In Jesus Holy Name February 20, 2022
Luke 6:27
“Love Your Enemies”- “So Easy to Say!”
General Robert E. Lee was once asked his opinion of a fellow officer who was widely known as one of Lee’s greatest detractors. The general responded that he thought the man a very fine officer. “But General,” his questioner replied, quite perplexed, “I guess you don’t know what he’s been saying about you.” “Oh, yes I do,” replied Lee. “But I was asked my opinion of him, not his opinion of me.”
Bertrand Russell, a well known British philosopher wrote; “The Christian principle, Love your enemies is good. There is nothing to be said against it except that it is too difficult for most of us to practice sincerely.” (Divine Conspiracy p. 183)
In Luke 6, when Jesus said, “Love your enemies” and He immediately added, “Do good to them” so we wouldn’t miss the point. The world says: “Don’t waste time loving bad people.” God says, “Love them anyway.”
Why? If we don’t pray for our enemies, who will?
If we don’t pray for our enemies, how will they every change?
If we don’t pray for our enemies, how will we ever be free from bitterness?
Jesus knows bitterness will destroy your life. Hatred, constant dislike of another always leads to a bitterness in our attitude and makes us miserable.
Jesus said: “Love your enemies.” Easy to say, hard to do. Maybe it was for our sake.
John Stott in his book The Cross of Christ writes; “To live under the cross means that every aspect of the Christian life is shaped and colored by it. It enables us to develop a balanced self-image and directs our conduct to others, including our enemies. We are to “be imitators” of God and exhibit both love and justice.” Easy to say, hard to do.
Who are my enemies? Jesus is not talking about enemies on the other side of the world. He is talking about personal enemies who tend to be much closer to home. In fact, home is the first place to look for our enemies. Jesus said, “A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household” (Matthew 10:36). He mentions three close relationships that can go sour. (father against son, mother against daughter, mother- in- law against daughter- in- law)
We all know families who have not spoken to each other in years. They might not use the word enemy for a past family member but that is what they have become. How often do families end up in court and refusing to speak to each other. It could be a father and son, a mother and daughter, brothers and sisters.
In Luke 12 there is a clear example of enemies within a family. “Someone in the crowd said to Jesus. “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”Jesus replied. “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you? Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed” … and we might add, based on this beatitude, don’t become an enemy with your brother.
Jesus knows that people deeply hunger to be good but cannot find their way. How can we “do good”. The beatitudes not only call us to “love our enemies and do good to them” but calls us to be “peacemakers”. The instruction to be “peacemakers” is qualified by the words of Jesus when He added: “if it is possible”. (John Stott “The Cross of Jesus” p. 295) Sometimes it is impossible because he or she is unwilling to live at peace with us.
So how can we demonstrate heart felt love to those who would be happy if we dropped dead. 1) greet them with kind words. It will disarm them 2) refuse to speak evil of them. This is what General Lee refused to do. 3) Pray for them.
When Martin Niemoller, a German pastor, was arrested by the Nazis in World War II, he prayed daily from his prison cell for his captors. Other prisoners asked why he prayed for those who were his enemies. He said: “Do you know anyone who needs your prayers more than your enemies?” But what if you hate the person you are praying for? Tell that to the Lord. He won’t be surprised. Then say something like this, “Lord, I hate this person, but you already know that. I ask you to love this person through me because I can’t do it in my own power. I ask you for a love I don’t have and can’t begin to produce.” (from Keep Believing sermon Luke 6)
“Doing Good to an enemy” is never easy. When on the cross the Pharisees were hurling insults at Jesus ..He made no threats. (I Peter 2:22) Jesus could easily forgive those who were crucifying Him on the cross. “Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” But He is Jesus. We are not. Yet Jesus calls us to be “perfect” and imitate Him.
In his first letter the apostle Peter writes; (read I Peter 1:15 from bible) We can not pull it off. Even this beatitude to “love our enemy and do good to them” can not be a new “law”. As noted last week the beatitudes are not the “new laws” of Jesus giving depth to the 10 commandments. Only Jesus was able to keep the “beatitudes”.
This beatitude reminds us that this is the character of God, who loves us even while we have broken His commandments. Thus we are “poor”, people who are utterly helpless and completely dependent on the grace of God in Jesus and the power of His Holy Spirit flowing through our lives. We have no power to love others without His Spirit dwelling in us. That’s why the Apostle Paul wrote: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20)
In human relationships when people are deeply hurt, even to the point of loosing their job or family, the words “do good to them” is never easy. Just maybe God can use the words of one who has become your verbal enemy to change your heart and speak the same words He spoke on the cross. “Father Forgive Them”.
If you believe in the sovereignty of God, you must believe that your enemy is sent to you by God’s design so you can say with Joseph after his brothers sold him into slavery. “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20).
“The apple tree naturally and easily produces apples because of its inner nature.” (Diving Conspiracy” p. 143) This is why the Apostle Paul writes that “our inner nature, must allow His Holy Spirit to produce His love for those who would be our enemies. Didn’t Jesus say: “A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree bad fruit.” (Luke 6:43-45) Thus it is our responsibility to keep in step with His Spirit.
Actions, doing good, reveal what is in your heart. Several years ago during the conflicts in Syria, comes a true story of how a Christian Arab family brought food to the family of their Muslim Arab neighbor every day because he was injured in a recent bombings and unable to work. The neighbor could not understand the love but it opened the door for conversation.
Mike was born in Afghanistan and worked with the military during the War in Afghanistan, he found himself in a dark place and struggling after a deadly mission in 2007. He had a series of dreams about Jesus, who called him by name to share the gospel with his people. He remembers reading the Bible for the first time shortly after that, opening up a passage in Matthew where Jesus delivers the Sermon on the Mount. “I just felt something so clean in my inside—I felt more peace and love….. ,” he said. “It made me very excited.”
After joining the underground house church movement, Mike endured intense persecution, multiple imprisonments, and brutal torture for his Christian faith before he was able to escape Afghanistan and make his way to the United States.
Once here, he adopted the name “Mike Christian”. He and his wife now lead a small Afghan congregation in the Bay area. “I’m engaged with 30,000 Afghans now,” said Mike. “I don’t remember the Lord telling me to stop. The Lord’s mission is never stopped, so let’s keep going.” (Christianity Today October 2021)
Luther’s morning prayer can make a difference in our ability to imitate Jesus and live out the this beatitude.. If you speak every day…. You become. If you do not speak it every day, your old selfish nature will be on display.
“I thank you, my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. (There it is….all my doing and life may please you) For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.”
Lent is just around the corner….let me challenge you to take a 40 day challenge…. Speak this prayer every day for 40 days.
Love and hate cannot coexist in the same place at the same time. If we love our enemies, we will not hate them. It’s really as simple as that. Doing good to your enemy will free you from bitterness.
Forgiveness always helps us because it sets us free from fear and guilt and it sets us free from anger and bitterness so that we can get on with life. It is a transforming gift from God. What are the words Jesus concludes this beatitude with? “Be merciful just as your Father is merciful.”
May God who has forgiven us in Christ now teach us to walk in mercy and love toward each other. Let the past be past at last.
