Saturday, July 27, 2013
Saturday, July 27 -- Scripture Meditation
Matthew 5:43-28
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
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We are often challenged at church to ask the question, "who is my neighbor?" - and rightly so. But I am also reminded by this passage to ask the question, "who is my enemy?" Once a person is labeled as an "enemy", it is difficult to treat them as people that God loves and cares for. It's harder to read this passage if we substitute the generic "evil" for something concrete: He [God] causes his sun to rise on the - child pornographers, murderers, rapists, thieves, and drug dealers... and sends rain on the righteous and the (insert same list).
ReplyDeleteThe wideness of God's mercy and grace is hard to fathom. The narrow path of discipleship - that is to be a child of God - is to love those whom loving would seem inappropriate. Impossible! Yes. But it is who God is and who God calls us to be.