Love for Enemies

There once was a man whom we were first introduced to as a thief.  He claimed he was too poor to work, so he had to steal to live.  He avoided authorities time and time again, never serving one day in jail.  He would eventually scheme, lie, and cheat his way to wealth and a perfect marriage.

We all rooted for him.  The entire way.  Thrilled at the end result.

There once was another man who was born in a small town.  He spent his time with the outcasts and thieves, constantly challenging religious authorities.  One day, he went into a religious building and destroyed most everything in it.  When asked to explain his actions, he claimed he was God himself.  Yet, amidst all of these accusations of wrongdoing, he was completely innocent. 

We did not believe him.  We demanded justice.  So we killed him.  Thrilled at the end result.

The first man: Aladdin

The second man: Jesus

As I sat in church today meditating on this thought, my heart sank.  When it comes to fictional characters it does not matter how ruthless, how heartless, how self-seeking they are, we will root for them if the writer tells us to.  However, when it comes to real people, individuals with God-given worth, our sinful nature is so inclined to pursuing justice instead of mercy that we will berate, tear down, and kill even the most innocent and helpless victims.

Again, this summer, during the College World Series, two men from a competing baseball team were caught stealing at a sporting goods store.  Yet, we were more concerned with crying out for their suspension from the tournament rather than telling them about Jesus. 

Where have we gone wrong?

In no way is our fight for justice a bad thing, we were born in God’s image and part of that reflection, part of that regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, is our desire for what is good.  Yet, let us not forget, in receiving the righteousness of God through Jesus we are receiving good for what we do not deserve.  Essentially, we have accepted good in return for our evil, yet are crying out for others to receive evil for their sins.  How is that just? 

The Bible teaches us in Matthew 5 that the sons of God love their enemies.  The greek word for love here is not storge (love of family), eros (sensual love), or even phileo (affectional or friendly love).  Instead it is agapao, self-sacrificing love. 

Agape love is a response to someone who is unworthy of love.  It is laying down one’s personal desires, motives, and rights for the good of others.  Agape love is the love that Christ showed us on the cross, sinners who were once his enemies.  However, He set all the sins of humanity towards His heavenly Father and sacrificed himself for our sake, not so we would be tolerable, but so we could have the most intimate of relationships with God the Father. 

This is the same love we are to show our enemies.  All of them.  To the boss who overloads us and shows us little respect, we are to show agape love.  To the friend who betrays us by spreading rumors, we are to show agape love.  To the Osama Bin Ladens, Saddam Husseins, and James Holmes’ of the world, who murder others with little concern….take a deep breath…..we are to show agape love.

Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.  Pray that they would be redeemed.  Just as we were redeemed.  Liars, thieves, murderers all the same.

This past Sunday a man walked into the 9:00 service at Calvary church and sat in the second row.  When our Pastor, Mark, was sharing the gospel the man asked if it was true for everyone, even if you had murdered someone. 

Instead of overreacting, Mark calmly asked a few of the men in the church to talk to the man.  They answered his question and shared the gospel with him once again, and before the police came to escort him to jail, he prayed to receive Jesus into his heart, an enemy of God no more.  Instead, he is our brother in Christ.

The Lord can do incredible things in the hardened hearts of those the oppose Him, if only His people will pray and love them.  Not just with superficial love, but with that deep, sacrificial, agape love.  A love the changed the heart of the sinner who hung next to Jesus, the heart of a man named Saul, the heart of the man on Sunday, and the heart of you and I. 

As we go forward, may we lay aside our desire for justice and revenge, and instead extend the Grace and Love of God, not just to our friends, but to our enemies, that they, too, might know God.