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Loving Our Enemies

by Jerry Ousley  
5/27/2011 / Christian Living


An explorer in the deepest, darkest jungle suddenly found himself surrounded by a
bloodthirsty group of cannibals. Upon surveying the situation, he said quietly to himself, "Oh no! I'm doomed." A ray of light appeared from the sky above and a booming voice rang out: "No my son, you are NOT doomed. Pick up that stone at your feet and bash in the head of the chief standing in front of you." So the explorer picked up the stone and attacked the chief, feverishly bashing at his head with all his strength. He stood above the lifeless body, breathing heavily and surrounded by one hundred cannibals with a look of shock on their faces. The voice boomed out again: "Okay NOW you're doomed."

Instead of retaliating as in the story of the explorer (which just might get us into more trouble than we were in before) Jesus told us to love our enemies. It was a tough mandate but one He Himself demonstrated while hanging on the cross. In Luke 23:24 we read, "Then said Jesus, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.'" Think about how hard it would be hanging on a cross of death, being punished for something you had not done, knowing of your innocence yet suffering just because the religious leaders wanted you out of the way. Wouldn't you feel betrayed? Wouldn't you feel justified in hating your persecutors? Wouldn't you love to call fire down from the sky to consume them all? If anyone had the power to do that it was Jesus Christ. Yet in His dying moments He took the time to love His enemies, forgiving them and praying that God also forgive them, because of their ignorance.

Before this, before Jesus demonstrated His own words He had said first in Matthew 5:38-44, "'You have heard that it was said, 'AN EYE FOR AN EYE AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.' But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.'" There it is plain as day. Jesus said it and Jesus lived it.

But that wasn't the way it was in the Old Testament. Revenge was common and it seemed God allowed it and even helped them with it at times. For instance, Exodus 15:9 says, "I will draw my sword, My hand shall destroy them." Also in Exodus 15:12 it says, "You stretched out Your right hand; the earth swallowed them." Both of these verses were in reference to how the Lord destroyed the Egyptian army in the Red Sea taking vengeance on them on behalf of the Israelis. Then in Psalm 6:10 we read "Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly." And finally in Psalm 55:15, "Let death seize them; let them go down alive into hell, for wickedness is in their dwellings and among them." There are many more but I'm sure these few allow you to see the comparison. Haven't you ever been in a situation with people where you'd like to say some things like this? Or better yet, have God say them in your behalf?

The difference was that in the Old Testament God was showing man that his good works and good deeds could never make him free from sin. In the New Testament we see salvation by grace found only in Jesus Christ. We see a turning from justice to forgiveness, retaliation to rolling with the punches, and persecution from our enemies defended by praying for them.

Yes we are to cry out against evil. We are to stand for what is right and moral. But we can't love our enemies by burning down abortion clinics, making accusations against gays, and killing and murdering those who promote evil and destruction. Remember Jesus said that we are to "bless them that curse us." We are to "do good to them that hate us." And we are to "pray for them who despitefully use us." That's how we love our enemies. We don't hate the sinner, but we do hate the sin. We don't blast and retaliate against the sinner but we do stand up for the precepts of God's word. We can do that without private wars, hatred, violence and retaliation. We do it like Jesus did We ask God to forgive them and put them into His hands while we love them.

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.? Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.

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