"But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,.." -Mt. 5:44
“Love your enemies”
Without a doubt, to be faithful followers of Jesus means that we have to make a lot of seemingly crazy and radical decisions. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. And human as we are, we might think “Why God, why must I love my enemy? Why love the enemy when he hurts me? Why pray for those who persecute me when they persecute me? They’re not worthy of my love and prayers, they don’t deserve it.” Jesus teaches us that seeking revenge is not the Christian way. Forgiveness is the way to deal with those who hurt us. He even urges us to “offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well.”
Sometimes, or most of the time when people hurt us, it is so easy to think badly of our offender. It’s so easy to wish our enemies misfortune. It’s so easy to think of getting even. But seeking revenge and getting even will not lead to the peace that we so desire. Hurting our enemies back will not erase the feelings of hurt and it will not bring back whatever that was lost. Revenge will not allow us to heal. It will only cause you more hurt and make you no different from your enemy. Instead fostering an unquenchable thirst for revenge, we should open our hearts to understanding and forgiveness. It may not be easy, but it’s not impossible. And only when we have learned to forgive can we be forgiven too. And only then can love grow and lead to peace and healing.
It is no easy task being a follower of Jesus. To become faithful Christians, we have to embrace all the pains and sufferings that it entails following His footsteps. If we want to live as Jesus’ followers, we must teach ourselves to live for others and not just ourselves. We have to be selfless. We should learn to forgive so that we too may be forgiven. We have to learn to love as God loves. When Jesus was crucified, he cried out “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.” He could have easily unleashed His power s and ruined His enemies, instead He showed compassion, love, and forgiveness toward his tormentors. Imagine if God loved in the way that humans love. We will never be worthy of His great love too. We will never be deserving of His love and forgiveness because we are sinners, and therefore enemies of God. But God does not love the way we humans do. God’s love does not discriminate. His love is for all, both the lovable and the unlovable, “for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.” We are children of God, therefore we must love as the Father loves us. “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
-Chabeli Labang
Without a doubt, to be faithful followers of Jesus means that we have to make a lot of seemingly crazy and radical decisions. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. And human as we are, we might think “Why God, why must I love my enemy? Why love the enemy when he hurts me? Why pray for those who persecute me when they persecute me? They’re not worthy of my love and prayers, they don’t deserve it.” Jesus teaches us that seeking revenge is not the Christian way. Forgiveness is the way to deal with those who hurt us. He even urges us to “offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well.”
Sometimes, or most of the time when people hurt us, it is so easy to think badly of our offender. It’s so easy to wish our enemies misfortune. It’s so easy to think of getting even. But seeking revenge and getting even will not lead to the peace that we so desire. Hurting our enemies back will not erase the feelings of hurt and it will not bring back whatever that was lost. Revenge will not allow us to heal. It will only cause you more hurt and make you no different from your enemy. Instead fostering an unquenchable thirst for revenge, we should open our hearts to understanding and forgiveness. It may not be easy, but it’s not impossible. And only when we have learned to forgive can we be forgiven too. And only then can love grow and lead to peace and healing.
It is no easy task being a follower of Jesus. To become faithful Christians, we have to embrace all the pains and sufferings that it entails following His footsteps. If we want to live as Jesus’ followers, we must teach ourselves to live for others and not just ourselves. We have to be selfless. We should learn to forgive so that we too may be forgiven. We have to learn to love as God loves. When Jesus was crucified, he cried out “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.” He could have easily unleashed His power s and ruined His enemies, instead He showed compassion, love, and forgiveness toward his tormentors. Imagine if God loved in the way that humans love. We will never be worthy of His great love too. We will never be deserving of His love and forgiveness because we are sinners, and therefore enemies of God. But God does not love the way we humans do. God’s love does not discriminate. His love is for all, both the lovable and the unlovable, “for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.” We are children of God, therefore we must love as the Father loves us. “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
-Chabeli Labang
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