Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
We all agreed in youth discussion yesterday morning that our topic of study was “tough stuff”. Enemies are those who have hurt us and abandoned us. We feel injured, exposed, and vulnerable in the face of these people. And Jesus is asking us to love them? Even to lend to them, without expecting a return? Why?
As part of our discussion, we had to delve into what God’s word is not saying. Healthy relationships are so important to our well-being, and our Lord is never asking us to stay in relationships that are abusive either emotionally or physically. We are not asked to be door mats in scripture, and sometimes the healthiest thing we can do for ourselves is back away (or even flee) from a person.
But we are tasked with love – unconditional love. The last part of our passage says that God is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Those are strong words! I do not want to be kind to people I perceive as wicked! Kick them, possibly! But no, not kind. Responding to evil sometimes brings out the evil in us all.
It is helpful for me to remind myself that each human being on this planet has a soul. Each of us has a story … and sometimes these stories involve making horrible mistakes. I am thankful that God still looks on each of us as redeemable, no matter how horribly we may mess up. There is never a sin that God doesn’t forgive.
I think we can most definitely hate the evil that pervades in this world. We should stand up to evil in all its putrefying forms, but the challenge is separating the deeds from the person. Standing up to evil and still showing love feels like an oxymoron. But with God’s help, perhaps we can find constructive ways to push back without demeaning the dignity of all life, even those we perceive as enemies.
With God’s help, may it be so.
Blessings,
Diana
Recent Comments