20/10/2022
LOVE YOUR ENEMIES AND THE WORLD CHANGES
“Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.” -LUKE 23:34
No teaching of our Lord’s has been more attacked, slandered, ridiculed, and vilified than His calling on people to love those who hate them, to turn the other cheek when hit, to go the second mile with one’s oppressors, to give one’s shirt to someone stealing his coat.
And yet, this may be the most amazing, revolutionary, world-saving principle ever.
The text is Luke 6:27-35. It is a larger rendition of the same message found in Matthew chapter 5, the Sermon on the Mount.
These are the four most basic acts of love: Do good, bless, pray, and give. You do these things to your beloved child or grandchild — and a whole lot more, of course. But you do these four things. You do good deeds for your children, you bless them, pray for them, and give to them, among other things. But these four actions are what the Lord had in mind when He called on us to love our enemies.
It’s world-changing. In fact, it’s more than that…When we do loving things for our enemies, 12 things happen.
God is honored.
Jesus is pleased.
The Holy Spirit is able to use our actions to accomplish His will.
The devil is infuriated. You are not playing by the rules.
The enemy — those who did the bad things to you — are puzzled. They fully expected you to retaliate and do unto them as they had done to you.
The critics of the church are silenced. They were all prepared to watch you respond to the bad guy with evil deeds of your own, which they would use against you. But instead, you do loving things and they don’t know what to do.
The church itself is blessed.
Christians going through hard times see your behavior and are inspired to do the same.
Outsiders are drawn to Jesus. Finally, they see someone doing the same kind of things He did!
You yourself are blessed.
Your anger goes away.
And according to Luke 6:35, your reward in Heaven is great.
Nothing you and I will do in this life is more important than to show the love of Christ to people who get on our nerves, constantly harass us, persecute us for our faith, and make life miserable for us.
Love your enemies, do good to those who persecute you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who threaten you and give to those who would take away what is yours.
Do that and the world changes. You have His word on it
