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Do Good to Those Who Hate You, Give to the One Who Asks | John Piper · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to Reformed Thinking. This is your deep dive where we
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sift through essential sources to bring you clarity and insight
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on things that truly matter. We gather knowledge, offer fresh
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perspectives and really aim for those aha moments that make
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learning a joy. Today we're taking a deep dive
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into a collection of writings from John Piper.
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We're focusing specifically on Jesus's instructions about
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loving our enemies, forgiveness, and, you know, practical acts of
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goodness. That's right, these sources give
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us a really solid foundation for understanding what these, well,
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pretty radical directives mean for believers today.
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Yeah, we'll be looking at passages from Matthew and Luke,
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digging into specific commands and thinking about how they
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ought to shape our conduct and our hearts.
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Our aim is to get a clearview of what Christ directs his
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followers to do and what that actually looks like in the
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fabric of everyday life. Exactly.
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It's about how we relate to those who oppose us, how we live
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out reconciliation. And we'll look at some
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surprising subtleties too, right about how these challenging
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commands are applied, so we grasp their full force without
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misunderstandings. It's understanding not just what
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Jesus said, but the why behind it and the how.
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How these teachings guide a disciples conduct in a genuinely
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Christ like way? So let's unpack this.
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Let's really consider what it means to follow Christ in these
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crucial areas. OK, starting with what many find
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one of the toughest commands of all I the foundation of enemy
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love and forgiveness. A radical call?
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The core command? Loving those who oppose us.
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Right. We begin with Jesus's direct
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instruction. It sets a really challenging
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tone right from the start. He tells us, love your enemies,
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do good to those who hate you. That's Luke 6.27.
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And it's not just a suggestion, is it?
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It's a central instruction cuts right against our natural
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inclinations. Definitely.
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And it goes even further. Explicitly includes praying for
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those who persecute you. Matthew 5.44.
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Yeah, and the ultimate illustration has to be Jesus on
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the cross, doesn't? It absolutely, yeah.
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Amidst all that suffering, he says, Father forgive them.
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Luke 23.34. It just vividly highlights how
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central forgiveness and reconciliation are not just
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teaching, but his actual life, his message.
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It shows a foundational posture for anyone claiming to follow
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him, pushing against everything our human nature screams for in
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those moments. It's quite striking that he
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starts with this radical posture right away.
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It means, you know, orienting ourselves toward hostile people
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in a way that's just different. Different from what the world
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expects. Totally.
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Our first impulse is often self preservation, maybe even wanting
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payback but praying for persecutors.
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That moves beyond just tolerating them, just putting up
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with it. It pushes us towards an active
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desire for their being, even when they're actively working
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against us. That's it's a really high
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standard for how we interact with the world, doesn't it?
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And with people who might be antagonistic.
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It does. It's not passive.
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It's not just ignoring the wrong.
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It's an active, heartfelt pursuit of good for someone
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wishing us I'll. Which requires a significant
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inward change, right? A transformation of the heart.
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Exactly. A heart that desires good for
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another, not because they deserve it, but because of a
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love that mirrors God's own way. A love seeking their good, maybe
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even their repentance and salvation, even as they oppose
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you. Precisely.
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It goes against the grain of human nature points to something
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supernatural working in us. That's a.
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Powerful picture, a supernatural call to love, even facing active
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opposition really makes you rethink love in practice.
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And Speaking of practical applications, Jesus brings up
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something seemingly simple, but as our sources point out, it
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reveals a lot about our hearts. Be beyond the expected greeting
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outside our group. Yeah, it gets really insightful
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when Jesus talks about these seemingly simple acts, makes
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them profound indicators of our hearts condition.
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Like what? Well, he questions, if you greet
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only your brothers, what more are you doing than others?
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Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
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That's Matthew 5.47. OK, so it's not just about grand
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gestures or big social causes. Right.
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As vital as those might be, it's about the small daily acts of
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courtesy we. Often think of Christian charity
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in terms of huge sacrifices or humanitarian efforts.
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Yeah, but Jesus directs our attention to something as
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mundane as a simple hello. Which suggests that genuine
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enemy loving care isn't just for big moments, it should permeate
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our everyday interactions. Extending warmth and recognition
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even to those we don't identify with, or maybe those outside our
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immediate group, social, cultural, even religious.
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Yeah, it challenges us to look beyond our comfort zones, extend
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basic human courtesy without picking and choosing.
