Ethical Reciprocity In The Gospel Essay

The Gospel According to Matthew and the Gospel According to Luke offer detailed accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. These gospels, as well as the Gospel According to Mark, are collectively known as the “synoptic gospels” because of their shared traditions and stories. It is from this trio of works, all written some 2,000 years ago, that the teachings of the otherwise obscure figure of Jesus are able to be revealed to contemporary readers. While Matthew, Mark, and Luke share many salient features, Matthew and Luke alone seek to emphasize Jesus’ direct appeals to nullify the principle of ethical reciprocity in the Sermon on the Mount and Sermon on the Plain, respectively. Luke in general and verses 6:27-35 in particular are chiefly interested in the significance of the teachings of Jesus as they relate to this topic. This analysis will serve as a detailed examination Jesus’ attempts to nullify the law of ethical reciprocity in Luke 6:27-35.
An important and often raised question when dealing with the works of
Luke frames this passage with Jesus’ commands to “love your enemies,” suggesting that this is the central point Jesus is trying to convey to his audience with the lesson. Jesus’ command to “love your enemies” raises two important questions concerning its practical application: what does it mean to love, and how do you define your enemies? The passage has Jesus enumerate three physical illustrations of love to give an idea of what of love encompasses. For Jesus, to love means to “do good,” to “bless,” and to “pray for.” Similarly, Luke develops “enemies” to mean those who “hate,” “curse,” and “mistreat” you (6:27-28). In early Christianity, believers were often the subjects of hostility and harassment, making this discussion of enemies significant and the command to love them all the more difficult and