Tag: love enemies
Day 5–Bless as You Serve!
Scripture reading for March 20: Matthew 5:43-45 “”You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemy 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.””
Acts 20:35 “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
As we finish this week on being a servant of our Lord, it is good to be reminded of the words of Jesus Christ, the ultimate Servant/Leader. Normal human behavior is to love those who love us and to hate those who hate us. This creates a culture of division and strife that binds up those involved in it. Jesus taught His followers that God’s adopted children must change their own ways to accurately reflect their heavenly Father.
God is Love and His Love gives blessings to all, the just and the unjust, the good and the evil. He sends rain to all, showering them with blessings. The sunshine of His Love is rising on all mankind and His goodness leads people to repentance. (Romans 2:4) God’s Love for the world of lost mankind moved Him to sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to demonstrate that love by giving His life-blood to pay for our sins.
As first responders, we can apply these truths to our lives each day. We must be hard workers and help the weak, giving them aid and blessing them with goodness. Even if they may treat us with disrespect or appear as enemies, we can pray for them and bless them. Remember, hurting people often hurt others. Even Jesus was reviled by those He came to serve and save. It cost Him His life, but the reward of seeing lost souls come into God’s family was worth it to Him. (Hebrews 12:2)
Prayer: Father God, thank You for serving me, even when I was self-centered and rebellious to You and Your ways. What a blessing I have received in adoption into My Father’s forever family. Use me to help the weak and give blessing to the hurting. Amen.
Love your enemies!
Scripture reading for January 7: Matthew 5
“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 the Father Who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? 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 Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:43-48
The current world-view in Jesus’ day was not much different than now: “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But Jesus taught a radically different way of living and loving. We are to love our enemies, do them good, and pray for them. This kind of love is how our heavenly Father loves us and all who hate Him. Jesus told how His Father gave rain on the land of the just as well as the unjust. Mercy triumphs over judgment and His goodness leads to repentance. By being like our Father, we may win over those who are centered on the world’s way of doing business. Our good deeds of love towards enemies may break through the hatred and reveal Jesus’ love in us.
This passage is part of Jesus’ ‘Sermon on the Mount’ where He teaches His disciples the blessed life of those in God’s kingdom. I struggled to change my thinking towards those who opposed me. The ways of our secular culture are deeply embedded in my thinking and behavior. Jesus Christ revealed to me His Father’s heart to reach all enemies and rebels. I am still wrestling with how to walk this out daily.
What view of dealing with your enemies do you hold today? How does this mesh with what Jesus revealed to His disciples? What one thing can you do today to show love to someone who you view as your enemy? Does this kind of thinking offend your sense of justice or fairness?
Prayer: Father, forgive me for my lack of love for those who I consider my enemies. Help me to love them as You do. Show me how to pray for them and act in their best interest. Amen.
Sunday rest and reflection: loving enemies
Dear Friends,
Greetings on this day of rest! One of the things that we as Christians can rest from is getting even! The competitive spirit that is in our flesh is always looking for ways to get even or make someone who hurts us suffer. The old saying “I don’t get mad, I get even!” has caused lots of trouble over the years. In this time of turmoil in our nation, followers of Christ Jesus must apply these truths daily and pray for our nation and its leaders to apply them as well.
As I read through the Proverbs, I noticed several scriptures dealing with this ancient problem of getting even. Proverbs 24:29 warns us not to say “I’ll do to him as he has done to me; I’ll pay that man back for what he did.” All vengeance belongs to God alone. Only He knows the heart of a person well enough to properly reward or punish that person for their wrong actions. God desires to forgive and heal the wrongs rather than judge anyone.
Proverbs 26:21-22 is another difficult scripture for us to understand and apply sometimes. It tells us to act in kindness toward our enemies and try to meet their needs. If they are hungry we are to feed them and if they are thirsty we are to give them something to drink. Our acts of kindness is likened to heaping burning coals on our enemy’s head. This purposeful act of love will bring the notice of God and He will reward us. It will also possibly produce a repentance and healing with our enemy whereas if we got even, we would only prolong the battle and bad attitudes would continue.
