Love Not Slug Your Enemy

Every once in a while, I come across some statistic or fact that shocks me so much, I have to read it again to make sure the author hadn't made a mistake or I misread it. For example, I already knew Americans currently spend nearly a trillion dollars on Christmas. What I didn't know is that is this figure is 7x higher than what they give to religious organizations!

But that's not all. Americans also spend more on their pets, eating out, alcoholic drinks, sports, and even gambling than they do in supporting churches that seek to help people know the God who loves them and wants to work in them and through them.

Perhaps these financial realities don't shock you quite like they do me, but I suspect that when Jesus uttered the words recorded in Matthew 5:43-44, the eyebrows of His audience raised as high as mine did when I found out Americans spend seven times more celebrating Christ’s birth than giving to Christ’s work.

Hug Not Slug

As we continue in our Punch in the Face blog series about the shocking words of Jesus, we come to His startling words found toward the end of Matthew 5. Jesus shocks His audience by saying...

"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.'" (Matthew 5:43-44, ESV)

It is extremely natural to hate those who seem to be opposed to you. But Jesus wants us to do the opposite, to love them, not slug them. Why? Because that is what He did for us!

Romans 5:10 says...

"For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life." (Romans 5:10, ESV)

An enemy is opposed to anything and everything their opponent is for. Because of our sin, we were naturally disposed to put self before God, thus making us His enemy. Yet, despite this spiritual truth, God loved us so much that Jesus died for us even "while were were enemies."

This means, to live like Jesus lived means loving those who seem to be opposed to you at every turn. May you pray for Christ's Holy Spirit to empower you to live out this kind of radical love, praying for those who persecute you.