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This simple instruction raises a vital question.
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Then what does a simple hello really reveal about our heart?
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Well, Jesus shows us the real condition of our inner being
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isn't revealed only by the big social actions we champion.
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It's also these ordinary daily courtesies.
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So if we only extend kindness and greeting to those like us or
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those we feel comfortable. With then we're really doing no
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more than anyone else, even those without a transformed
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heart, can manage that level of social grace, right?
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Sure, Jesus is after an alteration of our hearts, not
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just our social objectives or public displays of virtue.
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He's looking for a fundamental change.
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Exactly. A change that pushes us to
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extend warmth and acceptance beyond our familiar circles,
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genuinely seeking to acknowledge and value others just because
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they're fellow human beings. It challenges us to think about
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how we act when maybe no one's watching or when there's no
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obvious benefit to us. And it demonstrates a kind of
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common grace that mirrors God, who lets the sunshine and
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rainfall on everyone, regardless of their allegiance.
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It's about a consistent disposition, then treating all
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people with diggity, even those we might see as outsiders.
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That's a humbling thought. Even our casual greetings can be
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a sort of barometer for our heart.
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It really underscores how pervasive this call to love is.
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And that internal shift, as you said, leads to a practical
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outflow of goodness. See Practical acts of
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helpfulness do good to those who hate you.
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Right. Our sources point out that this
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heart change, this internal transformation Jesus calls for,
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naturally leads to significantly altered social conduct.
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And Jesus uses God's daily mercy as a model for us.
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That's a powerful illustration. How so?
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He says he makes his sunrise on the evil and on the good, and
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sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
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That's Matthew 5.45. OK, so it's not about God
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judging who's worthy of a good harvest, it's about his
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universal provision. Exactly.
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This shows God providing basic necessities for life like sun
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and rain for crops, without waiting for repentance or a
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change in behavior from those who oppose Him.
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It's a picture of unmerited, constant benevolence, a
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fundamental aspect of God's character we're meant to
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reflect. So when we connect this to the
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broader picture of discipleship. It implies that loving our
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enemies means engaging in practical acts of helpfulness in
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the ordinary things of life. God provides sunshine and rain
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the essential elements for survival, even to his enemies.
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So in the same way, we as his followers are called to provide
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things like food and water, other material aid to those who
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hate us. This is what's captured in that
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simple but profoundly challenging phrase, Do good to
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those who hate you from Luke 6.27.
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Yeah, it's proactive, unmerited kindness, not dependent on the
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recipients response or whether they deserve it.
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It's a deliberate act of seeking the well-being of the one who
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wishes you ill, bodying God's own generous spirit.
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Which could mean meeting genuine needs, offering help, providing
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support even when the relationship is hostile.
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It moves beyond just not retaliating.
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Right to actively seeking their benefit.
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This is a core part of what it means to be a disciple.
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To forgiveness, heart grudges and reconciliations nuances.
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A The nature of forgiveness. Yeah, from the heart, not the
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mouth. This idea of acting in love,
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even when it's unmerited naturally brings us to
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forgiveness, doesn't it? Absolutely crucial.
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Peter may be trying to show how generous he could be, asks Jesus
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Lord, how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive
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him? As many as seven times seems
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like a. Decent number, right?
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Seven times you'd. Think.
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But Jesus response wasn't a number, it was a guide to
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boundless continuous forgiveness.
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He said, I do not say to you 7 times, but 77 times.
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Matthew 18.2122. Which isn't a literal count.
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Like we keep a tally up to 77 and then we're done.
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No, no, it's a way of saying forgiveness is meant to be
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limitless, ongoing without end. It should be a perpetual posture
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of the heart, right? Always ready to extend grace,
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echoing God's own boundless grace towards us.
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And this passage really highlights that forgiveness is
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demanded from the heart, not just lip service or a
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superficial declaration. Jesus makes a sobering warning
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about that, too. He does.
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He declares our Heavenly Father will treat us the way we treat
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others if we don't forgive from our heart.
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Matthew 18.35. That's serious.
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It is, and the crucial distinction here, according to
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the sources. Yes, the opposite of
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forgiveness. This is holding a grudge.
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It's not necessarily the absence of alienation in the
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relationship itself. OK, explain that a bit.
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More, it means you can cultivate A forgiving heart.
