"But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person, who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you…
Be merciful, just as (also) your Father is merciful. "Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven… (Lk 6:27-38)
The kingdom that Jesus preached and lived was all about an absurd generosity. This meant doing the best of things to the worst of people. It would also imply doing the things to the others what you want them to do to you. Jesus also gave a list of practical things that one could do in his life to practice this generosity.
But are they possible? What Jesus wanted from his followers was to inculcate in them an attitude of heart that was different from the rest. It was an attitude of generosity which did not count the rewards. This was an attitude that made them become like God. His followers were to be like how God would be to the people. God was generous to all people even the wrong-doers and he was merciful even to the faulty.
This not only presents the attitude one should possess as a follower of Jesus but also one’s view of God or the God in whom one believed. The image of God which Jesus presents in this passage or the God whom he believed in is different from the image of God presented by many in the world or many religions. The God of Jesus is different. And in this God there is no violence, no revenge, no division etc.
