Our scripture this morning is Luke 6:27-28 (NLT).
But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.
Jesus has some very challenging things to say to the crowd gathered to hear His Sermon on the Mount. Like the crowd, we probably resonate with His words that teach a new way of living is coming. However, He tells us we need to love our enemies for this to happen. Wait, what?
Jesus says we need to remove the thoughts of retribution and seeing evildoers punished, and love them as children of God. We often find this difficult. Christian writer Kellye Fabian tells us “We commit to not seeking revenge or to tolerating our enemies but doing actual good and praying God would bless them? No way!”
The prophet Ezekiel writes these words from the Lord: “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart” (Ezekiel 36:26). Here’s a challenge from this teaching for us: think of a person or group that you disagree with and pray for them today. We must understand each other’s needs and fears, and that means actually getting to know them as people, not the caricatures we see in the news or social media.
Gracious God, we are sorry for the hate we harbor for one another. Help us to reach out in love rather than strike out in fear. Bless us to be patient with those who are afraid, and share the joy of our relationship with You. Amen.
