Articles
Enemies, Love Them Anyway
There are some things that I need reminded of often. Oh I know them, but I need them waived in front of me to keep me focused. One of them for sure is loving my enemies. An old testament scripture in Exodus 23 says “If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it."
It's much easier, and more comforting to see our enemies get what's coming to them. We like to see them lose. If we see their bad fortune, some how, that makes us feel good. After all, they had it coming, right? Why is that? Maybe it's because the rest of mankind is that way, and it rubs off on us.
Jesus in his teaching said, “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, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?"
If we are behaving like the pagans and tax collectors, Jesus draws a sharp contrast to the way we should be acting. Maybe you don't need to be reminded to love your enemies, and that's great! But if you do, like me, let us constantly determine to be different than the world around us, and love our enemies, and do good to them. God desires them to be saved, just like he does us.
