Goodness

This week in Mustard we discussed 'goodness'. I had a study prepared and we started working our way through it, but God had other plans for the discussion. I felt strongly that we should more deeply discuss the first verse I had chosen for the study, and leave the rest of the questions for personal reflection during the week:

Luke 6:27-28, 35

But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you... love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Why can Jesus say this to us? Why are we to love and do good to our enemies, the frustrating, the manipulative? It's because God loved us while we were still His enemies. This certainly struck the girls in their heart, and mine too! It's easy to say, hard to do.