I was listening to a lecture by a contemporary philosopher today that brought some things to my mind. So often we in the church get lost in the current rhetorical interpretation of the scripture and forget the essence of why Jesus came and what He came to do.
I am no different than anyone else – I want to keep my focus on the
“milk and honey” time and if possible, never dwell on the “bless those who persecutre you and say all manner of evil against you.” Suffering is not the American way!
We are not called to be Americans first – we are called to the cause of Christ – before our citizenship, before our marital or familial status, before our vocation – and we can agree with that, as long as it does not cause us problems in any of those areas. When we have to come face to face with a trial in those areas, we run to the scriptures to see if there is any comfort. How about this for comfort?
43-47″You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. Mt. 5:43-45(MSG)
I’ve used a more contemporary, written in plain English version,so we don’t miss it (including me) – God’s love will even bless that no good nasty person with sunsine and rain- (I know you’ve wished at least one time in your life that God would zap your enemy into oblivion) -He wants us to do the same – He wants us to pray for them, to love them, to greet them warmly – that’s alot to ask of us, isn’t it?
I guess it depends not only on what version of scripture you’re reading, but what portion – we don’t live in the “eye for an eye’ days – we live in the “bless them that say all manner of evil against you” days – Jesus has come and died – and rose again to give us life – life that can do now what our human nature would not let us do before.
If you’re anything like me, this is a Selah moment…
Maria
Praise God!
Amen!