"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, "
(NIV)
Jesus pretty much flips the tables on everything. There are so many things that I could point out here, but if you would allow me, I would like to focus in on the word Love.
This teaching is a key in understanding what love is all about. Consider the idea of loving your enemies. With the way that we think about the word love, is that even possible? In America, we so much think about love in terms of feelings. We have even lowered the word enough to describe how we feel about a Big Mac. But love, in this case isn't a feeling for the enemy, Jesus isn't asking us to get all warm and fuzzy when we think about those people that would fall into that category.
Love is action. Love is putting another before yourself. To love your enemy requires you to do something to or for your enemy that is love! We all have those people in our lives that we just don't like all that well. Those are our enemies (in a sense). Choose today to follow that command and Love them.
I really appreciate your input. Especially the part about the praying...
ReplyDeleteI am so thankful for a saviour who has walked this earth and knows what it is like.
I really appreciate your input. Especially the part about the praying...
ReplyDeleteI am so thankful for a saviour who has walked this earth and knows what it is like.