With Valentine's Day just a few days away, our thoughts naturally turn towards love. We might buy chocolate or send a card or take our spouse out for supper to celebrate love. But how does one express love for a personal enemy? Jesus has called upon us to love our enemies, but how? Send them a card? A box of chocolate? In His Sermon on the Plain, Jesus gives three ways for us to express our love for our foes. First, we are to do good to those who hate us. Secondly, we are to bless those who curse us. This means that we will not only speak well to others about the person who hates us, but we will also speak well to the person when given an opportunity. And thirdly, we will pray for those who mistreat us. To do so, we must be willing to turn the other cheek, that is, swallow our personal pride and be willing to take risks in relationships. And to do so, we must be willing to give the shirt off our backs, a willingness to go beyond the expected in order to truly love those who oppose us. In doing so, we love just like our Father in heaven. |
