27"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 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? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
I'm always cautious when I read from the bible, especially the words of Jesus, that I don't just take these words and try and fit it into my life in a convenient way so that I can convince myself that I am following the teachings. In this example, we could reduce the enormity of the word 'enemy' and make it something that we feel more comfortable with.The word enemy means "a person who feels hatred for, fosters harmful designs against, or engages in antagonistic activities against another; an adversary or opponent."
This is a very imposing word. It suggests that an enemy is not just someone you don't get on with, or who 'gets on your nerves', but is someone who is taking an active role in making your life as hard as possible out of a feeling of hatred towards you. This is someone you either want to avoid or at least take some sort of action in retaliation.
Yet, this is the person that Jesus asks us to love!
To the Jewish people that Jesus was talking to, their enemy was the Romans. They were a oppressive empire who had taken their land, demanded taxes and who had an aggressive way of keeping law and order (dieing on a cross was not a pleasant activity). It was the Romans that the Jews would have hoped that the Messiah would free them from. They were expecting a Messiah that would be a warrior King, just like David, who would overthrow the Romans, with physical force, take back their land and restore the rightful worship of the day.
They wanted a Messiah who would wipe out their enemies and not one who would command them to actively love them.
Who are your enemies? Who are the people that make life really hard for you? Is anybody engaging in activities that cause you harm?
How do you respond to them?
As you think about this, also think about what this passage says about God's love. Verse 35 says that God "is kind to the ungrateful and wicked" and that we should be merciful just as He is.
What is this saying?
Well, God has many enemies. That doesn't mean He hates people, but many people have turned their back on him and show Him hatred. How does he respond to them?
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,a]">[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
God's response to His enemies was to die for them. He loved them so much, that He was willing to give Himself for them, even though He knew that some would still ignore and hate Him.
This is the example He asks us to follow.
Are we willing to lay down our lives for our enemies? Not just our friends or those we care for, but for those who actively hate us and make our life as terrible as possible.
This is the kind of love that will change the world. This is the kind of love that the Kingdom demands.
A wonderful exponent of this love was Martin Luther King Jnr in the 1960's, when as an oppressed African American, he found justice through peaceful, loving means. Here are some quotes from his life;
"At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love."
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
"Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies - or else? The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation."
"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."
I could go on, but the point is, this was a man who took the message of Jesus seriously and changed the world around him through facing hatred with love.
My prayer for us is that God would continue to give us the grace to love our enemies and that as we do, that we would see lives changed and His Kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven.
