“You have been taught to love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you this: love your enemies. Pray for those who torment you and persecute you—  in so doing, you become children of your Father in heaven. He, after all, loves each of us—good and evil, kind and cruel. He causes the sun to rise and shine on evil and good alike. He causes the rain to water the fields of the righteous and the fields of the sinner. It is easy to love those who love you—even a tax collector can love those who love him. And it is easy to greet your friends—even outsiders do that! But you are called to something higher: ‘Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect'” (Matthew 5:43-48, The Voice).

Chris Brooks, Kairos pastor, made a point in his sermon that I’d honestly never thought about. He said that Jesus used the main character in the parable of the Good Samaritan for a reason. Jews and Samaritans did not get along. In fact, to the Jew at that time, there were no more hated enemies than the Samaritans.

What Jesus was saying in effect is that the enemy is your neighbor. When He says to love your neighbor and later on to love your enemy, they are often one and the same.

Who is the enemy you are called to love? Who is the one who Jesus calls you to pray for who persecutes you and torments you and basically makes your life a living hell?

Chris said that this is not promoting passive acceptance of abusive behavior toward you. What he’s saying is that you trust God to set things right.

Maybe your enemy is your boss. Maybe it’s a co-worker. Maybe it’s an actual neighbor down the street. It could be a family member. It could be those Trump supporters or those liberals out of Hollywood. Possibly your worst enemy is yourself and that inner critic that never shuts up or goes away.

Whatever the case, Jesus doesn’t give any opt-outs for this command. He set the standard high. In fact, He set the standard so high that only though the power of the Holy Spirit in you can you possibly live up to it.

It’s not easy, as with most of Jesus’ teachings, but it’s more than worth any pain or sacrifice if it makes you a little more like Jesus in the end.