What Jesus said about ... (series)

 

What Jesus said about ... enemies.

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5: 44

Now that's a difficult one. What does it really mean?

Let's make it clear that we all have the right, a duty even, to defend ourselves and our loved ones. Sometimes this can be done by distancing ourselves from the ones who hurt us. We can seek professional legal advice and take appropriate action as necessary.

But what if the enemy is a violent person or another nation? There are times when defensive action is necessary to stop the aggressor doing harm to us or our loved ones. 

When Christ taught us to love our enemies He did not mean give way to every attack or act of aggression. The Old Testament describes many wars between the Israelites and their enemies. And today, there are instances when a nation has to go to war to stop evil. 

So, how do we "love" our enemies as Christ commanded? 

There is no way we can do so as Christ did when hanging there from the Cross dying a most agonising death. This is because He was/is God and we are not. So we cannot love as He has done and shown.

But this should not stop us from trying. When we have to face an aggressor let us do so with all the power that we can muster; but let us also do it for the right reasons and with proportionate acceptable force as is necessary. Our opposition need not always be physical; but it can be in argument, debate or through the legal systems. Whatever way is necessary to stop aggression it should be done for the right reasons as intended by Christ. 

We all know the story about Jesus and the traders in the temple.  When Jesus entered the temple courts, He began to drive out those who were selling.  “It is written,” He said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” - Luke 19:45-46

This story in the Bible is often misunderstood. We see Jesus being violent and beating the money changers and traders out of the temple. His reasons may be obvious by what He said in the passage quoted above; but there is more to it than that.

In those days the people had to offer a sacrifice to God in the form of an unblemished perfect animal. It could be a pair of doves, a lamb, goat or whatever you can afford depending on your wealth and the gravity of your sin. The people gave the animals to the priests who had them slaughtered and made into a burnt offering. 

One reason for Christ's behaviour, apart from the quotation above, is that at the time the people brought their own offerings to the priests and the priests had to decide whether the animal was without blemish and perfect. If the priests decided against that animal then the people had to go and buy another (more expensive) one from the traders in the temple. Hence the collusion between the priests and the traders cheating the poor people out of their money by forcing them to buy a more expensive animal from the traders.

Jesus was angry because instead of the temple being a place of prayers, the priests and traders had made it into an opportunity to cheat and steal from the poor.

Turning the other cheek, as Jesus also taught, does not mean surrendering to evil when it comes our way. 

An eye for an eye was meant to be a limitation to aggression and retaliation; not an encouragement to seek revenge.  

In summary, as best we can, we should "love/forgive" our enemies despite their wrong-doings; but not to the extent where we let them walk all over us. Defensive action is sometimes required and legitimate.

As always, sincere prayers are the answer. Pray to God about the situation you are in and hand over the matter to Him seeking His help and guidance in every case. 

If Christ could forgive His enemies; we should at least try to do the same.

“Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:24.