Love Your Enemies: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 6:27-36

This Bible study series is for people who are learning English. It is designed for advanced beginner and intermediate learners, but children or adults who prefer simple English may also enjoy it. I also have a Sunday School lesson on Luke 6:27-36 that may work better for native English speakers.

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Luke 6:27-36 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 6:27-36 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

Can you think of a time when someone was kind to you, even when you did not expect it?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn what Jesus teaches about loving people who are hard to love. He shows us how to be kind and merciful, just like God is with us.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

bless: (verb) To ask God to be kind to someone.
enemy: (noun) A person who hates you or wants to hurt you.
expect: (verb) To think that something will happen.
full of sin: (phrase) Doing many bad things that go against what God wants.
lend: (verb) To let someone use something for a short time.
mean: (adjective) Not kind or acting in a way that hurts others.
mercy: (noun) Kindness and forgiveness shown to someone who deserves punishment.
Most High God: (phrase) A special name for God that shows he is the greatest and has the most power.
praise: (noun) Words that show someone has done a very good job.
sinner: (noun) A person who does things that God says are wrong.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

bless: (verb) To ask God to be kind to someone.
do good: (phrase) To act in a way that is kind or helpful to other people.
enemy: (noun) A person who hates you or wants to hurt you.
expect: (verb) To think that something will happen.
full of sin: (phrase) Doing many bad things that go against what God wants.
give back: (phrase) To return something to the person who had it before.
hate: (verb) To dislike someone or something very much.
hit: (verb) To touch someone or something with force.
lend: (verb) To let someone use something for a short time.
love: (verb) To care very much for someone and want what is best for them.
mean: (adjective) Not kind or acting in a way that hurts others.
mercy: (noun) Kindness and forgiveness shown to someone who deserves punishment.
Most High God: (phrase) A special name for God that shows he is the greatest and has the most power.
praise: (noun) Words that show someone has done a very good job.
pray: (verb) To talk to God.
reward: (noun) Something good given for doing a good job.
should: (verb) A word used to say what is the right thing to do.
sinner: (noun) A person who does things that God says are wrong.
take: (verb) To get or carry something away.
thankful: (adjective) Feeling glad for what you have been given.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

always: (adverb) Every time or at all times.
amount: (noun) How much there is of something.
anything: (pronoun) Any thing or any part of something.
ask: 1. (verb) To request help or to tell someone what you want. 2. (verb) To say something to get an answer.
because: (conjunction) For the reason that.
bless: (verb) To ask God to be kind to someone.
children: (noun) More than one child.
coat: (noun) A piece of clothing worn over other clothes to keep warm.
do good: (phrase) To act in a way that is kind or helpful to other people.
enemy: (noun) A person who hates you or wants to hurt you.
even: (adverb) Used to show that something is surprising.
everyone: (pronoun) Every person in a group.
expect: (verb) To think that something will happen.
face: (noun) The front part of the head with the eyes and nose.
Father: (noun) A name for God.
full of sin: (phrase) Doing many bad things that go against what God wants.
give back: (phrase) To return something to the person who had it before.
God: (noun) The creator and ruler of everything.
great: (adjective) Very large or very good.
happen: (verb) To take place.
hate: (verb) To dislike someone or something very much.
hit: (verb) To touch someone or something with force.
lend: (verb) To let someone use something for a short time.
let: (verb) To allow something to happen.
listen: (verb) To pay attention to a sound with your ears.
love: (verb) To care very much for someone and want what is best for them.
mean: (adjective) Not kind or acting in a way that hurts others.
mercy: (noun) Kindness and forgiveness shown to someone who deserves punishment.
Most High God: (phrase) A special name for God that shows he is the greatest and has the most power.
only: (adjective) Just one and no more.
praise: (noun) Words that show someone has done a very good job.
pray: (verb) To talk to God.
reward: (noun) Something good given for doing a good job.
same: (adjective) Not different.
shirt: (noun) A piece of clothing worn on the top part of the body.
should: (verb) A word used to say what is the right thing to do.
side: (noun) The part of something that is not the top, bottom, front, or back.
sinner: (noun) A person who does things that God says are wrong.
someone: (pronoun) A person, but it is not said who.
something: (pronoun) A thing, but it is not said what.
special: (adjective) Different and often better than what is normal.
stop: (verb) To not move or to finish doing something.
take: (verb) To get or carry something away.
tell: (verb) To give information to someone by speaking.
thankful: (adjective) Feeling glad for what you have been given.
thing: 1. (noun) An object that is not alive. 2. (noun) An event or an action.
too: (adverb) Also.
will: (verb) A word used to talk about the future.
without: (preposition) Not having something.

