well, there you have it...

Jesus is speaking here in Luke's account of what He said in what is know as the Sermon on the Mount, also found in Matthew 5, 6, & 7.

Luke 6

27 "But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies!

Do good to those who hate you.

28 Bless those who curse you.

Pray for those who hurt you.

29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also.

If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also.

30 Give to anyone who asks;

and when things are taken away from you, don't try to get them back.

31 Do to others as you would like them to do to you. (dan note: yeah, Jesus is the one who said that first! )

  32 "If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that?

Even sinners love those who love them!

33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit?

Even sinners do that much!

34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit?

Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.

  35 "Love your enemies!

Do good to them.

Lend to them without expecting to be repaid.

Then your reward from heaven will be very great,

and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High,

for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.

36 You must be compassionate,

just as your Father is compassionate.

Well, there you have it...

That sure does poke holes in so much of the socially acceptable self centered identity of today...