“I’m going to get you back!”
This week’s devotions are based on Week 4 of Tough Love: Love Your Enemies (LISTEN HERE)
When someone hurts you, would you not agree it is very difficult to not think of something bad to happen to them by you or someone else?
Our natural inclination is to see evil repaid with evil. From early on we see our sinful nature rear its ugly head when another child takes our toy, we take one of theirs. As we get older, we like to say mean things about someone who said mean things about us. As adults we continue but maybe take to social media to let the virtual world know how bad someone is who didn’t serve us well at a restaurant.
To be sure the impact of evil is great. Some of you reading may have had very heinous things happen like rape, ugly divorce, emotional abuse and more. The thought of the person who did these things is anything but “love.” While you may not have the inclination to incite evil on them, you would be ok if they succumb to evil worse than they did.
It’s natural to want evil to be repaid with evil. It’s what our sinful nature defaults to.
But the Word of God teaches differently.
Like a game of tag being played by kids with the rule “no tag-backs,” so is the direction God gives to us. The Apostle Paul puts it clearly in Romans 12:
Romans 12:17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Evil is real. Evil is ugly. Evil is wrong. Paul does not minimize the evil, but directs our response to it.
Do what is right.
Do everything you can to make peace.
Do not take revenge.
Respond to evil with good.
Ugg. My sinful nature didn’t want to hear that. But consider what happens when we perpetuate evil by doing evil or break the cycle by showing love.
We do what is right.
We work toward peace rather than greater conflict.
We contrast the ugliness of evil with the beauty of God’s love.
And…
We leave room for God’s wrath.
Showing love to our enemies may win them over from their evil. But if it doesn’t, we know also that God is a God of perfect justice. We can simply allow God to deal with the evil that happens. We don’t have to “tag back.” We don’t have to get even. We don’t even have to figure out what is fair. God will.
If there is justice to be carried out, God will sort it out. It’s his promise to you when we have been a victim of evil.
As tough as it is, we can respond to evil with good and understand that if there is a score to be settled, God will do it in time or at the last day. Trust him. He is the God of love who empowers you to love your enemies AND he is the God of justice that will carry out justice on the evildoer. We win both ways.
Apply: What hurt are you carrying and still actively or subconsciously thinking of taking revenge? Take time today to release that desire to the Lord and trust his justice to take care of it.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your love which covers evil with your forgiveness and the blood of Jesus. Thank you for your justice that will deal with any evil perfectly so I don’t have to worry about it or seek a way to avenge it. I know you will do exactly what is fair and just. AMEN.
Don’t create enemies to love!
This week’s devotions are based on Week 4 of Tough Love: Love Your Enemies (LISTEN HERE)
Jesus said, “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.
Jesus’ words make us think. Jesus’ words challenge us to be different. Jesus’ directs us to do something that is not natural and counters how many in the world would choose to interact with those who hate or mistreat them.
Let’s consider this from another angle.
Jesus’ words also challenge us not to create enemies.
What do I mean?
Sometimes we can create an enemy out of someone who is really not our enemy.
How?
Someone says something to us and we take it out of context or put the worst construction on it. The result? I think they hate me.
Someone with whom you are serving on a ministry team offers help or direction and you construe it as micromanaging or dismissive of your input.
The result? I’m in conflict with them…i.e. My enemy.
Someone doesn’t say “Hi” or seems to ignore you and you interpret it as an intentional snub.
The result? Curse them.
All of a sudden in the context of a Sunday morning, I have potential to create three enemies because I have chosen to view their actions or hear their words in a way that I feel wronged.
The feeling is real. The reality may be much different.
Part of Jesus’ direction is to not create enemies, but rather extend love and grace to the people around us to avoid making up a perceived enemy out of someone who isn’t.
In these situations, I can feel justified in creating a story that this person meant to say something mean, is punitive of my abilities, or too busy to even say “Hi.”
The fact is, if I would simply have a conversation with this individual or individuals, I could avoid even the temptation to make this person my enemy and cause a rift in our relationship.
