Loving Your Enemies

Love can seem obvious and easy when we are talking about loving our family.  Of course, we love people who love us in return.  That seems to be a normal expectation.  Jesus tells us to go beyond loving our family and friends.  Our lives are not about us.  We are told to love even our enemies.  

In Matthew 5:43-48 Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is 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. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."  It's easy to love those who love you.  It takes a work of the Holy Spirit to love those who hate you and are actively working for your harm.  We are called to a love for our enemies in such a way that many claim allows people to take advantage of us.  Love them even at our own expense.

This idea of loving our enemies seems to be an admonition I needed even more this week.  It is easy to listen to the media and make quick judgments.  It is easy to villainize a whole country or people group for the actions of their government.  In doing so, we often forget that there are real people and families associated with those groups.  These people who are causing so many issues are still people made in the image of God.  They are doing these things because they are sinners in need of a Savior.  Our life, even in trials or persecution, should be loved in a way that points others to Christ.  As Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2:1-9, "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."  Our salvation is a gift of grace.  We are not any better than anyone else in this world.  We are not better than our enemies.  

I still remember a comedy sketch from when I was in middle school.  It is about three soldiers who have enlisted in God's army.  They are ready to fight the good fight.  The first two fall in line, but the third may make the general consider early retirement.  He turns all of the preconceived notions on their head when he points out the real enemy.  Other people are not the enemy.  He described them as hostages: bound by sin.   The true goal of the Christian is not to defeat them but to set them free.  Now, we are not able to set them free, but we can point them to Christ, who can.  It has changed the way I look at people, missions, and the Christian life.  It's not us against them.  We are suiting up in armor to stand against the evil one, not other people, as Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:10-12 which says, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."

Do not fear the news or current events.  The enemy may be strong, but God is stronger yet.  He is not only in sovereign control of all things, but He has left us the Holy Spirit to sanctify and strengthen His Church.  While we await Christ's return, we must seek to set prisoners free.  We must share the gospel in our words and actions every day, that by hearing some may be saved!