But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you
It almost seems impossible. Loving our enemies would almost seem to insist that they first not be enemies and then that we love them. But this is not so. We were still enemies of God when he sent Jesus to die for our sins. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us (see Romans 5:8).
If we love our enemies we create the conditions where they may no longer be our enemies. Even if we haven't been the ones in the wrong we are probably very comfortable to keep our enemies at a distance where we don't have to deal with them. But when Jesus died for us he created the conditions where his enemies could become friends. Slaves can become sons and have become an integral part of the household of God. To truly love our enemies we need to be ready for the possibility that they cease to be our enemies. We may even need to welcome them as friends.
We need to move beyond mercenary love and friendship that only loves if and to the degree that we are loved.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
We need to love others whether we get anything out of it from them or not. When we fail to love we create problems with systemic side effects like Ahab does. We take as our own what is by right our enemies because of a failure on our part to love them. Whether that is charitable support, or just a smile, God is calling us to love others without counting the cost. We keep for ourselves what God wants others to have. We always do this, at least to a small degree. The important thing is to seek mercy as soon as we can.
When Ahab heard these words, he tore his garments
and put on sackcloth over his bare flesh.
He fasted, slept in the sackcloth, and went about subdued.
Then the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite,
"Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself before me?
Since he has humbled himself before me,
I will not bring the evil in his time.
I will bring the evil upon his house during the reign of his son.
The sooner we seek mercy the more of the systemic consequences of our failure can be avoided. The sooner we seek mercy the more of the inequity we cause can be set right. Failure to love always has consequences, even if it is a failure to love our enemies. Mercy is our hope at such times.
Turn away your face from my sins,
and blot out all my guilt.
Free me from blood guilt, O God, my saving God;
then my tongue shall revel in your justice.
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