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Be ready to let go of a painful wrong, release, bitterness, or
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any desire for vengeance, even if the person who wronged you is
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unwilling to repent. Or maybe they won't even
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acknowledge the wrong they did. So your disposition is your
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accountability before God, regardless of their response.
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Exactly. It emphasizes forgiveness is
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primarily an internal act, a choice you make about your own
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spirit and heart. Releasing yourself from the
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burden of resentment and bitterness.
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Yeah, it's like setting the captive free and realizing the
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captive is often you when you hold on to that grudge.
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That internal work is foundational for spiritual
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health, then. Definitely.
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But that raises a question. If forgiveness is internal,
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independent of their response, what about reconciliation?
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How does that fit in? Be the crucial effort of
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reconciliation with wisdom. Right.
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What does this all mean for actually making relationships
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right beyond just the internal act of forgiving?
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Because Jesus makes it clear that the effort to be reconciled
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is crucial. He does.
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He said if you are offering your gift at the altar and there
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remember that your brother has something against you, leave
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your gift there before the altar and go first be reconciled to
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your brother and then come and offer your gift.
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That's Matthew 5.2324, a strong command.
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Wow, that implies making all reasonable efforts to be
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reconciled when someone has a legitimate offense against you.
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It puts the urgency of right relationships even before acts
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of worship. Suggesting A damaged
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relationship with another person can actually hinder our
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spiritual walk with God shows the gravity Jesus places on
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community and integrity. OK, but this passage raises an
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important question then. What constitutes A legitimate
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offense that demands this kind of urgent action?
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That's key. Our sources suggest it's
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primarily when you have robbed another or when the offense is a
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clear, tangible violation of love or justice where you bear
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responsibility. Not just in any perceived
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slight. Probably not.
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Think about Jesus himself. He was constantly offended by
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the scribes and Pharisees, right?
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They harbored deep animosity, constantly try to trap him.
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True, yet he didn't seek out every single one for personal
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reconciliation in the way described here.
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If he had, his ministry would have ground to a halt.
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He would have been bogged down in endless attempts with people
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fundamentally set against him and the truth he represented.
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Exactly. So while we're responsible for
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our hearts and for initiating reconciliation where we've
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caused a genuine offense. We aren't responsible for others
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responses or obligated to pursue reconciliation for every
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perceived slight, especially from those hostile to truth or
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justice. That seems to be the
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implication. The urgency in Matthew 5.2324
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follows his statement right before it that anger and
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contempt for a rubble threaten your standing with God.
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Matthew 5.22. The connection.
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Yeah, if despising a brother can imperil your soul, then dealing
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with a legitimate offense when you committed quickly is vital
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before worship. Which requires confessing sin,
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asking for forgiveness. Things that are very hard for us
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given our pride and tendency to self justify.
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But when those genuine steps are taken?
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It clears the way for a unhindered experience of
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worship. The obstruction in our heart is
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removed. It's about restoring right,
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standing before God by addressing the wrong done to a
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fellow image bearer. Three the healing ministry
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purpose and present day considerations.
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Healing as a manifestation of the Kingdom and Messiahship.
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Now shifting gears slightly, but related to doing good, our
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sources show healing was central to Jesus's ministry.
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Absolutely essential. Matthew 4.23 tells us Jesus went
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throughout Galilee teaching, proclaiming the Gospel of the
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Kingdom, and healing every disease and affliction.
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So it wasn't just a side thing he did sometimes.
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No, it was a clear manifestation of the arrival of the Kingdom of
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God, demonstrating its tangible reality right then and there.
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So preaching the Kingdom and healing went hand in hand, a
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holistic picture of his mission. His actions weren't separate
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from his message. They were a visible physical
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demonstration of the spiritual reality he proclaimed and
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anticipation of the new creation where sickness and suffering are
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gone. And.
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What's particularly striking is how healing served as a primary
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witness to Jesus's unique role as the Messiah.
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Right. Definitely.
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Remember when John the Baptist was in prison, he started to
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question if Jesus was really the one who is to come.
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Yeah, he sent his disciples to ask.
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And Jesus didn't just give a theological argument, he pointed
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directly to his healing ministry as proof.
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Go and tell John what you hear and see.
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The blind receive sight. The land walk Lepers are
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cleansed. The deaf here, the dead are
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raised. And the poor have good news
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preached to them. Matthew 11.3 to 6.
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His works were meant to bear witness about him.
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Calling people to believe based on these actions.
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John's Gospel highlights this too.
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Right John 10.2510, point 3814.11.
