Giving to the Ungrateful

Luke 6:35-36
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.  Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Wait, what?  Jesus, are you seriously asking us to not only love our enemies, but to love our ungrateful and undeserving enemies who aren’t instantly converted to loving us by our generosity? Even the ones that won’t send a thank you note??? And maybe still hate us afterwards???  Gasp!  
So, we can go with You on the loving people and being kind to your neighbor stuff because our culture is cool with that (largely because of your influence on it) BUT this love your ungrateful enemy stuff, you’re reaaaaally making us go out on a limb here!

EXACTLY.  God’s Word ALWAYS calls us to more that we are capable of.  Not in a “you’ll never be good enough for me” sort of a way, but in a “you’ll always need to be holding my hand to do the things I ask you to do” sort of way.

 “Giving Tuesday” was this week and many millions of Americans participated and gave to very worthy causes that are doing amazing things and many other millions of Americans that did not participate are already intentionally giving to organizations that are doing great things for their fellow humans and the world that we were put in charge of managing.  Most of these groups we supported yesterday have excellent bookkeeping and effectiveness ratings which let us know that our dollars are being spent effectively and stewarded well.  

But what about this “love your ungrateful enemy” business, do we still give time, talent, treasure and toothpaste to those places that won’t throw a gala in our honor?  To those people that might not say thank you, but instead cuss us out with new phrases we’ve never heard before?  That coworker that sabotages us at every turn?  I think that the words that came out of the mouth of our Savior and Creator of Heaven and Earth that holds all matter together by His will says “yes”.  

Scripture also mentions that we should be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves.  I’m not saying that you shouldn’t research charities and try to be a good steward of the money that God has entrusted to you.  There is good scriptural basis for doing that.  

I think what Jesus is telling us here is that our generosity needs to also extend to a few hopeless people that may never get their life on track, a few bottomless pits, a few lost causes.  Because when we do this, we are doing what he did for each and every one of us when we were lost (dead) in our sins and couldn’t help ourselves (Romans 5:10- Enemies-->Friends), and when we do this, we look a little bit more like Jesus.