Luke 6:27-35 Edible fruit or indigestion

Luke 6:27-35 Jesus preaches on love, focusing on love of enemies. This closely parallels Matthew 5:38-48. Love takes on several practical duties, it is not just a feeling or an abstract decision.

•   Do good to those who hate you

•   Bless those who curse you

•   Let those who strike you do so without retaliation

•   Give to those who ask of you

•   Lend without expecting repayment

I think it is safe to say that this lifestyle is unnatural, and furthermore very few actually practice it. When Peter wanted to take up the sword to defend Jesus and cut off the ear of the servant of the High Priest, Jesus healed the servant and rebuked Peter. This story is recorded in all four gospels although only John 18:10-11 records that Peter was the one who did it. There is a curious difference in which part of Jesus' response to that incident the different writers chose to record. John records Jesus' words, "The cup the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?" Matthew 26:51-52 records Jesus' words "All who take up the sword will perish by the sword." Luke simply records that Jesus said, "Stop! No more of this."

         The question of turning the other cheek has been debated for centuries. Should the good give way to those who practice evil, based on these words of Jesus, and thus allow evil to triumph? What would have the world been like if the Western Nations had allowed Hitler to rule Europe unopposed and murder the Jewish people without opposition? And why would Paul have said that the government takes up the sword on God's behalf? (Romans 13:4)

         A full exploration of this question would take much time. I think it is safe to say that Jesus was speaking to individuals who were under the domination of the Roman Empire, and that in this context He was not speaking to Caesar or Pilate. He was speaking to individuals about the decisions and actions in their own individual lives. He was calling for a life of self-sacrifice. Giving to others when it hurt. Allowing God the leeway to intervene and change the hearts and lives of others, rather than having them harden their hearts as a result of opposition. We can infer in Paul's testimony that Stephen's forgiveness of those who murdered him (Acts 7:60) was a goad that led to his conversion since he mentioned it several times (Acts 22:4, I Cor 15:9, Gal 1:23). It would be inconsistent with other passages to believe that Jesus meant on a larger scale that we should turn the other cheek. Certainly not in the case where evil is being done to others and we have some ability to resist it.

Luke 6:36-45 Jesus expounds on mercy, generosity, and fruit. There are parallel passages to part of this in the Sermon on the Mount, notably Luke 7:37 matches Matt  7:1-2; Luke 6:41-42 matches Matt 7:3-5; and Luke 6:43-44 parallels Matt 7:16. Do not judge and you will not be judged; do not look at the speck in your brother's eye but focus on the log or beam that is in your own eye; trees are known by their fruit, as will your life be known. There is a curious disparity between Luke 6:38 and Matt 7:7. Luke records Jesus as saying, "Give, and it will be given to you." Matthew records Jesus as saying' "Ask and it will be given to you." But then in Luke 11:9 we find Jesus quoted as saying, " Ask and it will be given to you." So what do we make of this?

         I think the most important thing is that we should not be so focused on what will be given to us. Whether it is worldly or physical blessings, or spiritual blessings that we would like to receive, if it is about us, then we are missing the point. It should be about Jesus. Asking means specifically asking Him, in other words, being dependent on Him, being in relationship with Him. Giving, done properly, is about seeking to improve the lot of another, whether physically or just putting a smile on their face. If we can rise above self-centeredness, then He can take care of our needs, and even our desires. But it is about Him. And similarly for the others. If we forego judging others, it should be because Jesus has the authority to judge and to forgive, and if we want to experience that same grace, we better let Him make the call. And so with seeking to help our brother with a speck that we see in his eye. Let it alone! This is about us. We need Jesus' help to remove the log in our own eye, and so we should not think ourselves capable of helping our brother remove a speck from his eye. That is Jesus' work. If our brother asks us for help in some matter, of course we should be ready to assist. But always with the view in mind that we have the beam in our own eye and must never allow ourselves any satisfaction in seeing another's faults. (Galatians 6:1)

         The fruit that Jesus talks about must be considered in the perspective of what Jesus intends by the metaphor. Fruit is food, generally thought to be nutritious, usually enjoyable to eat if it has a good natural flavor. Trees bear fruit naturally. It is part of the process of reproduction - trees generate seeds that must survive when they reach the ground and so the design puts appropriate food immediately at hand for the seeds when they germinate. But God also designed fruit so that humans can partake of this food because trees produce so much fruit that only a very small fraction of the seeds need germinate to maintain and propagate the species. So the fruit that we must produce similarly feed others. People will know that the Holy Spirit indwells us, that we have Jesus in our heart, only if the fruit that we produce is spiritual nourishment for them.

         It is possible, I suppose, that we could have Jesus in our heart and the Holy Spirit indwelling, and produce fruit that is spiritually inedible or not spiritually nourishing. In that case, the question suggested by Jesus is, what is really inside? It should not be the case that believers should go around inspecting each other's fruit, but that unbelievers won't really take the gospel seriously unless the fruit they see bespeaks a changed life with a supernatural, divine internal quality. This could take the form of mercy or generosity (Jesus' examples) or many other forms discussed elsewhere in the New Testament. (Gal. 5:22-23).