Saturday of the First Week of Lent -- March 19, 2011
Matthew 5:43 – 48
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Most of us would feel out of place in a world not divided into friends and enemies. It seems to be a natural separation, and woven into the fabric of so much of our emotional, social, political and corporate life. Something about the human condition wants to create enemies in the outer world.
Listen to politicians talk about political parties and philosophies other than their own. Listen to national leaders talk about other nations. Listen to corporate executives talk about other companies in their field.
We seem wired to create enemies out of those who disagree with us, believe differently than we, or do life in another way.
Actually, dividing the world into friends/neighbors and enemies represents a very low level of emotional, psychological, relational and spiritual development. The fact that very intelligent people divide the world so artificially shows how pervasive and insidious enemy-talk truly is.
[Intermission: I know that the Bible has its share of enemy-talk. The Psalms, which I love, are packed with anger and vengeance aimed at enemies. The Bible does not run from the human condition, but honestly names it. We, on the other hand, tend to think that everything mentioned in the Bible, even human flaws and frailties, are to be emulated.]
Jesus encouraged his followers to eliminate the categories that kept us separated from one another. God sends rain on the just and the unjust. In other words, God shows no partiality, no favoritism. God only sees people, sees the human heart. God does not measure out divine love depending on where a person lives, or what political philosophy one adheres to, or who is “on my side.”
In short, the word “enemy” does not exist in God’s dictionary.
When the word “enemy” begins to disappear from our lived vocabulary as well, we take a step toward becoming whole (“perfect”) as God is whole (“perfect”).
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Most of us would feel out of place in a world not divided into friends and enemies. It seems to be a natural separation, and woven into the fabric of so much of our emotional, social, political and corporate life. Something about the human condition wants to create enemies in the outer world.
Listen to politicians talk about political parties and philosophies other than their own. Listen to national leaders talk about other nations. Listen to corporate executives talk about other companies in their field.
We seem wired to create enemies out of those who disagree with us, believe differently than we, or do life in another way.
Actually, dividing the world into friends/neighbors and enemies represents a very low level of emotional, psychological, relational and spiritual development. The fact that very intelligent people divide the world so artificially shows how pervasive and insidious enemy-talk truly is.
[Intermission: I know that the Bible has its share of enemy-talk. The Psalms, which I love, are packed with anger and vengeance aimed at enemies. The Bible does not run from the human condition, but honestly names it. We, on the other hand, tend to think that everything mentioned in the Bible, even human flaws and frailties, are to be emulated.]
Jesus encouraged his followers to eliminate the categories that kept us separated from one another. God sends rain on the just and the unjust. In other words, God shows no partiality, no favoritism. God only sees people, sees the human heart. God does not measure out divine love depending on where a person lives, or what political philosophy one adheres to, or who is “on my side.”
In short, the word “enemy” does not exist in God’s dictionary.
When the word “enemy” begins to disappear from our lived vocabulary as well, we take a step toward becoming whole (“perfect”) as God is whole (“perfect”).
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