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The extraordinary things Jesus did through healing revealed and
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anticipated what will fully happen in the age to come.
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Complete restoration. So these acts weren't just
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compassionate, they were prophetic signs.
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Prophetic signs of God's direct intervention in history,
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uniquely demonstrating His presence in Jesus.
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God in the flesh. The incarnation God becoming
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human, is what made these healings so distinctive in their
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scope and consistency. That's a key point.
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It wasn't just about power, it was about who he was.
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But he didn't keep that ability solely for himself, did he?
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He shared it. The authority bestowed on
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disciples. Indeed, Jesus didn't keep this
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healing ministry only for himself.
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That's significant for understanding the ongoing work
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of his followers. He granted a measure of this
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authority to his disciples. Matthew 10.1 says he called his
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12 disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits
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to cast them out and to heal every disease in every
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affliction. And having given them the
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authority, he commanded them to use it to extend his own pattern
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of ministry. Proclaim as you go, saying the
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Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, raise the dead,
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cleanse lepers, cast out demons. Matthew 10.7 through 8.
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That's not a suggestion, it's a clear directive for how they
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were to operate as they spread his message, a replication of
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his ministry. Showing the kingdom's arrival
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was meant to be accompanied by signs.
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And this authority wasn't limited just to the 12 apostles,
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a wire group, 72 others also received this authority.
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They were sent out with the instruction to heal the sick and
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say to them, the Kingdom of God has come near to you.
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That's Luke 10.9. OK, so connecting this to the
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bigger picture. It sets a precedent for
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believers to engage in practical acts of good good, including
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healing, as part of proclaiming the gospel.
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Demonstrating the Kingdom isn't just spiritual or future, it has
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tangible manifestations now, even through his followers.
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Yeah, this outpouring of authority, first to the 12, then
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to the 72, shows Jesus's work was meant to multiply and
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continue through those who believe, a witness to the
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comprehensive nature of the good news.
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Revealing God's Kingdom isn't just an abstract concept, but a
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transforming reality, breaking into the present.
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Sometimes with miraculous signs that authenticate the message.
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So we see Jesus granting this authority, his disciples
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exercising it. Which leads to the crucial
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question for us today. How does this healing ministry
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relate to believers now? What should our expectations be?
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See contemporary views on healing a mental perspective.
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This really raises an important question for us today.
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How should believers obey the command to heal?
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Because there are different views, aren't there?
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Oh, definitely views on whether miraculous healing continues in
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the same sort of astonishing, consistent way we see in Jesus's
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earthly ministry. Some argue those gifts largely
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ceased after the apostles once the New Testament was complete.
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Right, while others hold this should be a regular, prominent
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part of ministry today, expecting a constant stream of
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dramatic healings. It's a significant point of
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discussion in Christian thought. Our sources offer an insightful
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perspective, finding a kind of balanced path.
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Yes, my view, drawing from the source material lies between
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those two positions. How so?
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Well, the astonishing consistency and completeness of
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Jesus healing ministry seems truly unique.
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It appears tied directly to the extraordinary event of God
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becoming flesh, the incarnation. So the ministries of healing
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after Jesus, even from the apostles, they fall short of
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what Jesus did in scope and consistency.
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It seems so, which likely points to his singular person as the
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God man, rather than necessarily a lack of belief in followers
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today. Jesus's healings were a direct,
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unparalleled revelation of God's redemptive presence and his
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unique identity as the Son of God.
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Foundational Signs. Exactly.
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But on the other hand, there's no biblical reason to deny that
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some measure of miraculous healing can still accompany the
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gospel ministry today. As a witness to God's compassion
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and His will. Precisely.
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It's not about demanding healing as a right or making it the main
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focus of our faith. Rather, it acknowledges God's
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sovereign choice to intervene supernaturally as he pleases.
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So it balances the centrality of God's written word, our ultimate
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authority, with God's ongoing freedom to act supernaturally.
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That's the idea. We proclaim the Word, and God in
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His sovereignty may choose to confirm it with signs as He sees
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fit, but the signs are always subservient to the Word itself.
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That's a helpful way to view it, acknowledging God's sovereignty
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without either demanding or dismissing miraculous works.
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And it brings us back to that original command doing good even
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to those who hate us. DE healing as doing good even
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when hated. The sources offer a rather
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sobering thought about the ministry of healing.
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Even these acts of compassion can fall within the command.
