A sermon delivered on February 23, 2025 by the Rev. Dr. Patrick H. Wrisley

This morning, we pick up where we left off last week. Jesus and his disciples have climbed a mountain for a time of prayer, and it is there that Jesus selects his twelve apostles. When they descend to a level place, they are met by a growing crowd eager to hear Jesus and be healed by him. Jesus begins what is known as his Sermon on the Plain, which offers a distinct perspective on discipleship compared to his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel. In Luke, Jesus calls his followers beyond simply having correct doctrine and believing “the right things;” he demands that they actively live out their faith in daily life. In other words, Jesus tells his followers—and us—that what separates true disciples from the world is not just spiritual insight but the way we embody those insights in our relationships and values.

Our passage from Luke complements our reading from Genesis 45 about Joseph. Jesus’ words call us to live into our God-given identity of being radical forgivers, and Joseph demonstrates this principle in his response to the very brothers who betrayed him. Despite being left for dead in a desert pit, Joseph extends grace instead of vengeance. This is what Jesus is calling us to. Listen to Luke 6:27-38: 

Luke 6:27-38

²⁷ “But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. ²⁹ If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. ³⁰ Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. ³¹ Do to others as you would have them do to you.

³² “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³ If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴ If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. ³⁶ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

³⁷ “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; ³⁸ give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”^[1]

Dr. Vaughn Crowe-Tipton, Associate Professor of Religion at Furman University, notes that many congregations respond to this passage much like children react to cooked spinach on their dinner plate. No matter how much we explain its value, few are eager to dive in.^[2] Indeed, just as Jesus’ words last week could be hard to hear, today’s message is hard to swallow. It demands that we act in ways that feel counterintuitive, even impossible. Yet, when we try—when we make the effort—we begin to reflect the same love that God has shown to us, even toward those we consider enemies.

This morning, we’re going to learn our lives reflect a Christ-filled life through the hard work of forgiveness. The first thing we learn is that forgiveness costs us something.

Forgiving someone is hard to do. One sign that we are loving our enemies is that we don’t forgive only when it feels good—we forgive even when it hurts. Jesus says, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” He reiterates this in verse 35: “But love your enemies, do good and lend, expecting nothing in return.” Really, Jesus?

Jesus is not talking about minor annoyances like someone cutting us off in traffic or taking the last donut in the breakroom. He is calling us to release deep-seated anger toward those who have truly harmed us. That’s not easy. How do we forgive someone who betrayed our trust? How do we love someone who has caused us real pain? Jesus is not asking us to tolerate injustice but to reclaim our power through forgiveness. When we forgive, we refuse to let past wounds define us.

Think about someone who has hurt you deeply. When they inflicted you with that wound, they immediately took up space in your head, living there rent-free, as you replay the pain or offense over and over. Our lack of being able to forgive and let go begins to fester inside us. It slowly morphs into anger, resentment, or even depression. But hear this: forgiving is not forgetting. Forgiveness is making a choice to release the burden and move forward. When we forgive, we say: “I will not let this define me any longer. You no longer have control over my heart and mind. I release you.” In doing so, we mimic to others the same grace God extends to us.

A second thing we learn about the hard work of forgiveness is that it redefines the law of reciprocity. You know the ancient law of reciprocity; it’s the ancient principle of “an eye for an eye” that was meant to keep retaliation in check, ensuring fairness. But fairness is not the same as forgiveness. If someone kills my cow, I might kill one of theirs—but I will never forget the loss and now we’re both out of a cow! When you and I harbor the notion of “getting even”, we are still holding on to the hurt. The hard work of forgiveness means we must reject the world’s definition of justice.

Jesus calls us to something radically different. Jesus has the audacity to tell us, “Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who abuse you.” He challenges us to release our grip on revenge and embrace mercy. The human tendency is to respond with retaliation. We want to get even. And this is where it gets hard because Jesus wants us to do the counterintuitive act of not hitting back. It’s not that we don’t want to hit back or get even, but Jesus suggests we are to respond with non-anxious grace. Jesus is asking us to judge others not by our own flawed standards but through the lens God’s divine mercy. When we forgive, we receive God’s forgiveness in return — “A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over.” When we release bitterness, God pours his abundant grace into our laps.

The third lesson the hard work of forgiveness teaches us that forgiveness opens the doors to new possibilities. Let’s be honest: there may be those who have significantly hurt you or me but and are no longer living nor nearby for us to forgive them personally. Perhaps the hurt was too much to say, “I forgive you” while they were alive; their very presence triggered something in you and for self-preservation’s sake you had to stay away. This is where we need to remember the basics of our Christian faith: The last word does not end in death but resurrection. The old must die before the new can grow. Transformation is what our faith is all about.

 True, forgiveness does not always result in reconciliation—but it always paves the way for new beginnings. The word Luke uses for forgiveness literally means to set something free, to give it liberty. It’s not a passive letting go but an intentional sending something away. Forgiveness is consciously choosing to liberate ourselves from whatever pain or angst we may have towards another person or entity. The power of forgiveness is not contingent on the one who has hurt me or has caused me pain. The power of forgiveness derives from my own willingness to let the hurt go and send it away. This is agape love: the selfless love that seeks the best for others, even when they don’t deserve it. Isn’t this what Jesus did for us? Isn’t your life different because Christ has forgiven you?

Luke 6:35-36 is challenging: “The Most High is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”Dr. Melinda Quivik reminds us that those who have received God’s mercy counter evil by extending mercy to others, expecting nothing in return. When we forgive, we make a new kind of relationship possible—whether with others or simply within our own hearts.^[3] Reconciliation with God gives us new life. Reconciliation with others can heal old wounds.

Church, who has hurt you—emotionally, physically, financially, or spiritually? Have you released them? Do you still carry the weight of the heavy stick of retribution you believe needs to be loosed on them or have you chosen to put it down; it’s lighter way to live, you know. Likewise, who have you wronged? Have you humbled yourself to seek their forgiveness?

Jesus calls us to love our enemies, to extend mercy as God has extended mercy to us. I know, easier said than done. But forgiveness is a process and it’s life-giving to the one who extends it. This is what sets us apart as followers of Christ compared to the rest of the culture. This is how we show the world that we belong to the Nazarene.  Amen.

Copyright February 23, 2025. All rights reserved by Patrick H. Wrisley, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, 8 West Notre Dame Street, Glens Falls, NY 12801. No part of this sermon may be copied, preached, or used without express permission from the author.

^[1] New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

^[2] See Feasting on the Word: Year C, Volume 1: Advent through Transfiguration by David L. Bartlett, Barbara Brown Taylor. https://a.co/2aab4rh. 

^[3] Feasting on the Gospels–Luke, Volume 1: A Feasting on the Word Commentary by Cynthia A. Jarvis, E. Elizabeth Johnson. See https://a.co/cQDKp1Q. Words in parenthesis are mine to give clarity in the rhetorical setting. Dr. Quivik uses the word “reality.”