Because when I apply love and grace here’s what happens.
I don’t have an enemy because I realize the words spoken were missing the context and not directed at me. I don’t have someone who hates me, but rather values my skills and simply was offering theirs to make the project better and more impactful. I don’t have someone who mistreated me because that person was rushing to greet a visitor, not snub a friend.
Part of loving our enemies is not to make someone our enemy.
Part of doing good to those who hate you is to not make up a story of hatred.
Part of blessing those who curse you is to not misinterpret their words or actions.
Keep a friend by practicing love, grace and forgiveness.
Avoid creating an enemy by breaking the eighth commandment (You shall not bear false testimony against your neighbor.)
When love, blessing, goodness and prayer are just the norm in your life, notice that the number of enemies you have diminishes and the new ones you create are zero!
Apply: Have you created an enemy in your mind and later found out it was your misperception that led to your sinful nature making the person your enemy? How might you use Jesus’ words to avoid “creating enemies” in the future and avoid sinning against a person.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your love and grace that always takes our words and actions in the kindest possible way. Thank you for showing me how to forgive so I don’t create enemies where there are none. Forgive me for the times I have. AMEN.
Don’t be like them!
This week’s devotions are based on Week 4 of Tough Love: Love Your Enemies (LISTEN HERE)
Being like them is easy.
Following the crowd is often the path of least resistance.
Doing what comes natural is quick.
But is it the right thing?
Is it the safe thing?
Maybe at times, but not always.
Jesus loves us enough to guide us closer to him, but challenges us to “not be like them.”
Luke 6:32 “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.
What is easy is to love those people who love us. If someone does a kind thing to us, we find it easier to do a kind thing in return. If someone shares with us their time or resources, it is easy to share our resources with them. If someone gives us a gift, we can more easily share a gift with others.
The world around us knows how to do this.
But…
This little conjunction turns the table on what comes easy and shifts to what is much more difficult.
Jesus says, “But…love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.”
The difficult is to love someone who has hurt us. What is challenging is to do good to those that frustrate us.
Why is it so hard?
Our sinful nature wants to take revenge or write off someone who is mean to us.
We think that we will feel better if we simply do good to those who do good to us and do wrong to those that wrong us. This feels like what is right.
Jesus sets our hearts on a different direction to reflect his heart.
Jesus was willing to love his enemies…which included us.
Jesus was willing to do good to those who didn’t do good to him.
Jesus was willing to give of himself to those who were unwilling to give themselves to him.
But he did.
Because he wasn’t interested in what was easiest, but what was right.
Jesus was interested in loving his enemies, because he wanted us to receive his love.
Jesus was interested in giving himself for us, because we could never give enough to him.
Why?
Because he loves you.
And when God’s love is at work, we are not like “them” but we are like him, our Savior Jesus.
Apply: What situations are you facing today that challenge you to love like Jesus rather than what comes naturally through my sinful nature?
Prayer: Lord, help us to be like you and willing to love my enemies and do good to those that hurt me. AMEN.
I wish Jesus had said…
This week’s devotions are based on Week 4 of Tough Love: Love Your Enemies (LISTEN HERE)
(Reposted from October 10, 2022)
I wish Jesus had said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth’…I tell you, ‘I agree!’”
I wish Jesus had said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy’…I tell you, ‘I agree!’”
In the judicial world of Israel, and perhaps any society, “you do the crime, you do the time.” Some judicial punishments are more separation from society and some are more separation from some part of your physical body. Each is a deterrent for the perpetrator to do something more or to harm someone else.
Judicial codes and systems are necessary and should a Christian choose to use the judicial system to bring justice to a wrong that was incurred, there is nothing wrong with it.
However, the challenge is this: WE want to play judge and jury AND executioner!
We want the “right” to settle the score and get even with people who wrong us. We don’t want to wait for the judicial system. We don’t want to wait for someone else to act. WE want to make sure the person who hurt us is hurt the same or worse as we were, and are willing or wishing to carry it out ourselves.
