Loving Enemies - A Challenging Opportunity

I came across a wonderful scripture today. It's one of those scriptures that are extremely idealistic and seemingly impossible when you put a real life situation in its context. It's the kind that cause you to read faster and skim and overlook and justify. It's the sort that causes you to make excuses. It's one of those ones that make you think. And, when it is all said and done, and you are given the opportunity to live it out - it causes you to become a better person, a stronger believer and a greater Christian. The verse I'm referring to can be found in the book of Luke, chapter 6 and verse 35.

"Love your enemies! Do good to them! Lend to them! And don't be concerned that they might not repay. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to the unthankful and to those who are wicked." NLT

I know what you're thinking. "Yeah! Thanks Jesus. You had to bring up the enemy thing again. I don't really have any enemies - just people i dislike... just those i don't trust or choose to spend my time with. That's all."

Looking deeper into this verse will help us understand it so much better. We find it beginning with Jesus giving three distinct commands.

1. Love Your Enemies - Now he is telling you to express 'agape' love to those who hate you and express hostility toward you. This statement falls in line with the true reality of 'agape' love - a love which is shown to both friend and enemy. The same love that is found in another popular Bible verse called John 3:16.

2. Do Good to Them - Here, Jesus is expressing what that agape love practically looks like. He's telling us to 'Do Good'. This whole statement is cooked down to one word in the Greek NT and that word is 'agathopoieo' which can be defined as 'to do good; to do something which will profit another, to be a good help to someone or to do someone a favor'. The amazing contradiction here isn't that Jesus is telling us to do good, but to whom we are to do this good - our enemies.

3. Lend to Them - Yes. That's right. 'Lend to them'. And, in this regard Jesus is not simply referring to your coat or an old dirty pair of socks, but money. That's right - Cash, Ben Franklins, C-notes and Pesos. Jesus understood that when you are willing to lend your money to someone, that you are on the right road of relationship that reflects that agape love.

Now, the Greek ties together these two separate sentences found in the NLT. 'Lend to them' and 'Don't expect them to return it'. So, originally the sentence read... "Lend expecting nothing in return".

This can be taken two different ways - 'Lend and don't expect even the principle back.' Our way of saying this would be 'Give' instead of lend. Or, instead of this, Jesus is telling them not to expect any interest at all, but to give, only expecting to receive the principle back one day. I am choosing not to debate either one of these thoughts, but to simply tell you that if you're willing to 'lend money' to an 'enemy', I'm happy with either one of these reactions. Lend to them not expecting anything or expecting your principle alone tells me that your heart is right. You're not lending to make a profit of your enemy. You're not trying to take advantage of a bad situation. You're not trying to hustle anyone. You're just operating with the 'agape' love God desires from His children.

Now, the best part of every tough command is the promise that goes along with it. And we find this promise in the same verse... 'Your reward from heaven will be very great'.

For me, i don't need to know what the reward is. Simply understanding that it comes from heaven and the very presence of God and angels and perfect peace is enough for me. Is it a monetary blessing and the opening up of doors that could only be opened by the hand of the Divine? Is it in inner peace which sustains me through the most difficult times? Is it a supernatural protection against forces that i am not even aware lie in my future to thwart me? Honestly, i don't know and i don't care. I only know that when God gives me something it's good and He knows what is best for me and those things that i need more than anything.

He also continues and gives the greatest compliment of all. He says that when we 'do this' - when we express 'agape' love to our enemies, that we will be acting as 'children of the Most High'. He tells us that we'll look like our daddy when we do that. He tells us that we'll be reflecting the family name. And for myself, there's nothing that could be better than being a good reflection of my family... a strong likeness of my daddy.

Through looking at this verse a little closer, i hope that you were challenged to truly look deep at your life. Don't just skim over this. Don't just put a checkmark down that you read this and move onto the next thing. No. Really ask yourself, "What does this mean to me? What is God trying to tell me right now and how am i going to walk this thing out?" By doing this, you're expressing your willingness and a strong desire to live out the words of Jesus.

Be Blessed!
GP
www.gphintz.com