- Sep 25, 2023
- 3 min read
“You have heard that our fathers were told, ‘Love your neighbor — and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Then you will become children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun shine on good and bad people alike, and he sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike. What reward do you get if you love only those who love you? Why, even tax-collectors do that! And if you are friendly only to your friends, are you doing anything out of the ordinary? Even the Goyim do that! Therefore, be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Mattityahu (Mat) 5:43-48). Nothing makes people more uncomfortable than talking about loving your enemies. People have countless excuses for why we don’t have to love our enemies. And no matter how well meaning, no matter how practical, no matter what excuse, if I am to love like Jesus then I need to love like Jesus. And living like Jesus will get you called all sorts of names by folks inside and outside churches.
As often as I talk about the Sermon on the Mount and love and forgiveness, just as often will I get criticism for making Jesus into something He isn’t. Basically, I am being called a liar about who Jesus says He is. BUT, I don’t see Jesus building walls to keep folks out of His Kingdom. He wants everyone to be part of His Kingdom. I don’t see Jesus bringing an army into the world to conquer at the edge of a sword. He wants everyone to see His Kingdom through love and forgiveness. I don’t think He’s lying about who He is. And if He is telling us who He is then I am rather certain He is giving us an idea of who God is as well. I mean that’s what He says. He says, “My Father has handed over everything to me. Indeed, no one fully knows the Son except the Father, and no one fully knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. Come to me, all of you who are struggling and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mattityahu (Mat) 11:27-30).
I think it all ultimately comes down to whether I trust in His plan or in my own plan. Have I enthroned Him or did I enthrone my version of Him? And there are a lot of dressed up Jesus versions out there. There’s CEO Jesus, soldier Jesus, culture Jesus, there’s a lot of reinventing Jesus being done. Or there is the Jesus that loved and forgave me when I was and still am a mess. There is the Jesus of the world and there is the Jesus for the world. And too often we are ready to throw out the forgiveness we received for a judgment for others. Whoa. Hold up. He came to save them too. And He called me to spread that Good News and not to spread His judgment. We so quickly want to bring about the judgment when we have a lot of work to still do today. We spend too much time looking for the end when we still have loving and forgiveness to do today.
So, let’s pump the brakes on judgment. We aren’t there yet. And when we get there, we are all going to be on the opposite side of Him. We are going to be right alongside the same folks we already want to throw out as deplorable and irredeemable. Give His love and forgiveness a chance today?
Seek first His Kingdom which rests on the foundation of love.
Grace and Shalom to your home. The Kingdom of God is now!
I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!