Love your enemies...

In high school, I was introduced to a band named “Rage Against The Machine”. They blew my mind. Guitar solos that sounded like DJ’s on acid, guitar riffs as big as the Rockies, and a skinny guy named Zack de la Rocha who screamed like a demon at a Southern Baptist tent revival meeting. Unbelievable. One of their songs that captured my heart was titled: Know your enemy. Great riff for those of you who think Marshall full stacks are cool. (I’m one of you!) Very angry. Very UFC. Very cool.

I’m pretty sure Jesus likes Marshall full stacks and super star guitar riffs, but his message was quite different from that of “Zack of the Rock”. If he had written that song, it may have been titled, Know your enemy…so that you may love them well. I spent sometime mulling over his words recorded in Luke 6.

Luke 6:27-36

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”



I have to admit. What Jesus is saying is pretty clear to understand. Love your enemies. Got it. But! Yeah…you see. I want to qualify that whole “enemies” word. I got into it with a guy just a week ago. He was talking about hating politicians. I quoted him Luke 6:27. His response was that Jesus’ imperative was irrelevant in his situation because the people he was hating were doing harm to others and Jesus wasn’t instructing us to love people who do harm to others.

I immediately thought to myself, if we aren’t supposed to love enemies who do harm, what sort of enemies is Jesus referring to? Is he talking about the enemies that do good to others? Is he talking about the enemies who agree with us and treat us with respect? Part of me wishes this were the case, because it would be much easier for me to accept that sort of an imperative. But I don’t think Jesus is talking about those sorts of enemies. In fact, I hope he wasn't because if he was and that is the sort of love he has, then I'm in big trouble!

Luke 6:35-36

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

I’m sure glad that God loves his enemies. I know that I’m on that list. I pray for strength to do likewise. God help me.