"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect even as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Matthew 5:44-48 NASB
These are some sobering words for most of us I believe. Sadly too many who call themselves Christians relate to what Christ was trying to correct. We are counted among those to whom Christ said "You have heard that it was said." We love those who love us back, but hate our enemies.
Take a serious look at what Jesus teaches us in the Sermon on the Mount! It is a radical departure from the way society believes and lives.
The world's way of doing things is selfish. The world is looking out for itself, it's own interests at the expense of others. Revenge and retaliation are what motivates the world rather than love and forgiveness.
As Christians, we belong to a different kingdom. We live in this world, but we have forsaken it and its ways. Therefore we no longer look at things in the same way the world does.
As Jesus taught, we are to love our enemies. I'm afraid that many who call themselves Christians do not love their enemies, whoever they may be. We have bought into the lie that we must demand our rights, retaliation is okay, war is called holy, and so on.
What does the Bible say about our rights (Matthew 5:38-42, Luke 6:29-31)? What does it say about forgiveness ( Matt 6:12, 14-15, Col 3:13)? Look at what the Apostle Paul said about revenge (Romans 12:17-19).
Do you see the majority of Christians today actively living these concepts out in their daily lives? Too many of us are being overcome by evil, instead of overcoming evil with good (Romans 12:21).
I don't mean to say that there should not be justice and that evil should just be allowed to go on unchecked. Look at what Paul teaches us in Romans thirteen. The governments of this world are set into place by God (Romans 13:1). He has placed them in power for the purpose of dealing with the evils within society (Romans 13:4).
I understand that there are bad governments in the world. The government in the days of the early Church was one of the worst, and greatly persecuted Christians. History is filled with evil empires, bent on conquest and destruction. However it stills stands that God has ordained the government for the purpose of dealing out justice.
We as Christians are to let the government do this. We are to forgive. We are to love even our enemies, praying for them that they might be saved. Remember, we are of a different kingdom!
As believers we are to pray for the governing authorities (1Timothy 2:1-4). We are to respect those in authority, honor them, and pay our taxes (Romans 13:5-7, 1Peter 2:13-15). Remember, at the time this was written, a government existed that brought severe persecution to the Church!
My point in all of this is to remind you that as Christians we are called to be radically different than the world around us! We are to love instead of hate one another. We are to forgive and let go, instead of retaliating, and harboring bitterness within our hearts.
This is so opposite the way we live today, even within the professing Church. We have conformed to the worldly way of dealing with our enemies, to our shame. What do you think Jesus thinks of many of His professed followers as they scream for revenge, and tightly hang on to their rights. Remember what He said as He hung dying upon the Cross? "Father forgive them" (Luke 23:34).
He calls us to do the same. He is our example, we are to follow in His steps (1Peter 2:21-23). We also must entrust ourselves to Him who judges righteously.
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