SET FREE TO LOVE
“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect."
Matthew 5:43-48 (NLT)
Right now, in this moment, who do you consider to be an enemy?
Not just some global enemy or political enemy that’s distant and will never know your name. Someone that you interact with regularly. Someone that you’ve come to despise in your heart, even if you’ve never said a word to indicate that out loud (though some of us may have taken that step as well). When you’ve got their face in your mind’s eye, what do you feel? Probably something along the spectrum of frustration, bitterness, disgust and hate. And yet, it’s this person that Jesus wants you to pray for.
He makes the case that it’s easy to love those who love you back. Corrupt pagans are capable of meeting this low bar. But to act as true children of our Heavenly Father means loving those who don’t love us. And if this seems like an impossible standard, remember that this is what the Father has done for us. Consider what Paul says:
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Romans 5:6-8 (NLT)
While we were still enemies of God, He loved us. He sacrificed His one and only Son so that we might be redeemed. Yet you won’t sacrifice your bitterness and grudge that you’re desperately holding on to. While Jesus was dying on the cross, He prayed for those who were crucifying Him. He asked the Father to forgive them. When was the last time you prayed for an enemy (blessings and not curses)? This is what we’re called to do. We have been loved radically by God. We are set free to love others in the same way.
APPLICATION: Today’s application is easy to say but hard to do: pray for the person you consider an enemy. Pray that God would bless them. Then, take a step toward forgiveness and love. Ask God to show you what that step may be. There may be several steps over a period of time, and that’s okay. Just keep taking the next step that He reveals.
PRAYER: Thank You, God, for loving me while I was still Your enemy. Help me show the same love and forgiveness to those in my life that I’ve considered enemies. You’ve set me free to love—empower me through Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?