Luke 6:27-36
Love for Enemies
27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 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. 35 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 children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Why would Jesus tell us to love our enemies, when he knows it is so hard?...Let us look at some different reasons, why He might want us to love someone who is our enemy...Could it be that He wants us to think about our enemies in a different light?...Could it be when we love our enemies, it is better for all, including our own mentality, when we love others?...Does He not want us consumed by others, especially our enemies?...Maybe when we learn to love our enemies, we are much more forgiving...
I think there is a great value to be place on love...And one of these values is hope...Love give us a positive outlook, and hate gives us a negative outlook...For to me love places a positive value on something, while our hate place a negative value on something...So love gives and brings value to our family and friends -and all the ones we love...But hate gives and brings us the negative things and no value to those we distrust, do not like, and even hate...
When we think about it those we love we have great hope in, and great faith in...For example, I have a young nephew who wants to break his school's record in a track event that he runs...I love my nephew and have all the faith and hope in him that he will accomplish his goal...But if I did not love him, and did, in fact hate him, I would have no interest or hope or faith in him breaking his school record...