden cursing often happens “under the breath” before it ever comes out in public. What kinds of private words or inner conversations need to change so blessing can start there first? [57:27]
Is there a list of wrongs still being carried around before God—things said, things stolen, betrayals, insults, or old wounds? What would it look like to begin tearing up that list through forgiveness, even if the other person never apologizes? [01:16:49]
Jesus did not let the evil done to him control what came out of him. Where is there a temptation right now to simply mirror somebody else’s awfulness back to them? What would it look like to let the expression of Jesus come through instead? [01:03:25]
Loving enemies does not mean staying in abuse, but it does mean keeping the heart of God while setting boundaries. Is there a situation where stronger boundaries are needed, while still refusing bitterness and revenge? [01:17:38]
Jesus calls his people to “model the move” and go first in mercy and generosity. What is one practical first move that could be made this week toward someone difficult: a prayer, a kind word, a refusal to gossip, an act of help, or a different response than usual? [01:04:35]
Since this kind of love does not come from natural strength, where is there a need to ask the Holy Spirit for a changed heart rather than just better behavior? [01:20:55]

Sermon Clips

56s

#GraceAndMercy

“``That's the point. They don't. It's mercy. It's grace. You know, grace is favor you didn't deserve. That's what that means. Absolutely what that means. See, the heart of the father, we're gonna see that in the scriptures as we keep going here, is to be merciful to those who didn't deserve it. To show grace and kindness to those who can't earn it. Because that's the reality. If we've encountered Jesus today, the truth is I received grace I couldn't earn and I didn't deserve. That I encounter a God who's kind to me when I was evil. Because all of mankind has fallen short and fallen astray. Yet Jesus comes and he died for our sins so that he could offer forgiveness for us so we can show the same thing to people who would never be able to deserve it all ever.”

69s

#JesusChoseSacrifice

“At any point, he could have called down an army of angels. One word. Think about having that power over the situation. One word. And he could have stopped the whole thing. And those angels could've slaughtered them all. You know, there's a passage in the Old Testament where one angel killed what was a 180,000 soldiers in one night. It was like oh, man. I couldn't remember this. It was it was wild when you actually calculated how long it would take and how fast that angel would have been going. That's how powerful these beings are, and he could've just called them down. So not only is he in pain and dying, suffocating, mocked, jeered, he's withholding he's holding with strength to show mercy and grace because he could've stopped it at any time. He chose to die. Let's understand that for truth. He chose to die. He was not forced. Every moment of Jesus' death was a living choice because he could've stopped it.”

58s

#RadicalGenerosity

“To the kingdom of God, when Jesus we had just finished talking about that there's treasure in heaven. Jesus is saying, the life lived of radical generosity and love, that life produces credit in heaven. See, if I only treat people good when they treat me good, what what where's the credit in that? Where's the evidence of God? Where's the where where is the the modeling of the move? Everybody does that. It's not different. But if I can love those who don't love me, if I can think of the welfare of those who would never think of mine, now we're getting to something real. Now we're getting to something that looks like the kingdom of God.”

56s

#ForgiveToBeFree

“And they may never come before you and ask for forgiveness. They may never stand in your life and ask for the wrongs to be made right ever. They may never do that. And they may take what they did towards justified in their own soul to the grave, but that doesn't mean it needs to trap you. You gotta walk through the door of forgiveness, and then that's gotta become a model of behavior in life. Lord, help me live a life that forgives. Because one day, this is true, all the wickedness in the world is gonna get dealt with, and all the wrongs are gonna be made right.”

44s

#ForgiveLikeJesus

“Remember this? We're a part of the family. The kingdom of God family, the Jesus family, the Jesus community. And that community is different. And I gotta be okay with going to Jesus and saying what needs to go and what needs to stay. I gotta go before God and say, how do I forgive like you forgave me? Empower me to forgive. And, Lord, show me how to be excellent to my enemies and to treat them well. Because it ain't gonna come from your soul. It's gonna come from his in you and through you, and that's what you need.”

48s

#UnchangedByOthers

“But even if it doesn't, it doesn't just it's not supposed to change who you are. And I think this that's sort of the essence of what Jesus wants us to understand is that the person on outside of me that no matter what they do, no matter whether I'm dealing with someone who would love and bless me or someone who would mistreat me, it doesn't get the opportunity to change how the the expression of Jesus through me. They don't get that control. They don't get that victory. Is that what's supposed to flow through me? Is love and grace, generosity.”

49s

#AdoptedIntoGodsFamily

“And that's what it said, and you will be children of the most high God. See, in case you didn't know this, when you accept Christ, when you become a Christian, the Bible talks about you're welcomed into a family, the family of God. You're you're a child of God now. You're a part of his family. That's what happens. There's transition. You're adopted in. But we need to understand that the family we're adopted in has, in a sense, standards and a pattern and a way of living. That means I don't carry into the kingdom of God the the pattern of living that the my old family lived. I'm in a new family now, has a different way of existing, and we're supposed to be different.”

67s

#TearUpTheList

“So I gotta tear up the list. I gotta tear up the list before God, and I gotta begin to forgive. And then the heart of forgiveness has to be the model of my life where I do my best to be excellent to those around me even when they don't deserve it. And, no, I'm not advising you to stand and to take abuse or let people mistreat you. But when even when you're approaching those things, you're thinking of their excellence. No. I'm not gonna let you do those things. I'm not gonna stand with that. But how you respond, how you treat, how you act, and how you give that, even you're thinking of their excellence. You're praying for them in the background. You're interceding for them before God because no one else is. They don't know him. But they need to. They need to.”

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