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‘Love Your Enemies’ Is a Command Not a Suggestion
Townhall.com ^ | February 8, 2029 | Michael Brown

Posted on 02/08/2020 5:31:30 AM PST by Kaslin

Jesus taught it. Paul reaffirmed it. And neither of them said their teaching was optional for Christians. Instead, God Himself commands us, His children, to love our enemies and to bless those who curse us.

No one said it would be easy. No one even said it would be possible, without divine help. But, without any question, the call to love our enemies is a divine command, not a human suggestion.

In the words of Jesus, “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. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:43–48).

In the words of Paul, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ... Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:14, 17–21).

To be sure, this is not talking about how our country’s military should respond to a foreign invader. Nor is it telling a husband and father what to do if a serial killer breaks into his home, intent on killing his wife and children.

These teachings refer to our interpersonal relationships. To our attitudes. To our responses.

Will we bless those who curse us, or will we curse them back? Will we love those who hate us, or will we hate them back? Will we overcome evil, or will we be overcome by evil?

There are certainly times for making a spirited defense of one’s position, especially for the cause of righteousness. And there are certainly times when evil must be publicly and plainly rebuked.

But you can rebuke someone while having great love for them at the same time.

You can even want justice to be done while having great love for the criminal justly sentenced for his crime.

In short, the command to love our enemies does not call on us to compromise our ethics. It calls on us to take our ethics to a higher level, hating evil to the point that we refuse to be corrupted by it.

At the National Prayer Breakfast, “Arthur Brooks, a Harvard professor and president of a conservative think tank, had decried a ‘crisis of contempt and polarization’ and urged his listeners to ‘love your enemies.’”

In response, President Trump remarked, “I don't know if I agree with you,” adding, “I don't like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong.” And, the president continued, “Nor do I like people who say, 'I pray for you' when you know that is not so.”

On the one hand, I commend Trump’s honestly.

He openly questioned what Prof. Brooks had said rather than put on a religious show. And he openly admitted his struggles at the end of his talk, saying, “I'm sorry. I apologize. I'm trying to learn. It's not easy. When they impeach you for nothing and then you're supposed to like them, it's not easy folks. I do my best.”

But this is where the rubber meets the road. It is not easy to love people whom you think have wronged you. To the contrary, it is totally unnatural to love them. “Lord, You’re telling me I’m supposed to love them?”

Jesus would reply with an emphatic Yes. In fact, He would say, “That’s exactly what I did. I died for My enemies. I forgave My enemies. I blessed My enemies.”

And in doing so, He set an example for each of us. As Peter taught, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:21–23).

Yes, Jesus left us an example to follow, showing us the redemptive power of all-consuming love. It turns your enemies into your most loyal friends!

This has nothing to do with liking those who hurt you or attack you. Liking has to do with personal preferences. Loving has to do with truly desiring what is best for others. And true love will make personal sacrifices for the well-being of others, even of one’s enemies.

As noted by H. S. Vigeveno in his book Jesus the Revolutionary, “Our world has witnessed many a revolution, but none as effective as the one that divided history into B.C. and A.D. Every revolution involves the shedding of blood. So did this one. Not as much blood, perhaps, but the quality of the One far outweighs the quantity of others. Revolutionary, indeed, this mission, to begin with a cross and sway the whole world through suffering love. Revolutionary to build a Church on the sacrifice that offers man forgiveness and atonement with God.”

How remarkable. That is the power of the cross.

Not surprisingly, shortly after the Prayer Breakfast, President Trump was on the warpath, lashing out at those who sought to remove him from office. And I can understand his attitudes and his actions.

After all, from his perspective, he has been the victim of unjust attacks for more than three straight years. This includes the constant vilification of the leftwing media. The unrelenting, often vicious mockery of Hollywood celebrities. The wiretapping of his campaign. The unjust attempts to remove him from office with the Mueller investigation and the impeachment trial. And more.

