“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, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt 5:43-48, The Gospel for 6/18) Today we hear one of the more challenging messages Christ has given to us. The questions we have to face, of course, are: How do we react to persecution? And, do we love only those who love us in return? It’s not unusual to hear folks say they aren’t speaking to someone or they cut off ties with a friend or relative because they offended them in some way or they didn’t respond in kind to a favor or good deed that was done for them. My feeling is that, generally speaking, we expect too much from one another. If we give of ourselves and reach out to others without expecting some type of return, we won’t be disappointed, and we are truly showing the love that Christ is asking of us. It is a love that is given for the sake of the other, rather than a selfish love that needs to be reciprocated. But, this is only possible by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is that grace and Spirit that gives us confidence in who we are in God’s eyes and the love he has for us, so we are not inclined to need or expect that same love from one another. Not that we don’t appreciate the acts of kindness or love that come our way, but our well -being does not depend on receiving them, and our true recompense comes from the source of all love when we are able to love and pray for our enemies and our persecutors. Of course, loving our enemies means wanting what is best for them, and what is best is always that relationship with God that will bring them eternal life. Unfortunately, not everyone will recognize our loving actions for what they are. Just as Jesus explained that he may cause division, even among family, so too might our acts of love meant to bring others to Jesus, be seen as divisive, rather than loving. For example, when we refuse to support sinful lifestyles or relationships, with the loving intention of healing that most important relationship with God, our love may be rejected and condemned as close minded. But we react with continued prayer and tough love, because we trust God’s Word to us, even in the midst of persecution. So, whatever we do for one another, may our intention always be to love, and may it always lead to the Father, who “makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.” We thank the Lord for that, because we sometimes find ourselves landing in both of those categories…
Posted on: Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:46:29 +0000
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