One of the basic foundation stones of the message of Jesus comes through strong and clear in today's Gospel passage from Matthew. 5: 43-48, and, perhaps one of the most difficult not only to accept, but also to live: Love your enemies! You mean love those ISIS cutthroats who are wreaking such havoc everywhere? Or the likes of those Benghazi assassins portrayed so graphically in the film, The Thirteen Hours? With all the venom being exchanged between our political campaigners it's almost unavoidable to choose camps and join in the fray. Or even to bring it closer, the taxi driver who can't count at a four-way stop and always has to be first, or the neighbors who blast loud music on summer weekends till the wee hours of the morning? Love these? Jesus says: "I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father." (Mt 5: 44-45). St. Paul elaborates on this in Romans 12: 14, 17, 20 and 13: 8.
Bless those who persecute [you], bless and do not curse them. Do not repay anyone evil for evil; be concerned for what is noble in the sight of all. Rather, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head."
Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
This is not the task for just today or this Lent, but for a lifetime. Only with God's grace is it possible.
Bro. Rene
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