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Do good to those who hate. You makes sense.
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Jesus certainly knew what it was like to be hated.
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Luke 19.14, John 7.7, John 15.182425.
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The Gospels are clear. His life was filled with
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opposition animosity, yet he consistently acted with love and
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goodwill, even towards those seeking his harm.
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Highlighting the truly radical nature of his command, it
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applies even to actions of mercy like healing.
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And what's particularly striking here is the stark fact about
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Judas. Judas Iscariot, yeah.
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One of the 12, he probably performed miracles of healing
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alongside the other apostles. He was given that authority.
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Yet he ultimately betrayed Jesus.
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Wow, it shows that doing good, even miraculous, healing doesn't
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always guarantee a loving response or saving faith from
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the recipient. So it illustrates our
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responsibility is to obey the command to do good, not to
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control the outcome or the response of those we serve.
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And Jesus warned us we'd be hated for his name, Matthew
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10.22, sometimes even by former friends like Matthew 24.2
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describes. Despite the pain, despite the
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natural inclination to maybe seek retribution when hated, our
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hearts must desire the haters, good and actively.
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Do good regardless of whether our love is received or trampled
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on. Right.
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The command stands rooted in God's character, not in the
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worthiness of the one who hates. This requires an internal
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disposition that resists that natural urge for revenge.
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And actively seeks the well-being of the hostile 1,
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even if it brings us no immediate benefit or doesn't
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change their heart. Radical commands illustrations,
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not absolutes. A The graphic illustrations of
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enemy love. Now Jesus gets incredibly
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graphic in his illustrations of this command to return good for
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evil. He really does.
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Consider these instructions from Luke 6.2930.
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To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also.
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And from one who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your
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tunic either. To everyone who begs from you.
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And from one who takes away your goods, do not demand them back.
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Those are truly radical instructions.
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They just fly in the face of our natural inclinations towards
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self preservation, justice, asserting our rights.
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You sound almost impossible to live by consistently in every
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single scenario. Yeah.
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Most people faced with commands like that might either just
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dismiss them as total unrealistic.
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Or try to literalize them to an absurd degree.
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Right. And the challenge, as our
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sources highlight, is letting these commands have their full
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impact on our hearts and lives. Without taking them more
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absolutely then Jesus may be intended.
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Exactly. There's a concern that if we
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make any qualification, we might minimize their intended force,
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letting ourselves off the hook too easily.
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But. On the other hand.
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These commands could also lose their force if they seem so
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unrealistic that people just Passover them as irrelevant to
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real life or something. Only for, you know, super
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Saints. So the sources aim for a
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balanced path, showing these aren't always absolute rules for
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every single situation. But they are far more than just
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middle class morality. They're meant to shake us out of
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complacency, challenge our assumptions about responding to
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I'll treatment and injustice. Cultivate A radically different
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mindset. That balance is key, then.
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So how do we understand them as illustrations rather than always
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absolute rules? What principles guide us in
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applying them wisely? B.
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Reasons why these commands are not always absolutely.
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OK, so our sources present several compelling reasons why
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these commands, despite being so radical, function more as
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illustrations of Love's action rather than universal absolute
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rules for every single situation.
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It's about the heart behind them and applying wisdom.
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Right. First, an absolute
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interpretation could risk undermining justice and the
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basic economic order. Also.
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Well, if give to everyone who asks was an absolute command,
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always requiring us to comply and even give more, it would
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clash with principles of justice Jesus himself upheld elsewhere.
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Like when he approved giving laborers a fair wage, the
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laborer deserves his wages in Luke 10.7.
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Exactly that implies an economic order built on fair recompense.
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Labor is compensated, compensation is for labor and
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absolute give all interpretation would lead to societal chaos
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dissolving structures, God ordained.
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And this principle extends to other social structures too.
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Family Discipline. Education.
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Government. Yes, where legitimate use of
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recompense principles is endorsed.
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Jesus lived within and affirmed such structures, suggesting his
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commands here aren't meant to dismantle them but reshape our
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hearts within them. So demanding absolute giving
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without discernment would contradict the wisdom of God in
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establishing an ordered world. Precisely second reason, doing
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good might not always mean giving what is asked.
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OK, the overarching command is do good and give to everyone who
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asks, but they might not always lead to the same action.
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Correct. Sometimes giving what is asked
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for may not actually be good for the person.
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Like giving money for a drink to someone trying to overcome
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addiction. That's counterproductive.
