Love Your Enemies
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that.
And 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.
But 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.
Luke 6:31-35 (NIV)
We are called to be radically different from those who are not Christ followers. We are constantly surrounded with messages that tell us to be self assertive. These messages tell us to promote ourselves and to watch out for ourselves first. These are self-centered and selfish; we do what we do to get what we want. We protect our own and demand our rights and expect to receive what is due us. This leads to an isolated and lonely existence. We know people who have everything they could ever want and yet are isolated and lonely. Jesus says the antidote is to treat others the way you want to be treated. To think of others first and in so doing your own needs are met. He then takes the teaching further and says to love your enemies, those who are bent on doing you in.
I could never do that on my own. That is what is so exciting about following Jesus, He sets seemingly impossible commands and then He empowers us to fulfill them. It is not in my power but in His. It is not by my might but by His. What is impossible with me is possible in Him. How radical is responding to evil with good? You know how hard it is to have an argument with someone who will not argue back. How hard it is to treat someone mean who is doing good to you. Sure throws me off stride. What is it that makes me want to seek revenge or get even or fight? It is my pride. I want them to agree that I am right and they are wrong. I want them to pay for hurting me. I want to extract my ounce of flesh. The emphasis is always on "me" and "I" and that is the antithesis of what Jesus teaches. It is not about me but rather about God.
Why am I to love my enemies? Because Jesus set the example when He died for me. Jesus did for me what I could not do for myself. Romans 5:8 says, But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. I was his enemy and He died for me, can I do anything less for those I see as enemies? Not and be the follower Jesus calls me to be.
This isn't an easy command but Jesus didn't come to make things easy. He came to make us holy and to restore our relationship with God. He tells me to treat others the way He treats me. No loop holes, no escape clauses. I am to do what he did. I have some work to do in my life. How about you?
No comments:
Post a Comment