Summary of the Passage

This passage teaches how Jesus wants his followers to love other people, even when it is hard. At that time, many people thought it was okay to be kind only to their friends and family. But Jesus taught something different. He said to love even those who hurt us or say bad things about us.

Jesus explained that we should pray for people who are unkind to us. If someone hits us or takes our things, we should be ready to show them love, not fight back. Jesus used the example of being hit on the face to show that even if someone is very mean to us, we should not be mean back. We should stay peaceful. He told us to treat others the way we want them to treat us. Jesus wants us to be kind and giving, even when people do not deserve it.

Then Jesus asked his followers to think about how easy it is to love people who already love them. Even people who do not follow God can do that. What makes God’s people different is that they love their enemies, give without asking for anything back, and show kindness like God does. Jesus reminded them that God is kind to both good and bad people. He told them to be merciful, just like God is merciful to us.

This passage teaches us that real love is shown not only to friends but also to enemies. God’s people are called to love in a way that shows God’s kindness and mercy to everyone.

Read The Passage

Most English learners should use the Easy-to-Read Version (ERV), the New International Reader’s Version (NIRV), or the Good News Translation (GNT). If you want to try something harder, you can read one of the other Bible versions.

Love Your Enemies
27 “But I say to you people who are listening to me, love your enemies.
Do good to those who hate you.
28 Ask God to bless the people who ask for bad things to happen to you.
Pray for the people who are mean to you.
29 If someone hits you on the side of your face, let them hit the other side too.
If someone takes your coat, don’t stop them from taking your shirt too.
30 Give to everyone who asks you for something.
When someone takes something that is yours, don’t ask for it back.
31 Do for others what you want them to do for you.
32 “If you love only those who love you, should you get any special praise for doing that?
No, even sinners love those who love them!
33 If you do good only to those who do good to you, should you get any special praise for doing that?
No, even sinners do that!
34 If you lend things to people, always expecting to get something back, should you get any special praise for that?
No, even sinners lend to other sinners so that they can get back the same amount!
35 “I’m telling you to love your enemies and do good to them.
Lend to people without expecting to get anything back.
If you do this, you will have a great reward.
You will be children of the Most High God.
Yes, because God is good even to the people who are full of sin and not thankful.
36 Give love and mercy the same as your Father gives love and mercy.
Luke 6:27-36 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 6:27-36 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 6:27-36 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 6:27-36 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 6:27-36 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 6:27-36 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 6:27-36 (ESV)

Luke 6:27-36 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

Who does Jesus tell us to love in this passage?
What should we do for people who hate us?
What should we say about people who curse us?
What should we do when someone is mean us?
How does Jesus tell us to treat others?
Why is it easy to love people who already love us?
What does God do for both good and bad people?
What reward does God promise to those who love their enemies?
How does God want us to be, according to this passage?

Application Questions

Why is it sometimes hard to love people who hurt us?
How can praying for people help us love them?
What are some ways you can show kindness to people you do not like?
How does it feel to know that God loves you, even when you make mistakes?
What is one way you can show God’s mercy to someone this week?

Theological Insights

God loves both good and bad people and shows kindness to everyone.
Jesus teaches us to love others in a way that is different from the world.
God gives great rewards to people who love their enemies.
Mercy means being kind to others, even when they do not deserve it.
When we love our enemies, we show that we belong to God.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father, Thank you for loving us, even when we do not deserve it. Help us to love others the way you love us. Make us kind and merciful like you. Amen.