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Matthew 5:38-48
An Eye for an Eye
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to them the other also. 40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Love for Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
According to Bible scholars, the commandment by Jesus to love our enemies is the most distinctive part of his teachings. They say there are a few places in the Talmud – the traditional teachings of the Hebrew rabbis – where you find hints of the idea of loving our enemies. But according to the scholars, it was really only in the ministry of Jesus that the idea was so boldly expressed and emphasized.
It’s kind of ironic to associate Jesus with the idea of loving our enemies. I say that because in our nation’s political and social life, the old custom of civility toward those you disagree with has been replaced with fierce and hostile rhetoric. Even among those we agree with, there’s often a furious backlash against those who show any kindliness or respect for the “other side.” And it seems to me that’s a sin of liberals and conservatives alike.
We might not use the term “enemies” for those we disagree with, but the tone of the rhetoric you’ll hear – or read on social media – seems to scream ‘enemy!’ And it sure doesn’t seem in any way ‘loving.’
I think the truth is that lots of people, including some who enthusiastically proclaim themselves Christians, secretly think the idea of loving our enemies is nuts. Maybe in part because when they think of enemies they think of terrorists or the Russians or the Chinese or the North Koreans or Muslim extremists. But my sense is that Jesus wasn’t talking about foreign enemies of the nation. The scholars say Jesus was probably talking about people who show hostility to us in our day-to-day lives. Bad neighbors. People who annoy us at work or school – or even at church. Or, from our perspective, other Christians who disagree with our religious doctrines or our politics.
So obviously those of us who are serious about living in imitation of Jesus and in obedience to his teachings have to be willing to swim against the cultural tide, so to speak.
I suppose a small step in that direction would be to remind ourselves that when Jesus commands us to love our enemies, he’s not commanding us to like them. As we’ve pointed out many times in these Reflections, the Greek word that’s translated “love” – the word agape – doesn’t mean to have affectionate feelings toward someone. It really has more to do with taking responsibility for the welfare of another person. Obviously, we can’t just will ourselves to start liking another person – to start feeling affection for them. But we can accept responsibility for the welfare of all other people – even the ones who drive us crazy. That’s what Jesus is commanding us to do, I think.
You might remember that this passage, like the other gospel readings we’ve been thinking about for the last week or so, comes from the Sermon on the Mount. And one of the things we said when we started this series of readings from the Sermon on the Mount was that this collection of Jesus’ teachings shows how he intended his followers to be different from the rest of the world. We said Jesus intended us to be a different kind of people – a kind of ‘counter-culture.’ And loving our enemies is probably the most dramatic way that we are to be different from the rest of the world.
As Jesus points out, most of the people on this earth – even people we consider to be “bad people” – are willing to be good to their family and friends. But the followers of Jesus are to be marked by our willingness to take responsibility for the welfare of everyone we encounter – even those who treat us badly. Mean neighbors. Bullies. People who fill their yards with campaign signs for candidates we can’t stand.
This is ‘loving your enemies’ thing is probably the most hard and unnatural part of following Jesus. It’s especially hard to humble yourself and be a servant to other people who don’t treat you well. Every instinct of our human nature tells us to watch for a chance to get even. But Jesus says, ‘No.’ He commands us to pray for those who mistreat us and make their welfare our responsibility.
Like so much of the New Testament (and even a surprising amount of the Old), when you scratch the surface of this teaching you find the concept of grace – God’s un-earned favor – underneath. Jesus extended grace when he died for us, even though we didn’t deserve it. He loved humankind even when it subjected him to a horrible death. And now God extends grace to each of us – giving us a new life in Jesus even though we can’t claim to deserve it.
And that means we’re called to do the same thing – to show grace – to love people who don’t deserve it. To overcome our instinct to return evil for evil, and instead to be agents of God’s gracious love in the lives of our enemies just as we’re recipients of that gracious love through the death of our master.
Let’s pray. Lord, you know how hard it is for us to love those who bother us. By your Holy Spirit, soften our hearts, and help us to lay aside our instinctive desire to strike back at those who bother us. Nurture within us a willingness to show your gracious love to everyone we meet – friends, neighbors and enemies alike. Amen.
Grace and Peace,
Henry
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