Love your enemies.

Yester

I am not religious but I grew up with the teachings of Jesus. I think that most of what he says in relation to how we should treat each other is worthy and important in terms of civilisation. However to ask us to love our enemies is too much. I am fortunate enough to not have any real enemies but there are people that I have clashed with over the years and have no interest in getting on with. I bear them no ill will but I will never love them.

alma73

Question. Do you hate your enemies?

Yester

alma73 wrote: »

Question. Do you hate your enemies?

No. Not at all.

alma73

Yester wrote: »

No. Not at all.

Would you sit down and eat a meal with them, be glad to see them in heaven?

Yester

I would not like to sit down and eat a meal with them. I don't believe in heaven.

drunkmonkey

alma73 wrote: »

Would you sit down and eat a meal with them, be glad to see them in heaven?

Heaven full of your enimies, hardly heaven then is it?

antiskeptic

Yester wrote: »

I am not religious but I grew up with the teachings of Jesus. I think that most of what he says in relation to how we should treat each other is worthy and important in terms of civilisation.

The argument can be made that you are religious. If you consider what Jesus says as being that which you would love to see civilisation (which very often isn't civilized) obtain, then you are, in essence, agreeing with Jesus and disagreeing with civilization as it is.

Which is as about religious as you need be. You are perceiving truth (things ought to be the way Jesus describes them / things aren't the way Jesus describes them. That then sets up a tension in you: globally (civilization isn't at it ought to be) and personally (you aren't as you ought to be)

You don't have to follow a religion to be religious

However to ask us to love our enemies is too much. I am fortunate enough to not have any real enemies but there are people that I have clashed with over the years and have no interest in getting on with. I bear them no ill will but I will never love them.

The basis for Jesus' exhortation lies in his (and the Bible's general) exposition of the state of our very own selves.

We each do that which is wrong: all day long. And it is this understanding about ourselves that ought make us look at our 'enemies' and realise that their wrongdoing stems from the same kinds of core issues in them as do our own wrongdoings. That core issue is our being sinners - sin as an influencing (but ultimately not a deciding) force within each and every one of us.

If you judge them then you also must judge yourself. And find yourself also wanting. Our natural tendency is to overlook/diminish/excuse our own failings and see only the failings in others. So strong is this natural, sin-driven tendency of ours that Jesus confronts it with this exhortation.

It's also worth noting that loving another doesn't mean getting on with them or rolling over and letting them carry out in wrongdoing with taking action. It means approaching them and their actions with this undercurrent understanding about them and their motivations. Compassion rather than condemnation.

It's also worth noting that Jesus is speaking to folk who have been enlightened by God. Let's call those enlightened ones 'Christians' (as defined by God, rather than Christian Religions). Jesus exhorting them to love their enemies stems from the fact that these Christians have had eyes opened to truly see the global picture about sin within. And have been equipped with God's spirit to power-assist them in walking this alternative and narrow path.

This eye opening and empowerment infuses the totality of the Christian and so, there is some substance to enable and expect that they walk this path. Without that equipping, without that power-assist, the 'standalone sinner' will tend towards doing what the sin-driven nature is wont to do: justify own wrongdoing / condemn the wrongdoing in others.

looksee

The argument can be made that you are religious. If you consider what Jesus says as being that which you would love to see civilisation (which very often isn't civilized) obtain, then you are, in essence, agreeing with Jesus and disagreeing with civilization as it is.

I don't think so! I agree with much of what Jesus said regarding civilised/social behaviour, that does not make me religious. It simply means that he did say quite a lot of sensible, compassionate things that we could live by. Anyone could say these things, and they are the basis of most social interaction, regardless of religion.

'Being religious' is in when a person agrees with his teachings about god, and regard everything he said as worthy of being absolutely accepted - to a point where the compassionate teachings disappear in the need to push the finely analysed and argued 'god' beliefs.

alma73

Yester wrote: »

I would not like to sit down and eat a meal with them. I don't believe in heaven.

Ok yester, well you started this post in this thread. I grew up being physically abused as a child. I had cigartettes stumped on my me leg, beatings, being spit on, verbal abuse. As soon as i was old enough I left home. I spent 20 years dealing with this going from different emotions to finally forgiving, unconditionally and totally. It takes a lot more energy to hate than to love. We have a world full of hate. Following Christ is liberating on so many levels.

If our whole existance is THIS world, then what a horrible world it is. We are not born just for this world.

solodeogloria

Yester wrote: »

I am not religious but I grew up with the teachings of Jesus. I think that most of what he says in relation to how we should treat each other is worthy and important in terms of civilisation. However to ask us to love our enemies is too much. I am fortunate enough to not have any real enemies but there are people that I have clashed with over the years and have no interest in getting on with. I bear them no ill will but I will never love them.

Good evening!

Jesus' Sermon on the Mount contains some of the hardest teachings. It's almost as if He ups the ante on what the Old Testament taught. Think about it. If you so much as look on a woman with a lustful intention it is adultery (Matthew 5:27-30). Don't resist the one who is evil, walk another mile with him and give him your cloak! (Matthew 5:39)

This is why He mentions clearly that we need God in prayer. If people think they can do it on their own they definitely can't. God enables us to live for Him if we ask Him to help us. We depend on Him. (Matthew 7:7-12)

If I was a non-believer I'd think that Jesus was stark raving mad!

However, in the light of the Gospel. Jesus rescuing us from our sin, through His death for a wretched sinner like me, you start to see how it works. I don't deserve grace, I've sinned against Him, yet He graciously gives it to me. Although I didn't love God, and I hated Him by my sinful actions, God loves me instead. It is when you understand that you are a sinner in rebellion against God, and that your sin is wretched that you realise that you need God's mercy. It is when you realise that you need God's mercy and turn to Jesus that you realise that we are called to take up our cross and follow after Him (Mark 8:28). That means living like Him. It means showing mercy to your enemies and loving them as Christ loved us while we were still His enemies. (Romans 5:8-9).

Christianity is radical. Jesus has high stakes for us. We can't do it. Mercifully He helps us. The more we love what Christ has done, the more that we will see that we need to change and become more like Him.

If you're a non-believer, naturally you won't get it.

Much thanks in the Lord Jesus Christ,
solodeogloria

line console zero

It took me years to be able to look back on some of the people who have wronged me, to be able to pray for them and forgive them in my heart. I asked myself the question, if I saw my enemy stumble and fall while walking, would I stop to pick him up? If I saw them injured would I help them? The answer is yes I would.

indioblack

alma73 wrote: »

Would you sit down and eat a meal with them, be glad to see them in heaven?

I had an experience with a man I worked with.
We clashed years ago - both stubborn and occasionally difficult characters.
We had few values or interests in common.
Most of the differences between us were caused by misunderstandings -we each expected the other to have negative attitudes and we each responded to these expectations accordingly.
This lasted, on and off, for years.
There came a time when this man had a problem, nothing too serious, but a real inconvenience - and I happened to be on hand to solve his dilemma.
Which I did.
Instantly the animosity and occasional anger dissipated - and we were tolerable towards each other from then on. I felt a sense of relief that all the unpleasantness was over.
We still have little in common - I doubt that will change.
But, at least we are no longer enemies.
You take one step towards the other person and if they reciprocate it may be possible to end the burden of bad feeling - which is damaging to both parties.
You may never be friends - but there is a release of tension when the animosity is finished.