But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:44
Oh Jesus, say it isn't so. Love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me? You ask too much of me. Why can't I drown in the seething sludge of justified resentment, self-righteously condemning all those who have wronged me? Why must I love them and pray for them? What about what THEY did to ME?
As Don Schwager wrote in his meditation* for today's Gospel, the thing that sets serious Christian disciples apart is grace. Grace in:
treating others, not as they deserve, but as God wishes them to be treated - with lovingkindness, forbearance, and mercy. God is good to the unjust as well as the just. His love embraces saint and sinner alike. God seeks our highest good and teaches us to seek the greatest good of others, even those who hate and abuse us. Our love for others, even those who are ungrateful and selfish towards us, must be marked by the same kindness and mercy which God has shown to us. It is easier to show kindness and mercy when we can expect to benefit from doing so. How much harder when we can expect nothing in return. Our prayer for those who do us ill both breaks the power of revenge and releases the power of love to do good in the face of evil.
This, by no means, is an exhortation to be a people-pleasing doormat, or to remain stuck in codependent relationships, or to suffer repeated abuse, but it is a higher calling to break free of the cycles of deep resentment, anger, frustration and hurt in our lives which if we rub shoulders with others, will inevitably happen, especially with those whom we love, family members and friends alike, plus those who make us uncomfortable and challenge our values.
Loving opens us up to hurt for we offer our hearts to people who may not always appreciate our sincerity, not because they had any ill intent, but sometimes out of their own limitations, or ignorance.
Different perceptions, opinions and expectations shaped by personal experience will create misunderstandings. S___ happens. But we don't have to remain mired in it. Here is where we need the eyes of Christ to see beyond the externals and our own knee-jerk reactions of anger, hatred and the need for revenge.
You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48
Jesus encourages us to seek perfection, to love as the Father loves us, with goodness and generosity, and the cleansing, forgiving love of a father who awaits the arrival of his prodigal child with unwavering faith and hope, day after day. Because Jesus has shown us by His own example, we know we can overcome our baser emotions and impulses and rise above them as well.
This is what praying for our enemies does, it transforms us so that we have the wisdom to see truth, and the compassion to be merciful and forgiving. We are also given the patience to see the kairos, an appointed God-moment, in our chronos, time, and not lose heart so easily.
In that way prayer is awesome. I find myself changing from a ranting, hating virago into an empathetic and loving sister. I am able to subsume my own inadequacies and ego needs to bring about restoration because I am able to set aside my own hurt feelings and move towards freedom.
Even if the other party is not ready to forgive and chooses continued hostility, I have the ability to lay my griefs and hurts at the foot of the cross and allow Jesus to comfort me and bring me back to wholeness and life. His love is the best balm for my wounds. His grace is truly sufficient. I just have to keep close company with Him and be humble enough to acknowledge my own weaknesses in order to gather strength from Him. This is completely liberating, surrendering impossible people and situations into His hands. If only I can remember to do this all the time.
Today's reminder to love and pray for my enemies challenges me to walk the Christian talk of forgiveness, knowing it is within my power to bring to pass if I am as Christ-centred a disciple as I profess to be. One cannot really be called a good disciple if one cannot be crucified, only to be resurrected by loving and forgiving others, especially those who do not deserve it. Time to allow Jesus to transform my heart.
* To read Don Schwager's excellent daily meditations, go to: http://www.dailyscripture.net
Oh Jesus, say it isn't so. Love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me? You ask too much of me. Why can't I drown in the seething sludge of justified resentment, self-righteously condemning all those who have wronged me? Why must I love them and pray for them? What about what THEY did to ME?
As Don Schwager wrote in his meditation* for today's Gospel, the thing that sets serious Christian disciples apart is grace. Grace in:
treating others, not as they deserve, but as God wishes them to be treated - with lovingkindness, forbearance, and mercy. God is good to the unjust as well as the just. His love embraces saint and sinner alike. God seeks our highest good and teaches us to seek the greatest good of others, even those who hate and abuse us. Our love for others, even those who are ungrateful and selfish towards us, must be marked by the same kindness and mercy which God has shown to us. It is easier to show kindness and mercy when we can expect to benefit from doing so. How much harder when we can expect nothing in return. Our prayer for those who do us ill both breaks the power of revenge and releases the power of love to do good in the face of evil.
This, by no means, is an exhortation to be a people-pleasing doormat, or to remain stuck in codependent relationships, or to suffer repeated abuse, but it is a higher calling to break free of the cycles of deep resentment, anger, frustration and hurt in our lives which if we rub shoulders with others, will inevitably happen, especially with those whom we love, family members and friends alike, plus those who make us uncomfortable and challenge our values.
Loving opens us up to hurt for we offer our hearts to people who may not always appreciate our sincerity, not because they had any ill intent, but sometimes out of their own limitations, or ignorance.
Different perceptions, opinions and expectations shaped by personal experience will create misunderstandings. S___ happens. But we don't have to remain mired in it. Here is where we need the eyes of Christ to see beyond the externals and our own knee-jerk reactions of anger, hatred and the need for revenge.
You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48
Jesus encourages us to seek perfection, to love as the Father loves us, with goodness and generosity, and the cleansing, forgiving love of a father who awaits the arrival of his prodigal child with unwavering faith and hope, day after day. Because Jesus has shown us by His own example, we know we can overcome our baser emotions and impulses and rise above them as well.
This is what praying for our enemies does, it transforms us so that we have the wisdom to see truth, and the compassion to be merciful and forgiving. We are also given the patience to see the kairos, an appointed God-moment, in our chronos, time, and not lose heart so easily.
In that way prayer is awesome. I find myself changing from a ranting, hating virago into an empathetic and loving sister. I am able to subsume my own inadequacies and ego needs to bring about restoration because I am able to set aside my own hurt feelings and move towards freedom.
Even if the other party is not ready to forgive and chooses continued hostility, I have the ability to lay my griefs and hurts at the foot of the cross and allow Jesus to comfort me and bring me back to wholeness and life. His love is the best balm for my wounds. His grace is truly sufficient. I just have to keep close company with Him and be humble enough to acknowledge my own weaknesses in order to gather strength from Him. This is completely liberating, surrendering impossible people and situations into His hands. If only I can remember to do this all the time.
Today's reminder to love and pray for my enemies challenges me to walk the Christian talk of forgiveness, knowing it is within my power to bring to pass if I am as Christ-centred a disciple as I profess to be. One cannot really be called a good disciple if one cannot be crucified, only to be resurrected by loving and forgiving others, especially those who do not deserve it. Time to allow Jesus to transform my heart.
* To read Don Schwager's excellent daily meditations, go to: http://www.dailyscripture.net
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