Easy to read, a challenge truly to obey: “Love your enemies”

By Dean Collins

 When we get too comfortable or lazy in reading Scripture, we might fall into trouble. The longer you have been involved in anything, including the church, the easier it is not to pay attention to what you are doing. In this case, I’m suggesting that Scripture reading can become so routine we miss what is being said as we skim past familiar passages. It happens when we listen or partially listen to what is being said to us. Maybe this is why Jesus said, “But I say to you who hear…” Another way to think about that phrase is, “This is important…don’t miss it…take note…” And there’s so much so important not to miss when we come to what many call the Sermon on the Mount

Commentators and preachers sometimes distinguish between the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew’s Gospel and the Sermon on the Plain found in Luke’s Gospel. The two authors do describe the setting differently, but Jesus makes similar points in each. I am not sure it matters whether Jesus said these things twice or more or whether two authors record the same sermon differently. What is clear is that we should pay attention to what Jesus said instead of giving in to our temptation on lazy days just to skim, nod, and pour the second cup of coffee.

Thinking about enemies

I am ready for my second cup of coffee right now, but I am stuck on the instruction to “Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you.” You might say, “Well, I really don’t have any enemies.” At times I would have said the same. But I have discovered the longer you work in leadership the more enemies you find. 

Webster defines the word enemy as one who is antagonistic to another, especially one seeking to injure, overthrow, or confound an opponent. An antagonistic person shows or feels active opposition or hostility to someone or something. So enemies aren’t always far away, broadly attacking our homeland. Sometimes enemies are our customers, neighbors, coworkers, and sadly, other believers.

Sometimes enemies are our customers, neighbors, coworkers, and sadly, other believers.

It is easier to ignore or avoid our enemies.  And sometimes that may be the safe or even loving thing to do. But enemies probably won’t disappear quickly. Some will likely remain enemies because they just need someone to be against. It is often easier to unite against something than to do the hard work of addressing problems and together being for something that really matters.

Jesus breaks through our mental and philosophical gymnastics with this: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” There isn’t much wiggle room in this instruction. It is rather specific. Jesus added actions to the word love for us so we couldn’t just get away with a cursory “Of course I love my enemies.” There are actions that demonstrate whether that is, in fact, true. With our youngest and our grandchildren, we have used this line during prayer time: “Help us to know what’s right and do what’s right, even when it’s hard.”  Doing good to those who hate you and blessing those who curse you and abuse you is often hard work. But it is the work Jesus gave us to do.

Doing what he told us

Loving enemies, turning the other cheek, expecting nothing in return, lending to those who can’t repay, serving someone who is ungrateful—these are the very things we are told to do. These behaviors are contrary, even upside down, to what is expected or considered normal behavior by society. We must remember that as believers we have joined a different kingdom. Our King has a higher standard, and if we are to follow him and see the world change for good, then we will need to look and act more like Jesus and less like everyone else.

I went ahead and poured the second cup of coffee just now. You might need one too. We will both need to be more alert if we are truly going to follow Jesus and not just nod as we read his instructions. Imagine what might happen when we do!

Your time with God’s Word 
Luke 6:27-38 ESV

Photo by Alex Bogo 2nd Accident from Pexels

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