Revenge is rage in our heart that desires retribution for wrong that was done to us. Revenge is most often triggered when we perceive, and often rightly so, that what happened was not deserved. Injustice desires justice. Revenge seeks swift ‘justice’!
That’s why we wish Jesus would give permission to hate our enemies and extract revenge however we see fit. We want to feel justified to make the person who hurt us, hurt worse.
But Jesus didn’t say the above. Instead he said this:
Matthew 5:39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.
Tough, for sure.
But a follower of Christ follows the example of Christ.
The Apostle Peter was more than ready to extract revenge. As Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, he was quick to take out his sword and swing at the nearest person. The servant of the high priest ended up with his ear cut off. Jesus healed it and reprimanded Peter for “living by the sword.”
Years later as Peter reflected on these events and was inspired to write his letters, he shared this observation about Jesus:
1 Peter 2:23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
Of anyone who walked the planet, Jesus had the right to carry our revenge and retribution, yet he chose to not engage and entrust himself to the one, his Father, who would judge justly.
Jesus did not seek revenge. He instead loved and forgave. He hung on the cross for the very ones that were seeking to hurt him. He forgave the ones who unjustly nailed him to the cross. He did this not just as an example, but to bring forgiveness to us.
He went to the cross to receive the revenge for sin that we deserved from our holy, righteous God in heaven. God hurt his Son so he would not have to hurt us for our sin.
And…so we could do the same to those that hurt us.
So, to the ones that hurt you, love them as God has loved you.
Apply: What happens when ruminations of revenge are replaced with prayer and love toward the one that hurt you?
Prayer: Lord Jesus thank you for taking the vengeance of the Father for my sin, so that I would not have to. Thank you for showing your love to me so I might show the same to those who hurt me. AMEN.
Love Your Enemies?
This week’s devotions are based on Week 4 of Tough Love: Love Your Enemies (LISTEN HERE)
People notice when we love our enemies.
1 Peter 3:9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
At face value, one can read this passage and say, “I agree.” In practical application, it is very hard because our sinful nature loves to react to getting wronged by wronging the person back.
What makes these words even more challenging, especially to the first readers of them, is that people were persecuting them because of their faith in Jesus. So their response to the evil or insult would be a direct reflection on their Christian faith.
Perhaps we believe we can get away with a little “mean” because no one knows we are a Christian. In a sporting event, if we feel someone wronged us, it is easy to push a little harder than needed the next time. As we drive down the road and someone cuts us off, it is tempting to speed around them and brake in front of them. If someone says something mean about us in a meeting at work, it’s tempting to make sure gossip is spread in the breakroom about them in the days that follow.
It’s much easier to repay evil with evil and insult with insult.
But anyone can do that. It is “normal” and doesn’t stand out. In fact, we often hear, “They had it coming” or “They deserved it” as if repaying evil with evil and insult with insult is expected and “just.”
But what if we repaid evil with a blessing or an insult with a compliment?
That would stand out…because it runs against the normal response.
When someone does evil to you…”I forgive you” or “I will pray for you.”
When someone insults you…”I wish you the best” or “I pray for God to bless you.”
Weird, right?
It doesn’t come natural and to be honest even in writing the thought went through my mind, “What does that look like?”
We all have to work on it.
As always, we have Jesus’ encouragement and example:
His encouragement:
Matthew 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
His example:
Luke 23:33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
The blessing from Jesus is his perfect love of enemies is the substitute we need when we imperfectly love our enemies. The blessing from Jesus for us, is he loves and forgives us, even though because of sin, we were his enemies.
When we love and forgive our enemies, do you think people may notice? And when people notice, people ask and when people ask, we get the chance to share the reason for the hope we have. And when we share, the Spirit of God has the chance to work on another heart.
Apply: What makes loving your enemies hard for you to do? What is one thing you may do to show love to someone today when they insult or do evil to you?
Prayer: Father, forgive us when we fail to love our enemies. Empower us with your Spirit to return insult and evil with a blessing. AMEN.