The admonition of Jesus to "Love your enemies" was in reference to your personal, face to face enemies, those who are "YOUR enemies", those who "curse YOU", "hate YOU", "dispitefully use YOU", and "Persecute YOU". Notice the first person pronoun, YOU, in Christ's exhortation in Matt. 5:43-44. "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use and persecute you." Jesus is not here speaking of your nations enemies or your friend's enemies or someone elses enemies but "YOUR" personal enemies. This would be individuals who, for some reason, curse, hate, despise and persecute you. You are the only one who can personally deal with that person's hatred of you. You really don't have to say a word to them to "love" their souls enough to "bless, do good to, and pray for them". All of those good things come from your own heart and are done without a single word having to be said to them. Saying "I love you" or "I'm praying for you" are only words and prove nothing, but God knows, and He can tell them in a whisper to their souls so that they quietly realize it is true you do not hate them. When God sends the message ... they get it. But, when you say it to them, their dislike for you can even be inflamed. Let your love be shown by your patience, kindness, and absence of resentment for the hatred or misdeeds they have shown toward you. It is very difficult to hate someone who obviously loves you ... by their actions.
The time may come when one of your nation's enemies has a gun in your face and is pulling the trigger. So how are you to love him, bless him, do good to him, pray for him and not shoot him first? Well, you don't have to hate an enemy of the state to shoot him. You may even have opportunity to show your love for his soul and bless him with medical treatment, a drink of water and prayer. An enemy of the state doesn't have to be hated in order to fight, shoot and disarm him. It is almost impossible to win an enemy soldier's soul on the battlefield... until you have shot him, can speak his language, and then when none of his armed friends are present. But these are not personal, "you did me wrong" enemies; Their leaders are enemies of the State, but they are simply doing what they are commanded to do and are brainwashed to believe. Nothing really personal about it. Shooting an armed enemy is an indispensable requirement of soldiers and law officers when their lives or other's lives are in dangered.
The time may come when one of your nation's enemies has a gun in your face and is pulling the trigger. So how are you to love him, bless him, do good to him, pray for him and not shoot him first? Well, you don't have to hate an enemy of the state to shoot him. You may even have opportunity to show your love for his soul and bless him with medical treatment, a drink of water and prayer. An enemy of the state doesn't have to be hated in order to fight, shoot and disarm him. It is almost impossible to win an enemy soldier's soul on the battlefield... until you have shot him, can speak his language, and then when none of his armed friends are present. But these are not personal, "you did me wrong" enemies; Their leaders are enemies of the State, but they are simply doing what they are commanded to do and are brainwashed to believe. Nothing really personal about it. Shooting an armed enemy is an indispensable requirement of soldiers and law officers when their lives or other's lives are in dangered.
Back to YOUR personal enemies, you can far more easily love them if you see them as eternal souls and as a person created in the image of God. Love the eternal life in them. Love their God intended uniqueness and their God intended calling and inborn talents. Love in them what Jesus loved, not their sin, not their cruelty, not their addictions, not the mess they have made of what God gave them and not what they have allowed Satan to make of them. Love their dependability to hold a job and supply the needs of their family, their good treatment of animals, their good citizenship and love for our American heritage. Love their willingness to help the helpless, their honesty and truthfulness, if they have those things. Love those good things in them and forgive the bad things they may have done to you. You don't have to trust them or enable their defaults and abuses. But, all the while you can take sides with God and "hate iniquity" in yourself and in them. "Thou (God) hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity." Heb.1:9. Not the sinner but the sin. Even more important than loving your enemy is to love the righteous deeds of those who walk with God, and encourage them in their faithful good works.
The truth is, hatred of people hurts only the hater ... unless the person hated lets it hurt them. And that's their own fault. RB
The truth is, hatred of people hurts only the hater ... unless the person hated lets it hurt them. And that's their own fault. RB
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