“You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”
Matthew 5:43-44 (NIV)
There is no arguing that we live
in contentious times. The social and political divide in our country has
escalated to a fever pitch. As a people, we view anyone who disagrees with us
as our adversary. If you do even a cursory scan of social media, you will
discover that it has become the norm to vilify anyone who holds a different
point of view than you do. Genuine social discourse has all but disappeared
from the public forum.
The social climate in Jesus’ day
was not a whole lot different than what we are experiencing. As a people, the
Jews saw all Gentiles as their enemies. In part, we can understand their
feelings; living under the heavy hand of the Roman Empire. But at a fundamental
level, the Jews hated all non-Jews because they were not Jews. Even within
Jewish culture there was a great divide between the elite and the common
masses. The Pharisees looked down on the common people because they didn’t
strictly keep all of the multitude of laws that the Pharisees had instituted.
The common people were viewed as a threat to the religious purity of their
faith. On the other side, the Sadducees, who had taken a stance of compromise
with the Romans, saw the Pharisees and the common people as a threat to their
political power.
Jesus stepped into this volatile
situation with a radical solution. Instead of hating our enemies, he calls us
to extend love and compassion toward them. Instead of escalating the conflict
between people groups, Jesus calls for disarmament. He calls us to see others
through the eyes of God, who is gracious and merciful to all, regardless of who
they are.
In the volatile culture in which
we live, we need to take Jesus’ command to heart. If we would genuinely respond
in love toward others, we would stand out from the world and radically shift
the playing field. How can we do that?
There are two things that Jesus
calls us to do. The first is to extend love to those who we view as our
enemies. This includes those who actively oppose us, as well as those who just
choose to ignore us. When we are faced with hatred and abuse, we need to
respond with love and compassion. Jesus is not talking about what we normally
think of when we think of love. Our first thought about love is as an emotion,
usually a romantic emotion. Jesus is rather talking about a conscious choice to
treat others with respect, honor, and compassion. As Jesus put it in Matthew
7:12, So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for
this sums up the Law and the Prophets. This kind of love is not some warm,
fuzzy feeling, but a choice to extend the love of Christ to others, no matter
who they are.
The second thing that Jesus
calls us to do is to pray for those who oppose us. When Jesus says to pray for
them, he does not mean pray against them. The Psalms are full of examples of
calling on God to send judgment on enemies. That is our natural tendency; the
natural way that we react. Jesus turned that upside down. He commands us to
pray for their well-being; to pray that the grace of God would flood their
lives and transform them by its power.
Too many of us today have
decided that the way to address the issues of our day is to attack others.
Jesus is calling us, not to attack, but to engage with others. To extend compassion
to those who see the world differently than we do. He calls us to respond to
the hurtful, negative attacks of others with grace; to refuse to add fuel to
the fire. As Paul says in Colossians 4:5-6, Be wise in the way you act
toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be
always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer
everyone.
The love that Jesus expects us
to extend toward others is a practical, tangible love. It is a love that looks
behind the hatred and sees the hurt; that looks behind the offense to see the
person. Paul clearly understood this when he wrote these words.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what
is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you,
live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room
for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will
repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry,
feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you
will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but
overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:17-21 (NIV)
Whatever are the issues that you
are struggling with today, I want to invite you to take those issues to God in
prayer. Ask God to show you a better way to respond. Ask God to give you the courage
to follow a better way. Ask God to use you to change the caustic environment we
live in, one relationship at a time.
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Luke 6:36 (NIV)
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