Words from the Rock
You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons 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.
Matthew 5:43–45 NIV
Jesus knows that we can relate to loving our friends. Who doesn’t love their friends? And for the most part our friends love us back. That’s a nice little comfort zone. But Jesus is asking us to step out of our comfort zones. He’s telling us that it’s time to love our enemies. Yikes!
Imagine the person you like the very least, that certain someone you would go out of your way to avoid. Now imagine walking up and throwing your arms around that person and proclaiming your love for him or her. You’d probably both fall over from the shock of it.
Yet Jesus is telling us to love our enemies. He is reminding us that God shares good gifts with all of mankind. Have you ever noticed that when the sun shines, it’s not selective about where it sheds its warmth and cheer? Or that on a hot, parched day when the rain finally comes, it will fall on your grumpy neighbor’s brown lawn as much as it falls on your own? That’s just how God works.
Then Jesus takes us a step further by telling us to pray for people who feel like enemies—people who are mean to us. And maybe that’s the best place to start, because something happens to our hearts when we pray for others. We begin to care. Of course, Jesus knows this will be the case. He also knows that when we begin to love our enemies, we will begin to look more like God. And he knows that will get people’s attention, and, as a result, they might begin to see God in a whole new way.
My Prayer
Dear God,
I confess that I don’t want to love my enemies—not really. Teach me to understand the way your love works—how your kindness stretches out toward everyone—and then help me to love others like that.
Amen.
Final Word
Jesus, overhearing, shot back, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: ‘I’m after mercy, not religion.’ I’m here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders.”
Matthew 9:12–13 Message
Stone for the Journey
I will look for opportunities to show love to and pray for my enemies.