Luke 6:38

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.

Personal Challenge

Jesus wants to make sure that we understand the magnitude at which He wants us to love our neighbor. It is so easy to give that token smile to another or to say something kind of nice all the while mumbling under our breath how much disdain we have for the other person. Here, Jesus tells to not just give from a superficial level, but from a deep and complete level. We are called to give to others in ways that it far exceeds what they could give in return. We do this because this is how God has given to us. And our God will not let us give this way without taking care of us and meeting our needs. This is not some kind of prosperity gospel. When God meets my needs it is based on His perception of what my needs are, not mine. And some­times that which I receive will not be in this life but the one to come. The bottom line is that Jesus wants us to give abundantly of our possessions, our time, and our love to others. Glory be to God!

Psalms 71:5 (70:6 LXX)

By You I have been supported from birth;
From my mother’s womb You have been my protector;
My song shall be always of You.

Encouraging Words

There are so many religious practices throughout the history of man, and still many today, that teach that we must do certain things to win the favor of God. In some of these, we cannot even get God to recognize us until we reach a certain level of works. In some, it does not matter how much we do, we can never catch God’s eye. This is not what my faith practice believes. We agree with the psalmist as He proclaims the truth of God here. God knows each and every­one of us before we are born, indeed He knows us before we are even conceived. He protects us from that moment of conception through to the point in time that we take our last breath. Most importantly, through that entire life cycle, He allows us the ability to choose or reject Him, never stopping from loving us. This is my God! This is my protector! He is who I choose to put my trust and hope in. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Judith 8:24-25

Now my brothers, let us set an example for our people, for their very lives depend upon us. Furthermore, the sanctuary, the temple, and the altar rest upon us. Besides all this, let us be thankful to the Lord our God, who is testing us just as He did our fathers.

Personal Challenge

Judith makes it clear to the leaders of her community, as well as to us, that all of us have a part to play in the representation of our Lord. If we proclaim Jesus as our Lord, we then become His representatives amongst those around us and they will often form their opinion of who Jesus is by our behavior. In a sense, the very essence of the Christian faith rests upon us and how we show Christ in our actions. This is true for those around us who may have no other view into Christianity besides what they see in us. This is a significant responsibility, but this is how God has chosen to reveal Himself to the world. This also presents to each of as an opportunity to grow in the image of our Lord, which is what we often call being tested. As the silversmith heats up the batch of metal to boil out the dross, so too does our Lord put us in situations where we can reflect Him to those around us, to boil out the dross in our lives. Glory be to God!

Luke 6:37

Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Personal Challenge

Wait a minute, God! Just yesterday you were telling me that You are my rock and my salvation, my foundation and my refuge, and now you are telling me not to judge or condemn, but to forgive. Why is that? Why can’t I act as Your own personal righteous judge and shame everyone around me into submission to You (and me, of course)? If You were the vengeful, angry God that so many people make You out to be, then maybe this would be so. However, You are love! You are grace! You are Mercy! So why wouldn’t you expect me to not be judgmental or condemning? You have not judged or condemned me, so You desire that I behave in a similar way to those is my life. You have Forgiven me of so very much, asking nothing in return, so why wouldn’t you expect me to do the same with everyone around me. I know that this is what You want from me. I know that this will please and glorify You. Help me to set aside my personal agenda, my self-centeredness, and selfish desires, and live this way for You. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Psalms 71:1-3 (70:1-3 LXX)


O God, in You I hope; may I never be put to shame.
Deliver me in Your righteousness, and set me free;
Incline Your ear to me and save me.
Be to me a God for protection
And a strong place for salvation,
For You are my foundation and my refuge.

Luke 6:32-36

But if you love those who love you, what credit 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 credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Personal Challenge

Mercy! It is something that we all want to receive from another, but something that we often do not want to give to others, especially if we do not like them, or what they do, or what they stand for. Jesus teaches us that it is easy to show love and mercy to those who do the same to us. It is not even that hard to do it to those who match our concept of nice and lovable people. But He wants us to show love and mercy to our enemies, to those who are rude, obnoxious, hostile, or mean to us. He wants us to love the unlovable, to take care of those who either can’t take care of themselves or are unwilling to. He wants us to love those who take advantage of us or those whom we love. Jesus teaches that by doing this we are showing our love for Him. How can I do this when I have my thoughts on me and what I want? I can’t by myself. I need His help. Lord have mercy! Lord have mercy! Lord have mercy!

Psalms 63:8 (62:9 LXX)

My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand takes hold of me.

Encouraging Words

One of my favorite things to do in life has been to take hold of one of my children’s hands and lead them to where I want them to go. And now I have the privilege to do this with my grand­children. Sometimes this leading is to walk my child or grandchild through some scary situation. They know that I am there to protect them, to guide them, and to comfort them. Sometimes it has been to lead them to something new and exciting that they have not yet experienced. Life cannot be much better than doing this in the life of someone you love and care for, whether it be a child, a grandchild, a spouse, a friend, or anyone else. This is the image that comes to my mind when I read this verse. I visualize my Lord, my Father, my Abba, reaching to take hold of my hand and saying, “Follow me! I will walk through this with you! I have some­thing wonderful to show you on the other side!” That is how He treats us, with love, grace, compassion, and mercy. Glory be to God? Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, the sinner… and Your child?

Judith 8:14

You cannot plumb the depths of the heart of man, nor grasp the thoughts of his mind. How then do you expect to search out God, who made all these things, and come to understand His mind or comprehend His purpose? No, brothers! Do not provoke the Lord our God to anger.

Personal challenge

We are often so arrogant in the midst of our earthly wisdom and intellect. That arrogance usually plays out by acting as if we know the mind of God and speak as if we are His personal spokesperson. I have been attempting to live a Christian life for more than half a century. That is a long time, I remember those days when I practiced my faith with others who prided themselves on how many books by the right Christian authors they had read, or how many scriptures they had memorized, or whatever earthly measurement was used to assess one’s understanding of God. This has never worked for me and now works even less as I strive to live as an Orthodox Christian. I have come to the point where recognize that the closer I get to my Lord, the more I learn about Him, then the farther from Him I am, because I am a sinner, and the less I know about Him because He is unknowable. This truth is humbling! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Luke 6:27-31

“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.”

Personal Challenge

Are You kidding me, God? Do You have any idea how hard it is to live this way? The answer to the first question is, “No!”, God is not kidding here. And the answer to the second question is a resounding, “Yes!” Of course, Jesus knows exactly how hard it is to love this way because He did it! Jesus also knows that we cannot do this on our own. That is why He sent the Helper, the Holy Spirit, to live within us and to empower us to live this way. If we go back to the two core commandments that we are asked to follow, then we will see both why and how we are to do this. We are to live our lives loving God and loving our neighbor. It is from this life lived in love that we begin to understand how to sacrifice our wants and needs for others. It is not easy, but it is what we are to do. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!