Tag:

Enemies

How Many Miles? Day 5

by TerryLema

I have combined the final two sections in Matthew 5 this morning. They bear labels in my Bible which read, “Go the Second Mile,” and “Love Your Enemies.” [vs 38-48]

Jesus tells his listeners “Don’t resist an evildoer. On the contrary ….”  

Instead of resistance, we are to turn the other cheek, give them our coat as well as our shirt, add a second mile to a forced one mile, and give to those who ask to borrow from us. That all sounds a bit strange to me—until I get to the next passage.

There Jesus tells us to “love [our] enemies and pray for those who persecute [us].” When we do that, we will be “sons of [our] Father in heaven.”

Many listening to Jesus that day may not have understood what He was saying. Perhaps even His disciples thought it strange. But after His death and resurrection, I am sure they grasped the full weight of His words.

Jesus, God’s Son, came because God the Father loved His enemies. Jesus, God’s Wonderful Savior and Redeemer, did not resist the evildoers who nailed Him to a cross. On the contrary, He forgave them.

Now I stand at the foot of His cross and ask myself, “Am I loving my enemies and praying for them?”

How can I do otherwise if I want to be a “[daughter] of [our] Father in heaven.”

0 comment
FacebookEmail

The Sabbath, the Disciples, the Beatitudes (Luke 6)

by TerryLema

Wow, what a chapter! It begins with Jesus proclaiming that He is Lord of the Sabbath. (The Sabbath means far more than just taking one day off from work to rest. It means a deep rest, a profound peace. When Jesus says He is LORD of the Sabbath, He means He is our deep rest and our eternal peace.)

Then Jesus calls His disciples together and chooses 12 to be His closest. He calls them apostles. For the remainder of the chapter, Luke recounts an abbreviated version of the Sermon on the Mount.  A large portion of that is dedicated to loving our enemies.

“But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you…. For He is gracious to the ungrateful and evil. Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.”  [Luke 6:27, 35b-36 HCSB]

Sometimes Christians can be cavalier about “loving our enemies.” We all know what Jesus said. We even think we are doing it. But are we really? Or are we choosing which of “our enemies” to love?

It is easy to love your enemies if you get to choose which ones – because we will usually choose as enemies those who are just a little irritating or annoying. We seldom choose to love those who can do immeasurable harm to us, or those with whom we have major disagreements. (Think political figures we disagree with, or those on the other side of the virus and vaccine debates, or those who hate Christianity and seek to stamp it out.)

But Jesus was specific. We are to do good to those who hate us. We are to bless those who curse us (and those who curse our God). We are to pray for those who abuse us.

We are to be merciful simply because our Father is merciful (and has extended that mercy to His greatest enemies – us!)

0 comment
FacebookEmail

Do Not Fear

by TerryLema

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.” [Isaiah 41:10 HCSB]

Whenever I read this verse I am reminded of my husband and our children. Whenever we were walking anywhere that had danger, a parking lot, along a sidewalk in a busy street, in a crowded theme park, he made sure they held his hands. I always see the “Righteous Right Hand” of our Father God in that. I remember that it was not the strength of our child’s hand in Bob’s that kept them safe. It was the strength of Bob’s hand holding them that assured them of safety.

While this verse was written to Israel originally, I know that God is now holding out His Hand to His beloved children from every nationality, tribe and tongue, to all those who have come to Him through the work of His Son Christ Jesus on the cross.

We are not to be afraid for He is with us. He is our God. He will strengthen us for this difficult time. He will help us as we speak out for the truth of the Gospel. He will hold on to us in the face of all danger with the strength of His righteous right hand where Jesus has ascended and now continues to make intercession for us.

As I read this verse, I am also thrilled by the promises contained in the verses that follow it.  “Be sure that all who are enraged against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will become as nothing and will perish. You will look for those who contend with you, but you will not find them. Those who war against you will become absolutely nothing. For I, Yahweh your God, hold your right hand and say to you: Do not fear, I will help you.” [vs 11-14 HCSB]

One day, in the presence of our God, we will look around and see that every opposition, all enemies are gone. They will have “become absolutely nothing,” and all that remains will be our Wonderful, Amazing Father God and His children. Amen & Amen.

0 comment
FacebookEmail