OF CONCERN TO OUR LORD AND MATURE CHRISTIANS IS THE REDEMPTION OF ENEMIES
Complicated are many issues in life, not the least of which is dealing with enemies - whether internationally, nationally, locally or personally! The best way to address the subject is objectively and honestly.
Like it or not, there are people we do not like – the obnoxious . . . the profane . . . lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God . . . molesters . . . abusers . . . drunks . . . terrorists . . . illicit drug dealers . . . murderers . . . rapists . . . corrupt politicians . . . false prophets . . . hypocrites.
Like it or not, while most of us tend to think of our “enemies” as those who live far away and belong to some cult or false religion that preaches and practices killing Christians and Jews, there are enemies of the Lord our God and enemies of His people right here - in America.
Like it or not, those we do not like – whether at home or abroad- are people for whom Christ died . . . are people we are taught by our Lord to love - not only those enemies already mentioned, along with others that might come to mind, but also ourselves - as we once were, or, might have been - before we met Christ – in the sense that Paul described his former self:
In Paul’s sermon on Justification by Faith (Romans 5) Paul states a profound truth: “Death through Adam, Life Through Christ”. He explains: “Whereas, by one man – Adam - sin entered the world, by one man - Christ Jesus - salvation unto eternal life became possible”. In Adam, we all die. In Christ, all who believe are made alive!
To prove his point (5:10) Paul referenced his life before he met Jesus . . . before he surrendered his all to Christ – then - Paul applied his experience of regeneration to all “sinners saved by grace”, saying, “We were God’s enemies”.
Paul clarified what he meant: “By one act of enmity against God (the sin of Adam) the many (Paul and all others) were made sinners.” And in his letter to the Colossians (1:21) Paul concluded his thesis, saying, “You, therefore, were alienated from God and enemies in your mind . . . by nature -- often expressed by bad behavior.”
James the brother of our Lord expounded on Paul’s thesis with a warning (4:4): “If you choose to be a ‘cozy, go-along-to-get-along, adopt-their-foolish-ways’ friend with any of these ungodly types of worldly thinking, you become an enemy of God.”
Of concern to our Lord and mature believers is the redemption of enemies (even ourselves when we become our own worst enemy, or, we feel that someone is out to get us - only to discover that our enemy ‘r us!)
Thus, we have Paul’s warning to the Philippians - and to us: “As I have often told you and now say again, even with tears, many (among us) live as enemies of the cross of Christ . . .Their destiny is destruction . . . Their god is their own selfish desires . . . Their glory is in their shame . . . Their mind is on earthly things.” (Philippians 3:18)
Because of our deep devotion to Christ and His Church, we at times feel the indignation displayed by Jesus when He overturned the moneychangers tables set up in the Temple court yards to do their dirty work of cheating and swindling, making a mockery of that which is sacred.
There may be times when our anger needs to be expressed publicly as long as it is directed toward perpetrators of crime and corruption - in ways that rebuke but do not falsely accuse or spill innocent blood.
Once he dramatically got the attention of Temple hypocrites, Jesus rebuked their practices, but soon thereafter resumed His redemptive mission of seeking to save the lost and turn negatives into positives.
At the level where most of us interact - families, communities, local church and civic functions, we encounter enemies of a different type than those atheists, antisemitic and antichristian elements in our larger society who actively strive to do harm to if not do away with Judeo-Christian ethics, morals and values. However . . .
Regardless of the level at which we as individuals, or as an organized body of believers, encounter enemies, Jesus taught what it means to be His disciple in such situations – by rendering yet another hard saying – Luke 6:27-36 . . .
Two women got into a vicious quarrel outside the sanctuary right after a bitter dispute at a church business conference. Someone described it as a “cat fight” – a term which made no sense to me until this limerick came across my desk: “There once were two cats from Kilkenny. Each thought there was one cat too many. They fought and they spit, they clawed and they bit, till instead of two cats there weren’t any.”
A phrase often used in deacons’ meetings by a beloved elder in our church - loved and appreciated by his fellow church members: “We can disagree without being disagreeable.” So highly was this gentleman thought of by my wife and me, we named our younger son after him.
To love enemies is to treat those who despise or mistreat us in a manner similar to God’s love that was demonstrated to us in so many ways before we entered into a personal relationship with Christ – and, as we grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and those who had our best interests at heart in relationships to us and interactions with us.
Such love is not the same as the love a person has for another in a marriage or family or best friend relationship . . . nor friendship between two persons in the work place and the marketplace . . . nor mutual respect expected among folks we come in contact with as we go about daily activities.
On the other hand, such love sees persons as God saw them, and as Jesus in His earthly ministry looked upon them - as “sheep without a shepherd”. . . souls in danger . . . uninformed and uneducated sinners searching for true meaning in life, and therefore, in need of a Savior and guide.
Such love reaches out to the unlovable . . . uncaring . . . ungrateful who may see themselves as “the axis around which the whole world revolves” and feel that they are owed servitude by the rest of us, as if they were royalty and we were peasantry. In Christ, however, there is no such distinction!
Love reaches out by extending a hand of friendship and fellowship . . . speaking a word of encouragement . . . doing a deed of kindness . . . looking for something to complement . . . praying about the situation and for the sufferer . . . sometimes walking away . . . going the second mile . . . giving, with no expectation of anything material in return . . . just being “Christian” - in attitude and in actions.
Folks: The only way we can effectively allow the love of God to flow through us to our enemies is to stay close to the Lord, to keep reminding ourselves that, except for the grace of God, that enemy of God and of God’s people could be me.
Think of Jesus on the cross, suffering for a crime he did not commit, praying for His enemies: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.”
Yes, most of us are skeptical about anything good coming from the enemies to whom we do good.
The son of a Lutheran minister Garrison Keillor of “Prairie Home Companion” radio fame put it this way: “Do unto others who don’t like you as you would have them do unto you, but you know they won’t. Do this before they can do the devious deed to you - and that they would do if given the chance. Shame them with goodness. Kill them with kindness. Cut their throats with courtesy.” Do what they would not do for you!!! Sounds extreme, doesn’t it? Yes, but . . .
The only extremists we need in our civilized society are mature Christians extremely in love with our Savior whose extreme love sent Him to die on a cross of shame for our sins – such an extreme act of mercy by the Lord our God - which compels us to go to the extreme of loving our enemies – for Jesus’ sake, and for the redemptive purpose of showing them the love of Christ, in the hope that our Savior will become their Savior too!
I have a Savior, He’s pleading in glory,
A dear loving Savior, though earth-friends be few,
And now He is watching in tenderness o’er me,
But, oh, that my Savior were your Savior too.
I have a Father, to me He has given
A hope for eternity, blessed and true,
And soon He will call me to meet Him in heaven,
But, oh, that He’d let me bring you with me, too!
When Jesus has found you, tell others the story,
That my loving Savior is your Savior too,
Then pray that your Savior will bring them to glory,
And prayer will be answered – ‘twas answered for you!
For you I am praying, For you I am praying,
For you I am praying, I am praying for you. Amen.
