When we look at news feeds and various social media platforms, we may feel very far removed from the teaching of Jesus reflected in this week’s Gospel. Violent crime is tearing communities apart, and theft and corruption no longer shock us. Politicians and influencers seem to fuel their followers’ deep sense of discontent, even encouraging vengeful retaliation against those who wrong us. What
do we make of Jesus' call to love our enemy?
A good place to start is to understand what this love Jesus is talking about looks like.
The love Jesus refers to here is not the kind we feel for the person we fall in love with and in whose company we wish to spend the rest of our lives. That kind of love is stirred in our hearts and driven by our passion and
affection for the person we have fallen in love with. It would be highly inappropriate to suggest that this is the kind of love Jesus expects us to offer to our enemy.
It is also not the kind of love we feel for God. That is an all-encompassing love in which we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and spirit as we surrender entirely to God’s perfect love for us.
The love
Jesus speaks of in this teaching is steered by our will to act for the greater good of all people—even our enemy. This love involves making a deliberate decision that will impact our attitude and actions. The grace of God shown to us through Jesus makes this decision possible.
Is there anyone in your life who needs your freeing love?
What has stood in
your way of offering this kind of love?
What might your holding back be doing to them, to you?
Might this scripture encourage you to talk to God about this?
Reflections by Cherie-Lynn van der Merwe
