Simple and Straightforward

“And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:34-36 NIV)

What are we to make of our culture today where the president is considered the enemy or the president’s enemies are considered the enemy?  Or where Republicans hate Democrats and progressives hate conservatives?  Or where social media fights break out practically every minute?

Frankly, I don’t know.  I am perplexed in many ways.  But what I do know is we believers need to heed the words of Jesus, lest we continue to add to the problem.  We are commanded to love our enemies.  Jesus doesn’t get into exactly whom these people are, so I assume He leaves it for us to decide.  They may be the people who have the opposite political beliefs from ours, or the people who hold to a different religion, or people who look or speak differently than we do.  Or it could be someone who betrayed or cheated us, or sought to do us harm. Regardless, it doesn’t really matter.  

The command is simple and straightforward: Love your enemies and do good to them.  If this makes you uncomfortable, it should.  It is not natural, for one thing, to act lovingly toward those who are unwilling to do the same. It also can seem unfair and even unjust.  But it doesn’t matter what it feels like or what we think about it.  It is a command from our Lord.  The only choice we have is to obey or disobey.

He had the same choice when He walked the earth.  He had many enemies, but in the end, He chose to love them even though they hated Him (Luke 23:34). He only asks that we do the same.

But it is our bent to get caught up in the moment, to let our emotions get away from us and lead us toward hatred and mercilessness.  We hold grudges, are harsh and lash out.  And we rationalize our actions by whatever means possible.  But, still, it doesn’t matter. The truth still stares us in the face even if we choose to look away.  God is kind even to the ungrateful and wicked.

Today, consider this command of Jesus. Whoever you consider to be your enemies, He is telling you to love them, to be kind to them, to do good to them.  It doesn’t really matter what they have done or how you feel about them.  What matters is whether or not you will submit to Jesus and do what He commands you to do, which is no more than what He Himself did toward those who hated Him.

© Jim Musser 2017