Forgiving Our Enemies Matt 5:43-48
With the events of 11 Sep
- Came a lot of anguish and horror
- Then came anger and the desire to find the terrorists
- Who did this terrible thing
- These are normal human reactions
- And are something we all experience
- But we are called as Christians to be something more than normal
- We are called to a higher standard
- And that is the thing I have been struggling with
- For the last several weeks
- What are my responsibilities as a Christian
- Toward those who plotted, planned and executed these acts of terror?
- Against our country
- Killing thousands of innocent people?
Read What so Amazing About Grace
- Wiesenthal struggled to forgive a German soldier
- Who had done terrible things
- He struggled to grasp the overpowering images he saw
- In the man’s confession
- We too might be struggling with the overpowering and horrifying imagings of the past few weeks
- Wiesenthal could not bring himself to forgive the man
- And the man died in his guilt
- Reaching out to be forgiven
Christ challenges us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us
- Now I know He was not talking exactly about the present situation
- He was referring to those who persecute believers
- But the principle is still the same
- A good part of the reason we are being attacked
- Is because of our support of Israel
- There are faith issues involved
- But the real issue here is my response
- To those who did this
- How am I to respond to them as an individual and as a believer or follower of Christ?
- I think in my head we are to forgive
- And to love enough to pray for them
- But my heart has difficulty doing that
- The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak
- I know what He is asking me to do
- But it is hard to do it
All kinds of stuff- my years of serving this country as a soldier
- My concern for those lost and their families
- My desire for justice
- All that and much more
- Cry out for vengeance, not love and prayer
- Pray maybe- “Lord help us catch them”
- “Give us wisdom to do this right”
- But forgive, love?
- It is difficult, isn’t it?
You know Peter had the same problem
- He came to Jesus and asked an important question
Matthew 18:21-22
21 Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"
22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
NASU
- Jesus told him seven wasn’t enough
- Peter thought seven was pretty generous, since the Jews thought three times was sufficient
- Peter was asking, “Just how far do I have to go in forgiving others?”
- Jesus answered, “As far as it takes to make it real.”
- “As far as God goes to forgive you”
Am I ready, can I forgive like that?
- Not in myself
- Not by myself
- My heart hurts and cries out when I try
- It has heard the cries of thousands
- Taken by death at the hands of these men
- It wants justice
- It wants to respond to the violence violently
Yet I know what God requires- 70 times 7
- He requires it of me
- Because He has forgiven me at least that many times
- Because He has called me to be like Him
- Because it will cause bitterness to grow in my heart if I don’t
Jesus demonstrated the principle of forgiving those who seek to harm you
- He prayed for those who nailed Him to the cross
Luke 23:33-34
33 When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.
34 But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.
NASU
- He asked the Father to forgive them who drove nails into Him
- And who beat Him, who killed Him
How can I do less, especially since it was not me who was directly harmed?
- How can I fail to do less than my Lord did?
- Stephen followed Jesus’ example when he was stoned to death
Acts 7:59-60
59 They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"
60 Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" Having said this, he fell asleep.
NASU
- He forgave and prayed for those who were killing him
- Those who were throwing stones at him
- And taking his life from him
- Should I not then pray for those who took all those lives in New York and Washington?
- Those who plan to take many more lives?
- Those who are bent on destroying our country?
See the problem?
- I should pray, forgive and love those people
- But how do I respond to the threats to our country?
- Are we to sit by and just pray, forgive and love?
- Yes and no
- That is the answer
- I am not called individually to seek revenge
- Or to seek punishment for those guilty of this crime
- I am called to pray, forgive and love
- I am called to follow my Lord’s example
- God can and will act on my prayers
In fact Paul is a good example of how God can change someone
- Who has done terrible things
- Who had a hardened heart
- And was acting out with violence
Acts 9:1-10
Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,
2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;
4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"
5 And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And He said,"I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,
6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do."
NASU
- Paul was going about terrorizing the church
- Yet God caught him
- And turned him from terrorist to apostle
- Can He do the same with these men?
- He can
- He can change hearts
- Even the most hard and desperate hearts
- Who can kill willfully
- If He can reach Paul
- He can even reach these men
- We need to pray for them
- Paul tells us in Rom 12:19 “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord”
- So I should pray for my enemies, the enemies of my country
- Pray for them to see the wrong they have committed
- And the evil of their acts
- As I should pray that God’s grace will overcome them
- And lead them into a relationship with Christ
I think it proper to pray for our nation
- To cry to God for His intervention and help
- The Psalms of David are filled with cries for help
- And protection for the nation of Israel
- Listen to Ps 79:1-4
God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance;
They have defiled Your holy temple;
They have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
2 They have given the dead bodies of Your servants for food to the birds of the heavens,
The flesh of Your godly ones to the beasts of the earth.
3 They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem;
And there was no one to bury them.
4 We have become a reproach to our neighbors,
A scoffing and derision to those around us.
NASU
- Hear the pleading for God to protect the innocent
- And to stop those who attack the nation?
- Or Ps 74:4-11
Psalms 74:1-11
O God, why have You rejected us forever?
Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?
2 Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old,
Which You have redeemed to be the tribe of Your inheritance;
And this Mount Zion, where You have dwelt.
3 Turn Your footsteps toward the perpetual ruins;
The enemy has damaged everything within the sanctuary.
4 Your adversaries have roared in the midst of Your meeting place;
They have set up their own standards for signs.
NASU
- Surely we too can pray for our nation
- Pray God would turn the hearts of the people to Him
- That He would heal the land
- And protect us from evil
- Pray that God will bring justice and peace
- Pray God to bring evil to an end
Paul told us to leave room for God to avenge
- But Paul also said that the government of our nation
- Of every nation has the sword
Romans 13:3-4
3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;
4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
NASU
- The sword is there to punish its enemies and wrongdoers
- Our government then has the authority
- It is God’s agency of punishing, for retribution on the offender
- It is proper for the government, the leaders of our nation
- To seek to bring those who have harmed its citizens to justice
- To bring retribution on those who harm its well-being
- I think it must be proper
- To pray that God will guide our leaders
- To protect our government
- To help it bring criminals to justice
- What is not for me, may be for the government
- For I am a follower of Christ
- The government is an agent of God’s retribution
- It is a matter for our leaders to discern
- The righteousness of the cause
- And the direction of the Lord
So why am I held to a higher standard?
- Why must I forgive when the government may punish?
- Because of grace
- Grace
- Unmerited favor, God’s beneficial desire to forgive because of Christ
- I too deserve to die for what I have done
- I may not be responsible for the deaths of thousands
- Or even one
- But I am guilty of sinning
- And the penalty of sin is death
But God in His grace, forgave me
- He ask me to forgive others as well
- By His grace to pray for them
- And to trust Him for justice
- So I will, even if it is difficult
- And my heart wants to avoid that
- To do less is sin
- To do less is to fail to follow my Lord’s example
- To do less may result in bitterness in my heart
But to obey
- Will bring God’s grace into my life
- And will allow Him to work first in me
- And then in others
I don’t have to protest my government’s response
- It is its duty to respond
- But my individual response before God
- Is to forgive and pray for my enemies
- May God help me be obedient
Prayer
Invitation
