I want to spend a couple of sessions of the Faith Gaps series about our fear on this passage:
Matthew 5:39-45 (NIV) "But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 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."
I think this is the passage about which we would confront Jesus. And it's not only because loving our enemies is hard - which it is. At its root, our argument stems from our fear that Jesus (and by extension, the Father) is not doing his job very well.
Today, I'll analyze the first part of this passage. I was talking with a teen boy who was in conflict with others at his school. I advised him to turn the other cheek. He responded, "That Jesus stuff doesn't work in the real world."
He said the quiet part out loud. We don't trust Jesus's teachings and Jesus himself enough to follow what he says.
How many of us literally pray for our enemies and persecutors? To be honest, I pray about them and against them and rarely pray for them. There's a difference in the three prayers.
Loving our enemies is hard. Forgiving them can be harder. We see them as difficult people, and it's grueling for us to display loving tendencies toward them. My Sunday School class has been discussing this topic. I wonder if Jesus listens and thinks, "What I hear is blah-blah-blah, I don't trust you enough to obey you, Jesus."
Because isn't that the bottom of this problem? We fear what we're being asked to do, but we also fear that Jesus is off his rocker in this instance. If we truly had faith in Jesus, then we would obey him, regardless of our trepidation. Let us get past our fear and our disobedience and figure out how, with the Holy Spirit's help, we're going to channel God's love through us to our enemies and persecutors.
Actually, in my book and small group video series, "Live Like You're Loved," I share how I allowed God to influence my relationship with my perceived enemy, and it made a huge difference, to God's glory. Readers have told me how the same technique helped them. Learn more about "Live Like You're Loved" at https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/live-like-you-re-loved.
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