Yes, from a human perspective it is totally understandable that he not only took a victory lap – who can blame him for that? – but that he went on the attack as well, pulling no punches.

But just think of how transformative it would have been had he said, “I hate the fact that the country is so divided, and I understand I have been a big part of that division. But today, I choose not to retaliate. It’s true that I have been acquitted, and I believe that justice has been done. But I choose to forgive those who sought to remove me from office. And I call on my political enemies and my enemies in the media to work together for the good of our country. I will lead the way.”

If others want to stew in their hatred, let them. We will step higher.

My Stream colleague Al Perrotta put it so well just a few days back, making this brilliant appeal to the president:

“The builder in you knows how this works. Like you did with the Old Post Office Building across from the White House, you’ve done the demo, now comes the beautiful remodel.

“You’ve got the economic heart of America pounding hard. Now turn to nurturing America’s soul.

“You’ve shown us the bloody, unbowed street fighter. Show us the ‘better angels of our nature.’

“Today, in this hour of political victory, show us the greatest victory is to love one another.

“May the grace and wisdom of God guide you.

“Yours truly,

“Someone Deplorable.”

Unfortunately, President Trump missed the first opportunity to do this in the aftermath of his acquittal. And many of us who voted for him have missed our opportunity as well, feeling nothing but loathing for the Democrats and their ilk. (I should also mention the Christians who show no love for the president and his allies. They, too, have chosen hatred over love.)

The good news is that today is a new day.

All of us can step higher. All of us can seek to heal rather than destroy. And all of us, without compromising our convictions or violating our ethics one iota, can choose to love our enemies, with the help of the Lord.

Will we?


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: religion
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To: Kaslin

The author pays lip service to the justice of loving your enemy while highlighting and fighting their evil. Then he bumps President Trump for getting out the spotlight and fighting back.

If loving your enemy means a political leader cannot eliminate active subversion against the government and people, then loving your enemy becomes nothing more than capitulation.

I note that the author did not demand Christ apologize to the moneychangers at the temple.


21 posted on 02/08/2020 6:27:27 AM PST by MortMan (Warriors avoid a fight, but when engaged, they fight to utterly defeat their opponent.)
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To: teeman8r

Perhaps Jesus was quoting Hillel (110 BC-10 AD), whose teachings he studied, who was quoting Levititcus 19:17-18 “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him”.

18 “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord”.

Hillel was referring to fellow Jews, and the commandment was to advise the fellow Jew of his ways and allow him the chance to repent, but not take revenge yourself - that is the job of God. It is more akin to the saying “Hate the sin, but love the sinner”...God will judge all sin.


22 posted on 02/08/2020 6:38:49 AM PST by richardtavor
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To: Kaslin

Love them like a low income women’s unborn baby?


23 posted on 02/08/2020 6:43:09 AM PST by Leep (Everyday is Trump Day!)
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To: Kaslin

I think President Trump loves his enemies so much he’s willing to help them BE BETTER stewards of freedom by fighting their hateful policies.


24 posted on 02/08/2020 6:48:02 AM PST by goodnesswins (Want to know your family genealogy? Run for political office...")
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To: Kaslin

Loving your enemies does NOT mean helping them succeed or ignoring the evil they do. Real love includes calling on them to repent of their evil.

Either way, President Trump is not my pastor. I adore him as president but have no desire to be given spiritual counsel by him. I heard and loved his Post-Impeachment Party. It was fantastic. And calling Pelosi evil and/or slamming her hypocrisy IS for her own good. SOMEONE needs to tell her to repent!


25 posted on 02/08/2020 6:49:56 AM PST by Mr Rogers (Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools)
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To: OrangeHoof
Well said and part of the conundrum in cheering Trump - a very flawed man who has been blessed by God to do very wonderful things.


