Scripture:
"You have heard that it was
said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say
to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to
those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and
persecute you." Matthew 5:43-44
Reflection:
Well, that kind of goes against
our grain. Loving the people we like and hating those we don't, sure
is a lot easier and seems to make much more sense. But Jesus calls
us, commands us, to do the contrary thing, to take the unlikely
action, to follow his example. Our enemy might be someone who hurt us
or a loved one in some way. It might be someone we think is out to
get us at the first opportunity. It might just be someone of a
different nationality or religion, or someone who just rubs us the
wrong way. Whatever the reason, whether real or imagined, we are
called to pray for - not against - our enemies. Pray for blessing,
pray for encouragement, pray for God's best. We might be amazed how
God changes them, or more likely... us.
Prayer:
Lord, you know there are people
that we just don't like. There are others who have hurt us. There are
others who are just, simply put, bad people. But it is for these
people you came and served and died. We were some of "these
people." As we struggle to pray for our enemies, those who curse
us, those who hate us, those who use us and persecute us, put within
us a Christlike heart of compassion that not only prays, but
sincerely desires to pray for them. May we truly desire your best for
them. Because of the example of Jesus and for his sake. Amen.
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