“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Luke 6:27-31
Christ came to repair the damage caused by sin. Relationships were the first thing that suffered damage. Both Adam and Eve’s relationship with God and their love for one another have been severely harmed. God’s closeness was broken. The enemy’s goal in relationships such as families, marriages, and friendships is to sow discord, but Christ provided a brand-new, blood-washed relationship.
Disobedience has distorted the true meaning of a loving relationship in the Garden of Eden. Man (Adam and Eve) starts to criticise one another and starts to question God’s trustworthiness. Adam cited his devoted wife as the cause. He nearly classified her as the adversary! (Genesis 3:12)
If caution is not exercised as we interact with the outside world, our understanding of relationships and love may also be harmed and distorted. We could develop diverse of strange love philosophies. Some Christians believe you are only supposed to love those who love you, and pray fire on your enemies. Some others have shut down completely and don’t perceive any real love.
Christ recognised the enemies we perceive to be those who injure us or whom we believe are out to harm us. However, Christ demands that we love them.
Christ asked us to love our enemies, not the enemy.
The devil is the enemy of our soul. He is the real enemy. Obviously, he would disguise himself so that we would mistake other people for our adversaries. Clearly, the devil employs humanity to further his evil, but the love of God looks past this and recognises the devil for what he truly is. How can you reconcile what other people have done to you? What motivates them? Do you see the devil or the enemy behind them? Christ and Stephen prayed for their enemies. (Luke 23:34 & Acts 7:60). “God forgive them, for they are ignorant.” Do you pray for those who persecute you?
Christ says, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 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. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:32-36
Author
kay.alli@legalview.co.uk