Whisper Of God Ministries

Loving the Enemy

As we move our way through the first 5 or 6 chapters of the Gospel of Matthew, we cover many events very quickly. The pace of Matthew’s book is almost too fast for the reader who wants depth of story. For much of that we must read the other gospels. He gives cursory attention to the birth of Christ but pauses longer for the story of the Magi. Here we find out about the flight to Egypt and the return. Finally, we have the Baptism of Christ and the beginning of his ministry. The first major section of teaching in Matthew is found in Chapter 5 – 7. It is here that I want to look briefly at an arresting verse.

Of course the setting is the Sermon on the Mount. At the Frick Museum in New York City hangs Claude Lorrain’s masterpiece – The Sermon on the Mount. This enormous painting depicts what many of us forget about this time of teaching – it was for the disciples – for believers. Lorrain carefully shows Christ in the midst of his closest followers as he teaches them some rather difficult things about the Christian faith. With the Sea of Galilee in the backdrop, Christ offers new insights into how the Christian should live in both heart and mind. One section that stops me almost every time as I read it comes in 5:43-44, “You have heard it said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

These verses are radical and very foreign to us especially today. Persecution is not a big part of our lives in obvious ways here in America. For the most part, we have been free to worship our God. However, times are changing. We must read verses like this and take them to heart. The part that is especially applicable to you and me, even today, is to love our enemies. That is a hard verse to accept and live by. In fact, when you think about it, much of the Christian life is hard to follow. Once saved by the grace of God, we are totally dependent on the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives to enable us to follow these commands. Even the seasoned Christian will admit that following this teaching of Christ is at times very difficult. We are commanded to pray and love our enemies.

I wonder if the disciples remembered this scene when they faced such intense persecution. Did Peter remember these words when he was crucified upside down? Did Andrew remember them when they nailed him to the transverse cross? Did Bartholomew hold on to these commands when they skinned him alive? Did Thomas find the power to pray for them as they speared him? Christ did – “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they doing.” He loved his enemies even to the end.

As I look out at the Christian community today, I pray that we would remember these verses more often. The evangelical community needs to pray more often in love for those whom we should consider more the lost than the enemy, but it is hard. How do you pray for someone who has offended you? How do you pray for one who may have stolen something very precious to you? How do you lift up in love those who seek to take away your very freedom to pray? The answer is and will always continue to be – by the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives as we long and strive for a closer walk with Christ. Only by his grace can we follow through with our Lord’s command.

True Everlasting Support

As we close out the book of Deuteronomy, in Chapter 33 we come across a verse that has been a favorite of many people. Those who suffer have found hope and security in the mists of trouble times. This verse comes at the end of the blessing given by Moses to the twelve tribes of Israel, as they are about to enter the Promise Land. You will remember that Moses cannot enter the land because he broke faith with God by striking the rock to get water for the nation – Deut 32:51. He will be allowed to see it but not enter it.

As I was reading this blessing, I was reminded of the mythological story of Atlas. You will recall that Atlas was a Titan and was punished by the gods for being on the losing side in the war between the Titans and the Greek gods. His punishment was to hold up the sky on his shoulders. Hercules comes across Atlas on his quest for the golden apples. Atlas tells Hercules that he will go and get the golden apples if Hercules would just hold up the sky on his shoulders until Atlas returned. When Atlas comes back, he decides that he does not want to take on this laborious job anymore and is going to leave Hercules there holding up the sky, but the mythological hero is too smart of Atlas. He asks Atlas to simply hold up the sky for a moment while he adjusts his coat to form a pad for his shoulders and then he will take the sky on his back again. When Atlas agrees, Hercules grabs the golden apples and runs leaving Atlas to once again hold up the sky.

In Deut 33:27 we have these words, “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” God is our true support and refuge. This verse speaks mightily to those of us who walk the path of trials, sufferings, and weakness of faith in difficult and hard times. Often we think that the bottom of our lives is about to give way and the freefall that will follow will wash us away. We see no end in sight to our misery and uncertainty. We live as if there is nothing firm in our lives to which we can hold. Just two chapters earlier in this book in chapter 32, we find that Moses calls God “the Rock.” He is our firm foundation. He is also the everlasting arms underneath our lives to hold us and support us even when we see no hope in our weakness of faith. God may not hold us where or how we expect him to hold us, but he is our refuge in times of trouble. His arms will never give out, his strength is eternal, and his arms will bear us up in love and grace.

When times are tough and when our world seems to be crashing down all around us as it is for many in these days, where is your foundation? Have you built your house on the Rock? Do you lean on the everlasting arms of God? Unlike Atlas of mythology, God is not tricked into holding you up. He does so because he loves you and sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die for your sins. He is your eternal hope. Lean on him for he is strong and kind. His love is bearing you up even now.