Let's be honest: there are people out there that you just don't like! Maybe you have a great reason for it. Maybe you are totally justified in your attitude. Maybe you're paranoid and delusional and hate everyone around you cause you think they are trying to steal your cat. Regardless of the reason, we can all admit that we can be a hater. That's why it's so annoying when Jesus says stuff like this:
But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Matthew 5:44
C'mon, Jesus, why should we love the bad guys? Why should I care about someone who has hurt me or treated me poorly? It doesn't make any sense! When it comes to the topic of loving our enemies, I think this is a good place to begin. We need to start with the question of "why?" Without an answer, there is no motivation to obey. This is why, what is obviously a command to be active in our love for those we don't like, has become a passive response of dismissal. Apathy is not love. A non-response doesn't fulfill Jesus' command.
As a Christian, that is the example that I have seen most often. Church people may not say they hate. We just are cool and unresponsive toward individuals or segments of society that we don't care for. Guess what? It's the same thing! It's just less honest than coming out and straight saying you hate someone's guts! So what do we do then? How are we supposed to handle this most difficult of verses? For me, it's about the "why?" Why should I love my enemies?
The simpliest answer to this question is: Cause Jesus told me to. Oh, I bet a lot of you hated that! As a culture, we despise authorotarian responses. We don't want people to tell us what to do. I can remember as a kid, the worse answer my dad could give me was, "because I said so." That's not a good reason to do anything! Or is it? We question authority as a culture, and rightfully so. It keeps us from being abused by the unethical. Yet at the same time, the word of someone in authority is enough to prompt action in our daily lives. If our boss tells us to do something in the course of the work day, we may not like it, but we do it. Why? Because he or she is the boss and our response to them dictates our employment. When my dad gave me the "because I said so" retort, I didn't like it but I obeyed. Why? Because he had authority over my life and there were reprecussions for disobedience.
Obviously, Jesus' authority should be without question. If you accept that He is God, then logically, He gets to call the shots. We know if we choose to disobey Him, there are going to be reprecussions. Yet, just like my dad, I believe that what God asks of me, He does for my benefit. I may not fully understand it, but my obedience, even when I don't like it, results in my betterment. That is "why" I want to respond just because Jesus tells me so. Even when it means loving and praying for those I don't like.
Funny, our sermon last week was about "difficult people". The pastor reminded us that each one of us are someone else's "difficult person". hmmmm The best quote of the day was "Don't love someone because of who THEY are, love someone because of who YOU are"! Wow, great one to ponder!
Love ya Aaron!!!
Posted by: Michele | February 15, 2011 at 01:42 PM