I continue to struggle to be around Christian who are judgmental and hateful. Please work to refrain from using your Christianity to pronounce Trump a very flawed man.
26 posted on 02/08/2020 6:50:17 AM PST by The_Media_never_lie ("The media is the enemy of the American people." Democrat Pat Caddell)
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To: MortMan

I spent some time on the authors web site...He grossly misinterprets scripture regarding the great falling away and the rapture....and that diminishes the import of his message here.


27 posted on 02/08/2020 7:08:58 AM PST by Halgr (Once a Marine, always a Marine - Semper Fi)
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To: Kaslin

I think I I’ll go with Conan the Barbarian on this one.

What is best in life?

To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women!


28 posted on 02/08/2020 7:10:21 AM PST by seowulf
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To: The_Media_never_lie; Fairhairedboy

judgemental...

Yes, the favorite attack word of the Left to describe their hatred of Christians. Perhaps you don’t know that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”?

We are all flawed, you and me included. Trump has become a very good President, but he’s no saint. Fortunately, he’s not running for church elder, only a government job.

I’m not being judgemental as much as I am being honest and discerning. But to admit these would make your posts pointless, wouldn’t they?


29 posted on 02/08/2020 7:22:51 AM PST by OrangeHoof (The Democrats - Unafraid to burn in Hell.)
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To: The_Media_never_lie
Please work to refrain from using your Christianity to pronounce Trump a very flawed man.

A duty of Christians, according to Paul (I Corinthians 2:14), is to be discerning--meaning that he or she is to delve into understanding things under the influence and teaching of the Holy Spirit. The fact is--and I know you're going to hate this--is that born-again Christians have access to a God-provided gift of judging things through the Holy Spirit. It is a usual thing for Christians to look at things in this way. The fact that our Spiritual ability in this way enrages, frightens, or mystifies you is not a reason for us not to discern the people, things, circumstances, or matters around us.

This is how the Corinthians verse explains it, with a couple of explanatory words thrown in: "But the natural man [a person who is not save through the grace of God, you for example, apparently] receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

You are the beneficiary of the foolishness part while Christians are the beneficiaries of the spiritual part. Discerning by spiritual insight is an obligation and a part of the born-again Christian's ability. Foolishness is a quality of a person such as yourself.

I don't say this to make you angry. It's just that all born-again Christians understand President Trump (and you), in a different--a Spiritually-discerned--way.
30 posted on 02/08/2020 7:24:25 AM PST by righttackle44 (Take scalps. Leave the bodies as a warning.)
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To: Kaslin
”Will we?

No!

From Regan onward they have waged relentless political and cultural war. The GOP always got played as they “appealed to their higher angels.” The only thing this got us was advancing their agenda as we watched our values, institutions and culture get destroyed. Take the prayer breakfast out of Washington if you must. I frankly have had enough of politicians preening at such events.

This war goes on.

31 posted on 02/08/2020 7:31:59 AM PST by Bull Man
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To: Kaslin
The first 2/3 of the article was nice. The last 1/3 was balderdash.

“I hate the fact that the country is so divided, and I understand I have been a big part of that division. But today, I choose not to retaliate. It’s true that I have been acquitted, and I believe that justice has been done. But I choose to forgive those who sought to remove me from office. And I call on my political enemies and my enemies in the media to work together for the good of our country. I will lead the way.”

The manner in which he phrases this supposed statement is telling.
Removing corrupt (unwise) people from his counsel is not wrong or evil. To intimate that it is does great disservice.
Perhaps the story of Rehoboam (1 Kings 12) would have been a good starting point for this writer about following bad advice.

32 posted on 02/08/2020 8:10:06 AM PST by philman_36 (Pride breakfasted with plenty, dined with poverty and supped with infamy. Benjamin Franklin)
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To: Kaslin
Another elitist never-Trump concern troll with sage religious advice.

Someone tell this insufferable douche he's not a priest - he's a DC dweller with an opinion.

33 posted on 02/08/2020 8:27:45 AM PST by AAABEST (NY/DC/LA media/political/military industrial complex DELENDA EST)
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To: Kaslin

So I’m supposed to love Hitler?


