Luke 6:28 - Printer Friendly

ESV: bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

NIV: bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

NASB: bless those who curse you, pray for those who are abusive to you.

CSB: bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

NLT: Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.

KJV: Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

NKJV: bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.

Jesus has just completed a series of promised blessings for those who suffer for following Him. He has offered judgments for those who have an easy life because they align themselves with the world. It's interesting to note that He tells His followers they are not responsible for initiating that judgment (Romans 12:19). In fact, we are to love our enemies (Luke 6:27; Romans 12:20–21) and pray that God will bless them.

"Curse" as used here doesn't mean to cast a magical spell. It means to feel or express hate toward someone. To "abuse" someone is to act on that hate, by damaging actions or threats. Jesus says our response should be to "bless" them: to express the opposite approach as a "curse." We should be praying for their redemption, in a loving and non-threatening way, and seeking their welfare.

At the same time, after we make sure we are in obedience to God, we are still responsible to point out sin. This can include involving authorities who have an appropriate responsibility to act on such crimes (Romans 13:1–5)._We should note where our enemies are in disobedience and acknowledge that continued unrepentant sin will lead to God's judgment (Luke 6:40–42; 1 Corinthians 16:22). Justice, judgment, and punishment are only under God's terms, not our own. We can only hold these seemingly contradictory responsibilities if we act with God's mercy (Luke 6:36). Truly, Christ must increase while we decrease (John 3:30).

When we pray for our enemies, several things happen. First, we submit our work and desires to God. This acknowledges that He has the authority to act and the sovereignty to determine the best course of action. Second, we share our hardships with Him, our loving Father, and allow Him to comfort us. Third, our point of view is oriented away from the injustice we face and toward God and His actions. We are prepared to watch God act, whether that be to draw our enemy to repentance or bring them to justice. Hopefully, they will repent—and we will gain a brother or sister in Christ.

Luke 6:27–36 continues Jesus' teaching to a crowd about how His followers should live. He's explained how those who are burdened in this life due to faithfulness will find relief and those who are satisfied due to their unfaithfulness will find eternal hardship (Luke 6:20–26). Here, He commands His followers to love their enemies, a theme He will expound upon when He speaks about judging others (6:37–42). This is possible if the promises of Luke 6:22–23 are true. After explaining that our actions come from our hearts, Jesus will invite the crowd to base their identity in Him (Luke 6:43–49). Matthew 5:38–48 also speaks of loving one's enemies.

Luke 6 contains two main sections of teaching and calls to discipleship. Luke 6:1–16 continues the pattern of Luke 5. The two ways in which Jesus sets aside tradition—this time by taking authority over the Sabbath—are paired with His call for the Twelve disciples. Luke 6:17–49 records Jesus' teaching on the ''level place,'' or His ''Sermon on the Plain,'' and a call to a crowd for general discipleship. Much of this material has parallels in Matthew 5 through 7, but it's not clear if the two accounts are of the same event. As a travelling teacher, Christ likely gave the same general message multiple times.

Luke 6 completes Jesus' call for disciples and followers that started in Luke 5. Luke 5:1—6:16 consists of three calls for disciples, each paired with two revolutionary teachings about Jesus' authority that increasingly infuriate the religious leaders. Luke 6:17–49 continues the theme with a general call for followers and a description of their responsibilities. In Luke 7:1—8:3, Jesus interacts with the other: Gentiles, women, and even the dead. This is followed by another general call (Luke 8:4–21), a series of miracles (Luke 8:22—9:17), and a final call for the Twelve to follow Him even more deeply (Luke 9:18–50).

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.