“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
My enemies reveal my sin
I really don’t like this one. It pushes my rebellion button so that I flare up and walk away from Jesus the way he rich man did when told to sell everything.
I know Jesus built this entire set of teachings around hyperbolic speech. (He’s making his point by deliberate overstatement.) So I do not think Jesus is against killing some enemies in some wars any more than he is against divorcing an abusive spouse, getting angry at an unfair boss, or preventing an intruder from harming my family. But –
While bin Laden should be brought to justice, I don’t want to love him or treat him kindly. Forget capturing him alive and life imprisonment! Blow his fanatical brains out. Can I get an amen?! But loving enemies of my country isn’t my biggest problem here. I don’t have any power over what the government does to them.
I feel like running away from the personal implications of this teaching. It’s people who were friends, fellow Christians, and partners in ministry but who treated me unfairly – who acted out the role of enemy – these are the ones I want nothing to do with. I don’t want to bother confronting them (they wouldn’t get it anyway) and I don’t want to treat them kindly (they would think everything is hunky-dory). Truth be told, I’d just as soon God not send any sunshine on them.
I know Jesus isn’t teaching that I need to submit myself to ongoing misuse as if I had some sick need for emotional pain. A healthy person doesn’t get cozy with those who place themselves in the role of enemy. Still, even in emotional and often physical distance, Jesus calls me to do and say things that build up my enemy. He calls me to kind acts and words on their behalf. He calls me to pray for their spiritual renewal and blessings.
Father of Love, I confess I am a sinner. I struggle to follow you in this teaching. My words and thoughts about some people are anything but kind. In my own offence I see only the jerky actions rather than your potential in these people. Be gracious to me, even while I am less then gracious to my enemies. Help me to turn away from self and toward you. - Mike Leamon
Fully evolvedIf you attend a public school today you will no doubt learn in biology class that we “evolved from primordial slime into human beings over millions of years.” This evolutionary process leaves God completely out of the picture or at best relegates Him to some explosive deistic force. Evolution teaches us we are continually moving towards a more complete and perfect species through natural selection.
Escape with me back to a Biblical viewpoint. The world and all that is contained within it, and outside of it, is created by God. Looking at humanity, I do not see a moralistic progression. I can observe technological improvement and advancements in our capabilities. I do not see us moving towards perfection on our own.
Jesus told his disciples, be perfect like God is perfect. The Greek word Jesus used is (teleios) or “fully developed in a moral sense”. Jesus calls us to become like the creator. To fully express the Imago Dei in our lives. The problem is: this is impossible on our own. We cannot become perfect. All our progression has accomplished is to create more and varied ways of perpetuating the same carnality we have struggled to overthrow since the fall. The reason is that we do not become perfect through evolution, we become perfect through transformation. Jesus’ expectation for us is only possible through the indwelling and work of the Holy Spirit.
Creator and sustainer of all life, I acknowledge my total dependency on you in moving towards perfection. Help me to become more and more like Christ in every area of my life through your transforming power. - Dan Jones
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