Radical Love: Embracing God's Call to Forgive

Today, we gathered to reflect on the radical call of Jesus: to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate us, to bless those who curse us, and to pray for those who mistreat us. This teaching, found in the Gospel of Luke, is not just a lofty ideal but the very heart of what it means to be children of God. Jesus challenges us to go beyond the natural human inclination to love only those who love us or to do good only to those who do good to us. Instead, we are invited into the very life of God, who is love itself, and who loves without distinction or condition.

Saint Paul, writing to the Colossians, urges us to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving as the Lord has forgiven us. This is not a mere moral effort but the fruit of God’s Spirit dwelling within us. God’s love is not transactional; He does not repay evil for evil, but always responds with mercy and goodness. If we are to be true reflections of God’s image, our lives must be marked by this same unconditional love.

This love is not something we can manufacture on our own. It is the natural outpouring of God’s Spirit within us. When we participate in the Eucharist, we are invited to share in the very life and love of Christ, who gave Himself for us even while we were still sinners. The peace of Christ is meant to rule in our hearts, binding us together as one body, the Church, called to be a living sign of God’s mercy in the world.

Let us recognize how God has loved us—never repaying our evil with evil, but always with mercy. Let us ask for His Spirit to dwell in us, so that we may love as He loves, forgiving and blessing even those who wrong us. In this way, we become true children of the Most High, and God’s love is brought to perfection in us.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Loving our enemies is not an optional extra for the Christian life, but the very essence of what it means to be God’s children. God’s love is indiscriminate and unconditional, and we are called to mirror that love, even when it is most difficult. This is only possible when we allow the Spirit of Christ to dwell within us, transforming our hearts to love as He loves. [08:31]
• 2. The Christian response to evil is not retaliation, but mercy. God never pays back evil for evil; He always responds with love. When we are wronged, we are invited to participate in this divine way of being, returning good for evil and blessing for cursing, which is the true mark of a new creation in Christ. [13:11]
• 3. Forgiveness is at the heart of the Christian life, rooted in the way God has forgiven us. Saint Paul reminds us that as the Lord has forgiven us, so must we forgive others. This forgiveness is not a mere act of willpower, but a participation in the mercy of God, who sent His Son to intercede and suffer for us so that we might be reconciled. [10:58]
• 4. The Eucharist is not just a ritual, but the source of the Spirit that enables us to love as God loves. In receiving the body and blood of Christ, we are united with Him and with one another, empowered to live out the radical love and mercy to which we are called. The peace of Christ is meant to control our hearts and shape our community. [20:59]
• 5. To be children of the Most High is to let God’s Spirit so fill us that love becomes our only response, regardless of how others treat us. This is not a human achievement, but the fruit of God’s indwelling presence. As we ask for His Spirit, we become living signs of His mercy, and His love is brought to perfection in us. [14:54]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [03:48] - Penitential Rite and Kyrie
• [08:31] - Gospel Reading: Love Your Enemies
• [09:36] - The Call to Radical Mercy
• [10:58] - Reading from Colossians: Forgiveness and Compassion
• [12:05] - God’s Unconditional Love
• [13:11] - The Christian Response to Evil
• [13:48] - Jesus Reveals God’s Nature
• [14:54] - Becoming Children of the Most High
• [17:00] - Prayers of the Faithful
• [17:42] - Silent Intentions and Petitions
• [19:26] - Preparation of the Gifts
• [20:59] - Eucharistic Prayer
• [22:56] - Communion and Unity in the Spirit
• [24:29] - The Lord’s Prayer and Sign of Peace
• [26:13] - Communion Rite
• [33:24] - Closing and Thanksgiving

Bible Reading

Luke 6:27-36 (ESV) — > “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.
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> “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.”

Colossians 3:12-15 (ESV) — > Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 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. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Observation Questions

1. According to Jesus in Luke 6, what specific actions are we called to take toward our enemies and those who mistreat us?
2. In Colossians 3, what qualities does Paul say we should “put on” as God’s chosen people?
3. The sermon says, “God never pays evil for evil. He can’t. He is love.” What examples from Jesus’ life or teaching support this statement? [13:11]
4. What does the sermon say is the result of letting the Spirit of Christ dwell within us? [13:48]

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Jesus make loving our enemies the mark of being “children of the Most High”? What does this reveal about God’s character? [09:36]
2. The sermon says that loving our enemies is not just a moral effort, but the fruit of God’s Spirit in us. How does this change the way we think about forgiveness and mercy? [12:05]
3. Paul says, “as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” What does it look like to forgive as God forgives, and how is this different from human forgiveness? [10:58]
4. The sermon mentions that the Eucharist is not just a ritual, but the source of the Spirit that enables us to love as God loves. How does participating in the Eucharist (or communion) shape our ability to love and forgive? [20:59]

Application Questions

1. Think of a time when someone wronged you or treated you unfairly. What was your natural response, and how might you respond differently if you let God’s Spirit guide you? [13:48]
2. Is there someone in your life right now whom you find difficult to love or forgive? What is one practical step you could take this week to show them kindness or pray for them? [08:31]
3. The sermon says, “God’s love is not transactional; He does not repay evil for evil, but always responds with mercy and goodness.” Are there relationships in your life where you tend to keep score or expect something in return? How can you move toward loving without conditions? [12:05]
4. Paul urges us to “put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” Which of these qualities do you find most challenging, and what is one way you can practice it in your daily interactions this week? [10:58]
5. The peace of Christ is meant to rule in our hearts and bind us together as one body. Are there conflicts or divisions in your family, workplace, or church where you could be a peacemaker? What would it look like to bring Christ’s peace into that situation? [13:11]
6. The sermon says, “This love is not something we can manufacture on our own.” What are some ways you can invite the Holy Spirit to fill you and help you love as God loves, especially when it’s hard? [14:54]
7. When you participate in the Eucharist or communion, do you see it as a source of strength to love others? How might you approach it differently in light of this teaching? [20:59]