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Or giving a sharp knife to a child who asks for it.
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Not a loving act. And Jesus himself didn't always
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give what was asked, did he? No Remember when the chief
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priests demanded to know his authority, he refused to tell
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them because they failed his authenticity test about John's
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baptism. Matthew 21.2327 his.
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Refusal wasn't a lack. No, it was a just withholding of
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information from those not genuinely seeking truth.
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It shows doing good isn't identical with simply granting
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every request. It requires wisdom, discernment
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about what's truly beneficial, aligning with God's purposes.
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OK, that makes sense. And the third reason?
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We almost always face competing candidates for love in real
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life. We have limited time, resources,
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affection. Giving to one person often means
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it can't go to another. Right.
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What if two people demand the same thing and you only have
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enough? Or the money you set aside for a
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poor widow's rent is demanded by a beggar who might misuse it.
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Or the really stark 1A thief demands your car keys with your
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child in the backseat. Or, you know, the car will be
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used for more crime. These aren't just hypotheticals,
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they call for extraordinary wisdom.
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Like Jesus said, be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
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Matthew 10.16. In those cases, we have to apply
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principles beyond simply giving in.
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We do, and this is part of the rationale for followers of
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Christ sometimes supporting tough measures like police or
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even military force. When it means protecting one
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group from harm by another. Exactly.
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Such acts, though maybe not looking like turning the other
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cheek individually, can be efforts to love and protect
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innocent people from aggressors, A broader societal application
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of justice and love. That clarifies so much.
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These aren't simple either rules, but profound principles
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needing thoughtful application, a discerning spirit.
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So when commentators call these commands hyperbole, what exactly
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does that mean here? See hyperbole in frequency, not
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kind of action. Right this term hyperbole comes
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up rhetorical overstatement. But what does that truly mean in
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this context? Well, connecting it to Jesus's
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teaching style, the sources clarify.
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The hyperbole likely lies in the frequency these actions are
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required. Not necessarily in the kind of
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action itself. Precisely.
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Hyperbole is exaggeration for emphasis.
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Jesus isn't saying never literally do these things.
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He's saying be prepared to do these things and let their
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spirit guide you constantly. So we shouldn't deny that these
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commands can and should be fulfilled literally sometimes.
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No, we shouldn't deny that there are situations where offering
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the other cheek or giving freely is exactly what love dictates
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and what God desires. OK, but these behaviors aren't
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the only way love acts in every situation.
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Correct. They're meant to shake us out of
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our natural selfishness, to summon disciples to value others
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above themselves in concrete ways.
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Fostering A radical freedom from needing earthly possessions,
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Security honor things that often bind us and dictate our
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responses. Exactly that The point isn't to
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create an impossible set of rules leading to legalism or
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frustration. It's to cultivate a heart that
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is radically generous and selfless.
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Willing to give and even suffer for the good of others,
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including enemies. When wisdom dictates it, Yeah.
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It's about nurturing A disposition that seeks the
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others good even at personal cost, always discerning the
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wisest path to express that love.
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Ultra. And so wrapping this up, what
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does this all mean for you listening in as you consider
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these radical commands from Jesus?
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We've seen that loving enemies and offering forgiveness are
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really core to following Christ. It extends even to small
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courtesies and practical good like healing.
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And we've learned that while Jesus's instructions are truly
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radical, they call for wisdom and discernment in how we apply
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them, not just a strict, absolute interpretation in every
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single instance. It's not about rigid legalism,
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but about a heart made new, reflecting God's own character.
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That's right. These commands aren't rigid
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rules meant to make life impossible.
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Their guiding principles intended to reshape our hearts
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and actions. They teach us that doing good is
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the overarching principle, sometimes requiring difficult
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choices when needs compete. Always with an eye toward truly
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benefiting others and reflecting God's own wise and just
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character. It's about cultivating that
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radical disposition of love, seeking the good of all, even
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opponents within God's broader moral order.
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And here's where it gets particularly interesting.
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Maybe a final thought for you to Mull over if these radical
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commands aren't always literal instructions for every scenario,
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but illustrations of how love often acts.
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Then what would it look like for you to truly embrace this spirit
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of love and freedom, especially in a situation where your
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natural inclination is to protect your own interests or
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maybe seek retribution? How might seeking wisdom allow
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you to apply the spirit of these commands in a genuinely loving
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way, even when the literal act seems impossible or perhaps
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unwise?