Love Your Enemies

Matthew 5:43-45
"You have heard that it was said,'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be the sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."

It was a Sunday morning like many other Sundays in this small Illinois town, and yet everything was about to change for one church. Pastor Fred Winters was delivering a message when a man walked down the aisle. Perhaps thinking that this man was so excited that he couldn't wait for the invitation, Pastor Fred extended his hand and asked, "May I help you, brother?" The man opened fire and killed him as the stunned congregation looked on. Eventually, he was subdued and order of sorts was restored.

I couldn't help but think of this as a backdrop for Jesus' lesson. He said, "You have heard it said to love your neighbor and hate your enemy, but I say...love your enemies."

Every natural fiber cries out, "What Jesus? Are you kidding? You can't be serious!" How can I love the one who means me harm; the one who has caused such immeasurable distress and heartache? You don't mean love that one who betrayed my trust; abused that child? Lord, I love you, but surely I don't have to still love that one who persecuted me because of the color of my skin or my family of origin.

"This is unbelievable!" we shout. Certainly if anybody has a "free to hate" pass it should be me in my circumstance or this church whose pastor was taking care of your business. Surely the family of such a good man, father, pastor and community leader can be exempt from the "love clause".

Yet, as we look at Pastor Winter's church in interview after interview, we see a determination to forgive the shooter and pray for his family. The widow exhorted everyone not to focus on Fred, for that would have disappointed him, but rather to forgive and to heal and to go on.

How extraordinary this sounds to our ears and how revolutionary was this idea to the disciples of Jesus. For centuries they had been under the foot of Rome. They had prayed for relief and God had promised to send a deliverer. They had visions of the Messiah coming and turning society upside down with them on top and the oppressor vanquished. They had hopes that Jesus was this Messiah and yet here He was saying, "Love your enemies."

What was Jesus' rationale for such a bold statement? Because, if they loved like that, they would look like their Father in heaven who was so full of grace and mercy that He sent rain on the just and unjust. He allowed His sun to shine on everyone regardless of their behavior. His love was not meted out by the merit of the one loved but came out of His divine nature. (He is love.)

Those who love the Lord are told to love like the One who gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes on Him will not perish but have everlasting life. This kind of love is sacrificial and unmerited. Furthermore, we are told that "...while we were still enemies, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8b While our sin was still abhorrent to God; while we were still messy people without hope and without strength to change, Christ gave His best for us.

He, who knew no sin, became sin (everything despicable to the Father) for us and paid a sin debt that we could never repay. He did this so that we no longer remained enemies but became the children of God.

Jesus continued His teaching by saying, "Be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." The only way this perfect, "enemy loving" "hatred destroying",love is possible, is by receiving the love of Jesus, then and having it poured into us by His Spirit. In our own strength, we have no inclination to love those who are hurting us. In fact, we usually, can not. But with the help of God, we see that love is not just a warm, fuzzy feeling. It is a decision to love "on purpose" like God, our example. It is to be concerned about the welfare of another, to the point, that we are moved to do something about it. This kind of love renounces retaliation, knowing that "Vengeance is mine" saith the Lord. This love prays for the enemy and expects God to change not only the hated one, but to change our own hearts. This kind of love prays that the person will be delivered, healed, and transformed and not obliterated and utterly destroyed. This love cries out to God acknowledging that we haven't loved like He has loved us and asks for help to do so.

Love your enemies! How mind-blowing and yet how like our LORD. What about you? Do you bless those who curse you and do good to those who spitefully use you? If not, won't you join me as I also petition for help for us to be perfected in our loving?

Lord God, how far we fall short of your glory. How grateful we are that you love us so wonderfully in spite of our transgressions against you. Lord, we confess that there are those who have harmed us, offended us, and betrayed us that we still haven't completely released. Help us to harbor no grudges. Help us to know that just blocking out what the enemy did is not the same as forgiving them. Forgive us when we don't wish our enemy well and when we haven't actively prayed for him/her. Perfect our love, through Christ Jesus, so that we really reflect your love to a watching world...for you have said they will know we are Christians by our love. In Jesus' name we ask these things. Amen.