Your Purpose 1: Love Your Enemies

In Luke 6 Jesus says to us:

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. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

           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. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

In a world where we are constantly told to fight back, to assert our own rights, to take up space because we can, Jesus tells His followers—us—that there’s a different way. The way of love. Not just loving those who are easiest to love—those closest to us, our chosen friends, those we agree with, but loving our “enemies”—those who hate us, those who curse and mistreat us. I don’t believe Jesus is saying to remain in abusive relationships. What He is saying is at least twofold: love best represents who we are, and it’s not our job to retaliate or take vengeance.

Jesus goes on to say that this type of non-vengeful, radical love of those dissimilar to or unkind to us goes counterculture to what’s easiest and what’s typical for the world. “Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.” He goes on to challenge his listeners—and us—to not only love those who hate, curse, and mistreat us, but to go a step further—to do good to them, and another step further—to lend without expecting a return. Why? Because we are to be mirrors of God, the Most High, Who is “kind to the ungrateful and wicked”—a group that we were once part of when we were separated from God.

This passage ends with a great summary of our calling and purpose: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” We can behave in these ways BECAUSE we have been extended great mercy by God, through Jesus’ work on the cross. We can behave in these ways BECAUSE we are empowered by His Spirit to be able to do things that astound a watching world. We can do these things because our eternal future is secure in Jesus.

Reflect:

Who is your “enemy”?

In what way can you love them—choosing not to return their mistreatment, hatred, and cursing?

How can you “be merciful, just as your Father is merciful”?

Shirley Giles Davis, author of the God. Gifts. You. Your Unique Calling and Design workbook, Your Unique Design Class Guide, Your Unique Design Facilitator Guide, and Gifts-Calling-Purpose blog, is a consultant, coach, facilitator who has worked with faith-based organizations, nonprofit agencies, and leaders in a diversity of fields for over 30 years. She has also been EquipConnectServe Director at her 1,200 member church since 1999.  Contact Shirley.

Photo © Shirley Giles Davis, all rights reserved.