“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
(Matthew 5:44, NASB).
Someone once wrote, “I don’t have time to hate people who hate me, because I am too busy loving people who love me.” The author leaves us with the impression that we should just focus loving those who love us, and forget about those who hate us. Yes, it is easy to love those people who love us back, but it is a real challenge to love those who hate us. This is the difference between Christ like love and worldly love. Worldly love teaches us to only love those who love us in return; whereas Christian love teaches us to not only love those who love us, but to love those who hate us as well.
Today’s text is one of the most difficult passages to obey. For it is easier to hate our enemies than to love them. The question is is it right to hate those people who have committed terrible acts of evil against us? Are we justified in hating such people? According to the late Richard Wurmbrand loving one’s enemies is preferred over hating them. To love or hate someone or something is a choice. Both have consequences, good or bad, associated with whichever one we choose. To hate makes us hateful, to love makes us lovable. It is right to hate the sin, but wrong to hate the person who bares the image of God. To love our fellow man is to love God himself. Today’s text tells us how we are to respond to our enemies and those who hate us. Not only are we to love our enemies, we are to bless them, do good to them, and pray for them. Imagine that, rewarding our enemies for the evil they do to us?
Meanwhile, our hearts cry out for revenge against our enemies who wronged us and those we care about. Yet today’s text is clear, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” Is this possible? Yes, it is possible. Jesus would never have mentioned it if it were not possible. For the love of God has been shed abroad in our heart by the Holy Spirit given to us (see Rom. 5:5). Hating our enemies will never win them to Christ, but love will. No fire has ever put out another fire, but rather fuels its flaming rage hotter. Nothing but the eternal waters of Christ’s love can meet the enemies’ curses, hatred, and persecution. Mr. Wurmbrand in his notable book, “Tortured for Christ” gives us many examples of Christian love triumphing over the cold hatred of enemies. The heart that hates is a divided heart that can never properly love others with the purity of Christ’s love, nor can such a Christian mature in love.
Lord, it is difficult loving those who hate and persecute us. Help us to be mindful that hating those who hate us does not win souls to Christ. Fighting fire with fire does not put out a fire, water does. Yes, Lord Jesus let me draw from the eternal springs of your love so I can meet my enemies with the life giving water of your love, so enemies may experience your forgiving love. In Christ’s redeeming love I pray. Amen.
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