Word of the week - Love your Enemies

“But to you who are listening I say:  Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you”.  Luke 6:26-27

My last several “Word of the Weeks” have focused on relationships, see below.  I believe relationships are the most important aspect of our lives, especially as followers of Jesus.  It starts with our relationship with God through Jesus and flows from there to our other relationships.  I was reminded this week that Jesus calls us to even more – to Love our enemies.  To love them, we need to have some relationship with them.  This does not mean we have to agree with them, hang out with them or even like them, we simply have to love them. 

Love your Enemies  - I read this verse in the One Year Bible during my first fruits time this week and it convicted me.  Do I really love my enemies?  I have heard and read this verse many times and it is always challenging, but for some reason this time around it really struck me deeply.  I started asking myself if I have really loved my enemies or simply tolerated or tried to ignore them?  First, we have to take time to identify our enemies, so we can love them.  By definition, an enemy is someone “who does not like us and is trying to harm us”.  You know the person – the one whose name spikes your blood pressure when you hear it or think about them. The person you avoid if at all possible.  It is likely someone’s face comes to mind.  If so, that person might fall into the category of enemy.  Did you notice Jesus made the word enemy plural in the verse above.  He knew we could not live in a broken world without accumulating a few enemies along the way.  He does not question whether we will have enemies, He assumes we will, and instructs us very clearly and directly to “love them and pray for them”.  This seems hard and radical.  Even if I want to love my enemies, will I have the courage and strength to actually follow through?  Here are a few thoughts and supporting scriptures on this challenging commandment from Jesus. 

How we love our enemies – Well, Jesus gave us some suggestions on this topic.  He says, “Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  If someone slaps you on the cheek, turn to them the other.  If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them” Luke 6: 27b-29) Wow!!  This is not making this any easier.  So, we love them, by praying for them, blessing them, doing good to them, showing gentleness and generosity towards them.  This seems impossible until we realize that this is exactly what God has done for each of us.  “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8 While we were enemies, he showed His love by laying down His life.  It is by this radical love that we have the strength and power to love radically.  “What is impossible with man is possible with God” Luke 18:27 As a new creation in Christ, we receive God’s power through the Holy Spirit to live a radical and supernatural life that glorifies God and shows His love.  This is one way we separate ourselves from the world and live the gospel of Jesus. 

Just do it – With Jesus in mind as the greatest example for us, the question is no longer “can we love our enemies, but rather will we love our enemies?”.  The worlds way of loving is typically based on the principle of reciprocity. If you love me, then I’ll love you.  It is conditional and transactional.  God’s love is agape love, meaning it is unconditional.  He loves us even when our hearts had enmity towards Him.  God’s definition of love is to “go first” and initiate even though the other person is not willing.  This is the greatest form of love because it is pure and motivated by our love for God.  It is our response to what He has done for us.  The golden rule in Luke 6:31 commands us to “Do to others as you would have them do unto you.”  This is not conditioned on what others do or how they act, we cannot control those things.  What we can control is how we love others, and we can obey the Lord and decide to love others even when they don’t deserve it, or in the case of our enemies, when they may deserve recourse in the eyes of the world.  Loving our enemies by going first is an amazing demonstration of generosity and has to touch the heart of your “enemy”.  Mahatma Gandhi said “Whenever you are confronted with an opponent.  Conquer him with love.”  Try it and see what happens.  Prayerfully initiate an act of love and kindness toward someone you see as your enemy and see how they respond.  Even if they do nothing in response, be assured that you have gained an eternal reward in heaven. 

A great opportunity – As Christians this is one of our greatest opportunities to show our love toward God.  To live the great commandment at its highest level.  It is great to love God, our family and friends.  But how hard is it for us to love those who love us?  If we desire to truly relate with Christ and His amazing love, grace and mercy for us, then we need to experience what He experienced.  We connect and relate at a deeper level with Jesus and others in our pain and suffering.  “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps.” 1 Peter 2:21

As followers of Christ, we are called to be God’s channel of mercy.  He desires to use us to pour out His grace and blessing upon the world.  Let us be willing vessels so His love and goodness can flow through us.  When we love our enemies, we receive a blessing for ourselves and our families for generations to come.  “But showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments” Deuteronomy 5:10

Lord, show us who are enemies are and how to love them.  Today!!!!

-Duane