Plain Discipleship Wk 4: Jarrod McKenna - 18th May 2025

Love Is Liberating (Or It's a Lie)
📖 Luke 6:24–36

In this week’s message, we heard the radical call of Jesus not just to love our enemies, but to stand where he stands—with the poor, the afflicted, the scapegoated.

And we were reminded:

🔹 Love without liberation is distortion
If our love excuses oppression, silences the vulnerable, or ignores injustice—it’s not the love of Jesus.

🔹 The Devil can quote Scripture too
If Scripture is used to harm instead of heal, to protect power instead of liberate—it's been weaponised.

🔹 Woes aren’t curses—they’re a cry
Jesus isn’t condemning the rich, full, and praised—he’s grieving what their comfort costs others.

🔹 The Sermon on the Plain is about leveling
It’s not about flipping hierarchies—it’s about dismantling them.
Not about rescuing “the least of these”—but recognising they are us.

💬 “Be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” (Luke 6:36)

Love like Jesus:
 ⚔️ Confrontational to injustice
💞 Compassionate to the undeserving
🌱 Creative in its nonviolence

🧠 The question isn’t “do you love your enemies?”
The question is: “is your love liberating?”
If not, it’s a lie.

📖 This week, re-read Luke 6:24–36
 👀 Ask: Where have I dismissed or distorted Jesus’ call?
🔥 Pray: God, help me love like you—boldly, justly, and without limits.

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The Steeple Church Podcast is recorded on Wurundjeri land in the east suburbs of Naarm - that you will find on a map as Balwyn in Melbourne, Australia.

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of these lands, the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation and we pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.

Sovereignty was never ceded.

You can view the full Steeple Church Acknowledgement of Country here.
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