Love for Enemies

    ²⁷ “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.²⁹ 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. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. ³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you. 

   ³² “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. ³⁴ 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. 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.

At Fellowship Bible on Sunday, we studied Luke 6: 27-36. I can remember learning about this passage when I was in elementary school, but those were the days where our biggest worries were centered around who ate the most gummy bears at lunch time and who knew how to color inside the lines. Years later, I am brought back to this passage, and for the very first time I am hoping to live in accordance to this scripture. 

I can't tell you the last time I "did good to those who hate me", possibly because I've never attempted to live my life in such a manner. Doesn't that sound silly? Love my enemies? Bless those who curse me, and pray for those who mistreat me? I don't consider myself a mean person, but I'm not quick to bless people who hurt my feelings. I've got it all wrong. As Christians, we are called to love those that do us wrong. How great is our God that he wants us to love one another even in the midst of anger, confusion, and hurt.

The infamous golden rule lies within the pages of the Bible, "Do to others as you would have them do to you." So, this is my promise to myself and to the world, I will no longer curse my enemies, but I will begin to love them, pray for them, and seek a righteous relationship with them. I will no longer spend hours upon hours with a broken heart because of hurtful actions, but I will instead pray for my brothers and sisters and above all do good to them.

As Luke writes, our reward for living this way is far greater than any other reward in the universe.