“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 hits you on one cheek,
OFFER the other too;
if someone takes your coat,
let him have your shirt as well.
30 “If someone asks you for something,
give it to him;
if someone takes what belongs to you,
don’t demand it back.
31 “Treat other people as you would like them to treat you. 32 What CREDIT is it to you if you love only those who love you? Why, even sinners love those who love them. 33 What CREDIT is it to you if you do good only to those who do good to you? Even sinners do that. 34 What credit is it to you if you LEND only to those who you expect will pay you back? Even sinners LEND TO each other, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love YOUR enemies, do good, and lend expecting nothing back! Your reward will be great, and you will be children of Ha‘Elyon; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36 Show compassion, just as your Father shows compassion.
37 “Don’t judge,
and you won’t be judged.
Don’t condemn,
and you won’t be condemned.
“Forgive,
and you will be forgiven.
38 Give,
and you will receive GIFTS —
the full measure, compacted, shaken together and overflowing, will be put right in your lap. For the measure with which you measure out will be used to measure back to you!”
23rd Week in Ordinary TimePray for those who mistreat you. (Luke 6:28)
Really, Jesus? Pray for my enemies?
Lord, you know how much I’m hurting here. You know what happened and how deeply that other person wounded me. It feels like there was a direct attack on me and all I hold dear. And so I want the person who did this to be caught and punished! Make it impossible for him to hurt anyone else the way he has hurt me. Lord, I’m afraid that’s the best I can do. You want me to reach out with an olive branch of prayer and intercession, but how can I reach out to someone when my own arm has been dislocated—by this very person?
Maybe before I turn to praying for my enemy, I need some heavy-duty healing myself. You did invite me to come to you when I feel burdened. Help me take time out, and let your love wash over me. It may be hard for me to believe right now, but you didn’t abandon me for a second. You aren’t a stranger to any hurt I’m feeling.
All right, let me try again: “Lord, open this person’s eyes to see how wrong it was for him to hurt me as he did. Bring him to heartfelt repentance!” There. How’s that?
What? You want me to forgive him too? Even if he never asks? Even if I do it one small step at a time? You want me to try to love this fellow? Isn’t that asking a bit too much?
Lord, I need you to let me in on the secrets of your heart here. I know that you have unconditional love for both me and my enemy. I need to know the ultimate purpose of this love. I even need your power to pray that this purpose will be carried out. I know you want to unite me to yourself so that you can transform my selfish heart. I know too that you want to unite me with my enemy in heaven. I know you can do this, Lord; please help me to cooperate with you so that every wall of division in my heart can be pulled down.
“Lord, bring my former enemy into the fullness of your love. Healed and freed by you, may we become one in your Spirit.” Amen!
Colossians 3:
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with feelings of compassion and with kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with one another; if anyone has a complaint against someone else, forgive him. Indeed, just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must forgive.
14 Above all these, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together perfectly; 15 and let the shalom which comes from the Messiah be your heart’s decision-maker, for this is why you were called to be part of a single Body.
And be thankful — 16 let the Word of the Messiah, in all its richness, live in you, as you teach and counsel each other in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude to God in your hearts. 17 That is, everything you do or say, do in the name of the Lord Yeshua, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
Psalm 150:1 Halleluyah!
Praise God in his holy place!
Praise him in the heavenly dome of his power!
2 Praise him for his mighty deeds!
Praise him for his surpassing greatness!
3 Praise him with a blast on the shofar!
Praise him with lute and lyre!
4 Praise him with tambourines and dancing!
Praise him with flutes and strings!
5 Praise him with clanging cymbals!
Praise him with loud crashing cymbals!
6 Let everything that has breath praise Adonai!
Halleluyah!
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