“But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.” (Luke 6:27-28 KJV).
In these passages, the Lord Jesus continues His teachings to the apostles and disciples in the hearing of the crowd that gathered around them, in His “Sermon in the Plain”.
The Lord Jesus is the perfect example of this love command, by His life and death on the cross (Mark 15:12-13). This Love that leads us to forgive has redemptive and life-changing power. While not everyone responds to such offering of grace, many do. And, thanks be to the Lord, we do too and received His grace, the gift of love by believing in Him. Being kind in our bearing and heartily loving our enemies is not easy. Only the Spirit of God can fill us with the love that helps us live powerful lives of grace even in the presence of those who hate us (Romans 5:5). As we do rest in the Lordship of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit transforms us to become more like the Lord Jesus Christ and less and less like our self-preserving selves (2 Corinthians 3:18). The miracle of this kind of love is not about us. It is about our relationship with God to allow Him to manifest His love through us. This is about standing in total dependence on the victory that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross for us.
Outside the example of the Lord Jesus Christ, this command makes no sense at all. But, He shows us the importance of leaving our destiny in the hands of our Creator and Father. Then, this makes perfect sense. What is the best way to conquer an enemy? Certainly, it's not to beat or annihilate that person. No! The way we defeat our enemies is by having the grace of Christ Jesus seize their hearts, having them realize the character that our King manifest through us! That's the way we defeat our enemies; we bring them to the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, and let them be partakers with us, as brothers and sisters in Christ. That's the way we do our part. The rest, we leave it up to our enemy to respond likewise or otherwise, and in God's mighty hands we entrust them.
We are therefore to have this attitude, as it is written: “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:16-21 ESV).
And I say, AMEN!
Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
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