Day 244: Love's Simple Truth: Love Your Enemies As You Love Yourself!
Read: Matthew 5:43 - 48
“Whenever you are confronted with an opponent. Conquer him with love.”
“It is easy enough to be friendly to one's friends. But to befriend the
one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true
religion. The other is mere business.” ---- Mahatma Gandhi
How
do you react to people who make life difficult for you? Whether they do
it just to aggravate you or are oblivious or pretend to be oblivious to
the effect their behavior is having on you, how do you react? A sweet
"why don't you get lost" smile? A polite, nondescript "we will see
about that" nod of the head? A bristling "recipe for revenge, crossing
your legs" posture while seated or the quickest "excuse me" in the
history of mankind or perhaps a reaction uniquely suited to your own
personality? Let's face it, We all encounter people who are hard to live
with and even harder to deal with. You know inquiring minds want to
know: How do you react toward the “jerks” in your life?
I guess you are familiar with the natural reaction of the human body when confronted by a higher than normal stress level - what science has called "the
take flight or stay and fight" response. I do not know how you were
raised by your parents but by mine I was encouraged to "take flight". I
do not know the sort of schoolyard taunting you endured by someone
obviously bigger than you (physically not intellectually) who was itching for you to boost his/her self esteem with punches to your face.
The fact is at any point of our lives, we are subjected to the presence
of such people and we have to figure out how to be at peace being the
"Jew" whose living amongst the "Romans".
In the Sermon on the
Mount, Jesus raised the bar for those who followed Him. “You have heard
that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute
you,... (43, 44). Do not resist an evil person (OOMPH). Do not try to
get even (OOMPH). Turn the other cheek (OOMPH). I can just be the person
in the crowd with Jesus, listening to those words, trying to absorb the
meaning and application of this teaching, and I will be the one
feeling like I have just been repeatedly punched in the gut. Overcome my
human nature to swing back? Stand there with a smile and take it? How
easy would that be? How easy could that be? How easy should that be for us?
Jesus taught His followers that they should respond differently than the world and counter to their own carnal instincts. You have to admit the teachings
of Jesus in this section are impossible to keep unless we are fully
energized by the power of the Holy Spirit within. Jesus’ words recorded
for us here are among the most unusual He ever uttered. Nevertheless,
His words are wise and His way is right. If we will only give them a
chance, we will discover how true and – yes, once again – how simple His
advice really is.” The questions are in our everyday lives, will we
give them a chance? Will we remain in our enemies face long enough to discover this simple truth of love?
Let Us Pray:
Oh God, help us in our lives and in all of our attitudes,
to work out this controlling force of love,
this controlling power that can solve
every problem that we confront in all areas. .....
let us join together in a great fellowship of love
and bow down at the feet of Jesus.
Give us this strong determination.
In the name and spirit of this Christ, we pray. Amen.
From: Loving Your Enemies - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - 1957
http://www.youtube.com/
Read: Matthew 5:43 - 48
“Whenever you are confronted with an opponent. Conquer him with love.” “It is easy enough to be friendly to one's friends. But to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business.” ---- Mahatma Gandhi
How do you react to people who make life difficult for you? Whether they do it just to aggravate you or are oblivious or pretend to be oblivious to the effect their behavior is having on you, how do you react? A sweet "why don't you get lost" smile? A polite, nondescript "we will see about that" nod of the head? A bristling "recipe for revenge, crossing your legs" posture while seated or the quickest "excuse me" in the history of mankind or perhaps a reaction uniquely suited to your own personality? Let's face it, We all encounter people who are hard to live with and even harder to deal with. You know inquiring minds want to know: How do you react toward the “jerks” in your life?
I guess you are familiar with the natural reaction of the human body when confronted by a higher than normal stress level - what science has called "the take flight or stay and fight" response. I do not know how you were raised by your parents but by mine I was encouraged to "take flight". I do not know the sort of schoolyard taunting you endured by someone obviously bigger than you (physically not intellectually) who was itching for you to boost his/her self esteem with punches to your face. The fact is at any point of our lives, we are subjected to the presence of such people and we have to figure out how to be at peace being the "Jew" whose living amongst the "Romans".
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus raised the bar for those who followed Him. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,... (43, 44). Do not resist an evil person (OOMPH). Do not try to get even (OOMPH). Turn the other cheek (OOMPH). I can just be the person in the crowd with Jesus, listening to those words, trying to absorb the meaning and application of this teaching, and I will be the one feeling like I have just been repeatedly punched in the gut. Overcome my human nature to swing back? Stand there with a smile and take it? How easy would that be? How easy could that be? How easy should that be for us?
Jesus taught His followers that they should respond differently than the world and counter to their own carnal instincts. You have to admit the teachings of Jesus in this section are impossible to keep unless we are fully energized by the power of the Holy Spirit within. Jesus’ words recorded for us here are among the most unusual He ever uttered. Nevertheless, His words are wise and His way is right. If we will only give them a chance, we will discover how true and – yes, once again – how simple His advice really is.” The questions are in our everyday lives, will we give them a chance? Will we remain in our enemies face long enough to discover this simple truth of love?
Let Us Pray:
Oh God, help us in our lives and in all of our attitudes,
to work out this controlling force of love,
this controlling power that can solve
every problem that we confront in all areas. .....
let us join together in a great fellowship of love
and bow down at the feet of Jesus.
Give us this strong determination.
In the name and spirit of this Christ, we pray. Amen.
From: Loving Your Enemies - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - 1957
http://www.youtube.com/
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