Rising Above Your Lizard Brain: Luke 6:27-38 - Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

[Jesus said:] ²⁷“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. ²⁹If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. ³⁰Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. ³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you.
  ³²“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. ³⁵But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. ³⁶Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
  ³⁷“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; ³⁸give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” (NRSV)

Photo by author.

Meet Angel.

He’s our strawberry crested gecko, the fourth member of our family. He’s eight inches long, and he weighs about 1½ ounces. And he loves people. In fact, he’s even more charming than the Geico Gecko.

But he’s terrified of sharp sounds and sudden movements. When he gets scared, he bolts.

He’s using his lizard brain—his fight or flight instincts. And since he’s tiny and doesn’t have any teeth, he chooses flight every time.

You also have a lizard brain—even though you’re not a lizard. When presented with a threat, you don’t think. You react. Fight, flight, or freeze… Your lizard brain functions even when you’re not threatened. Every decision gets governed by the question, “what’s in it for me?” You choose the path of least resistance. You choose instant gratification.

Ideally, when you’re threatened, you fight back. You get the last word. Just consider our heroes on TV and film: they don’t just conquer their foes; they destroy them. If, however, you lack such power, strength, and general disregard for human life, you can still hate and curse your enemies.

Yet our lizard loves people. You could say he’s risen above his lizard brain. And that’s what Jesus wants to work in you, too.

Jesus says, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again.”

Thinking, then, of the people you loathe and despise; who seem to take joy in agitating you: are you able to do what Jesus says?  Why, on earth, would you want to?

I once heard it said that the bible is nothing but “a bunch of well-meaning ideas that don’t work out in real life.” Today’s Gospel is the perfect case-in-point. You’re voluntarily putting yourself in a place of weakness. It’s like Jesus wants you to be everyone’s doormat; that you’re supposed to let people walk all over you, and like it. You could call it voluntary martyrdom: you’re the victim, all the time, every time.

But that’s not what Jesus is talking about.

One of the most fundamental promises of Scripture is God’s deliverance from enemies: human enemies, demonic enemies, and your own mortality. Remember that Jesus handed himself over to be crucified in weakness and humiliation. People spat on him and ridiculed him because he wasn’t saving himself. Yet Jesus did the most powerful thing he could’ve done in that situation: it wasn’t coming off of the cross, but rather crying out, “Father, forgive them.” What human flesh saw as the crushing defeat of Jesus was, in reality, Jesus’ crushing defeat of sin, death, and hell. His victory was won not through raw power and violence but mercy, self-sacrifice, and forgiveness. Death and evil were conquered by life and love.

Understand that you are more than just mortal human flesh. The flesh is temporary; the spirit is eternal. Your body is the temple of your spirit. Your flesh will ultimately return to dust; but your spirit lives forever because of Christ.

Jesus’ teachings nurture the well-being of your spirit—and not merely the flesh and will eventually turn to dust. Life in the spirit is governed by a whole different set of rules and values. So when Jesus talks of loving your enemies and giving without the expectation of getting in return, you are embracing God’s promises and God’s power to shape eternal outcomes in temporary situations.

Sometimes, that expression of God’s power will change the situation for the better—perhaps even influencing the person doing wrong to turn from their evil ways. Much of the time, though, you won’t see the slightest difference. And that’s okay. You stand on the promise that God will have the last word.

One of the most powerful examples of this comes from the early Church. Many Christians were led into the gladiator arenas to be brutally slain for the public’s entertainment. Most condemned persons would call out curses. But the Christians held each other’s hands and called out for God’s forgiveness of their murderers. They died peacefully. People noticed this—and the church grew as a result. This was an expression not of their strength—but of God’s. In death, they bore witness to God’s all-conquering love

As we near ever closer to Lent, you are invited to turn your focus towards nurturing your life in the Spirit—rather than merely nurturing your life in the flesh. You’re not a lizard—so why live like one? We do so much to satisfy the appetites of our flesh—through the accumulation of possessions and accomplishments; showing yourself to the world as someone who’s smarter, stronger, and more successful than everyone else; getting your way and always having the last word. At minimum, our gratification of the flesh wrecks our relationships and burdens the flesh with anxiety and exhaustion. At worst, our gratification of the flesh breeds poverty and violence. Life in the Spirit is nurtured with prayer and patience. It flourishes not in competition but in community; where forgiveness and forbearance, kindness and compassion, healing and hope move us forward into tomorrow.

Jesus conquered death and the devil. If you’re going to fight for anything, fight for love. When others fight you, let your words and deeds speak Christ’s victory. Death and the devil are barreling towards their ultimate end. God’s life and love will carry you through today’s troubles and tomorrow’s trials. God’s life and love will win.