Jesus Christ perfectly exhibited this healthy attitude toward those who hated him. He purposely forgave them and asked God to forgive them. He taught His disciples to love their enemies and do good to those who would despitefully use them. (Matthew 5:43-48) Some of His final words were “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” (Matthew 23:34) These words exemplify the teaching of Jesus Christ and the love of the Father for those caught in sin and bondage!
May we be filled with the same love today for those who hate us and would despitefully use us! Take time and ask God to fill you again with His love for the lost and for our enemies! In His Love, Pastor John
God commands love for enemies!
Scripture reading for July 5th: Luke 6, Psalm 133, Proverbs 9
Luke 6: 27-31 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.”
The law of sowing and reaping says that we get back what we put out. Jesus, knowing this to be true, commanded His followers to show love for their enemies. God’s love does what is best for the other person, in order to see them converted. When we do good to our enemies, it opens up their lives to see and experience the grace of God and hopefully draws them to repentance and life. This can change them from being your enemy to being a brother or sister and dwelling in God’s unity of the Trinity. This is Wisdom speaking, as God’s Word and Jesus are Wisdom for us!
Psalm 133:1 “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!”
Prayer: Father God, thank You that You are Love and Wisdom. Forgive me for at times ignoring this command to love my enemies. I would rather ignore them or get even. This is not like Jesus. Fill me with Your Love and remind me to show love to all You put in my life and path. I desire the good and pleasant peace of dwelling in unity with You and Your people.
Proverbs 9:12 “If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it.”
Great reward in loving enemies!
Scripture reading for March 18th: Deuteronomy 4-5, Luke 6
Luke 6: 32-36 “”If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.””
Jesus had some hard questions for His followers. It is easy to love those who love you and to do good to those who will repay the kindness. We can lend to those we know will repay. But Jesus challenged us to love those who were our enemies and sought to do us harm. He commanded us to do good to those who would misuse us and to lend to those who could never repay. This was a reflection of the Father’s heart of mercy. He loves to show mercy because it is His kindness that leads us to repentance. Those who obey the Father’s leading will reap a great reward! It may be that these enemies will become brothers and sisters living with us for eternity!
Luke 6:46 “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you?”
Prayer: Father God, I am always amazed at Your heart of mercy for people. I am learning slowly to obey in these difficult areas of loving my enemies and doing good to those who would hurt me. Patiently help me to reflect Your heart and character towards lost and hurting people and I would love to see them all in heaven enjoying eternal life! What a great reward!
Deuteronomy 5:32-33 “You shall be careful therefore to do as the Lord your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.”
Radical Love!
Scripture reading for March 9th: Deuteronomy 21-24, Luke 6
Key Scriptures: Luke 6:27-31 “”But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who cures you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.”
Jesus gave strong instructions to His followers. Most were Jews instructed by God’s law on how to treat others. It was an ‘eye for and eye’ and ‘a tooth for a tooth’ that stood out to them. Now Jesus was telling them to love and do good even to enemies that would steal or harm. The new rule was “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Deuteronomy 24:17-18 “You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a widow’s garment in pledge, but you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this.”
Prayer: Lord, thank You for treating me, Your enemy, with kindness and unmerited favor. By Your Spirit, make me attentive to showing love to all, even ‘enemies’. Amen.
Imitate your Father (In Heaven)!
Scripture reading for March 11th: Luke 6
Key Scriptures for over-comers: Luke 6:35-36 “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 sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
The prevailing teaching was one of ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!’ God’s people were to show restraint in paying back others who wronged them. But Jesus came along and changed the rules. He asked His people to show love to their enemies by doing good for them. If they were hungry, disciples should feed them. If they were thirsty, drinks should be provided. If they hit you on one cheek, the other was to be turned. The new rule was: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31)
God, Himself, is kind and loving to the wicked and ungrateful! He provides rain from heaven, the earth and all its bounty for food, and meets the needs of even the atheist and satanist! He gives them grace–the opposite of what they deserve in hopes of drawing them to repentance. He promises to reward those who follow His example!
Observations for over-comers: All revenge belongs to God. It is His goodness that leads people to repent. God is kind and good to all to win some and we must imitate our Father! “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against on of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:18)