34 posted on 02/08/2020 8:28:54 AM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Kaslin; joma89; NonValueAdded; 1_Of_We; OrangeHoof; Terry L Smith; Pathfinder; Fairhairedboy
I have to understand, and it is not easy, that Christian love is different from that encountered in secular society.

Before the war was over Robert E. Lee had inflicted at least 200% casualties on the Army of the Potomac, but in discussion after the war with a pastor Lee said, “Doctor there is a good old book which I read, and you preach from, which says, ‘Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you’. Do you think that your remarks this evening were quite in the spirit of that teaching? I have fought against the people of the North because I believed they were seeking to wrest from the South dearest rights. But I have never cherished toward them bitter or vindictive feelings and have never seen the day when I did not pray for them.”

By the way, these dearest rights did not include slavery which Lee opposed, because Lincoln had already said at his first inauguration before Lee resigned his commission, “the Federal Government shall never interfere with the domestic institutions of the States, including that of persons held to service”.

35 posted on 02/08/2020 8:44:29 AM PST by Retain Mike ( Sat Cong)
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To: dfwgator
So I’m supposed to love Hitler?

He did a pick and choose through the chapter in Romans. For instance...

9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
As well as...
18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

Sometimes you just can't live peaceably with all men.

The book of Romans (letters of support actually) was also directed, overall, towards the people who were already Christians in Rome (Romans 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.) and how they should interact with those who were within that congregation to prevent discord.

36 posted on 02/08/2020 8:53:40 AM PST by philman_36 (Pride breakfasted with plenty, dined with poverty and supped with infamy. Benjamin Franklin)
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To: Kaslin

It’s not about love it’s more like the Mafia says keep your enemies close very close.
Always stay on step ahead


37 posted on 02/08/2020 10:13:54 AM PST by Vaduz (women and children to be impacIQ of chimpsted the most.)
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To: Retain Mike

It is that I based my comment on 67 years of life on this plant, in my beloved country and without, witnessing human nature, both Pentecostal and not.


38 posted on 02/08/2020 11:34:14 AM PST by Terry L Smith
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To: righttackle44

To add to your fine post.

I Peter 2:13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority,
14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.

Verse 14 implies that the God-given mission of those who govern is to punish wrong-doers and commend those who do right. It appears that President Trump is such a person, as compared to a number of previous administrations. At the time this was written, Rome ruled with an iron fist and a very sharp sword. Still, this instruction was given by Peter. It appears that the Lord gave some latitude to those who rule. It’s rather confusing to me.

One option available to Christians in that day was to flee; see Matthew 24. Even so, tradition holds that only one apostle, John, died a natural death. Paul was beheaded; Peter was crucified; James died “by the sword” etc.

Being slapped on the cheek is not a life-threatening event. It is, perhaps, the public insult, being fired for being a Christian, being ostracized. The teaching is that after being slapped on the cheek, let it go, carry on. In contrast, the Democrats didn’t appear to give President Trump a slap, they were out to figuratively kill Donald Trump, and, by extension, to “kill” those citizens who love the Constitution and wish to be governed by it.

Are there two moral positions to take with respect to Donald Trump? (1) Turn the other cheek and be destroyed. The moral high-ground is passively turning the other cheek. (2) As a leader, commend those who are good and punish those who are unrighteous. By so doing, he is protecting the citizens of the USA and upholding his oath of office. In so doing, perhaps he is an agent of God; you choose. Justice is moral punishment. The shortcomings of human justice, notwithstanding, all accounts will be balanced on the judgment day to come


39 posted on 02/08/2020 11:47:32 AM PST by NorthStarOkie (Choose: Heaven or Hell. Hell is the default. (Stolen from a FReeper.))
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.

‘Love Your Enemies’ is not the same as “DONT STOP CRIMINALS FROM COMMITTING CRIMES”

.


40 posted on 02/08/2020 12:33:47 PM PST by elbook
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