Matthew 5: 43-48
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““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.”
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“To love our enemies is an invitation to live like love can raise the dead!” - @corycarl
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This scripture is not about being passive in response to those who are pro-actively and systematically diminishing and devaluing the dignity of those who are on the bottom.
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This scripture is an invitation to live a life of love for others, including our enemies, by letting God’s love get at us and flow through us in nonviolently creative, and imaginative, and transformative ways.
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It’s an invitation to…
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1. Be Loved, first.
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Read, Reflect, Experiment with 1 John 4: 11-21
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Reflection #1: Do you know you are loved by God? If not, why not? If so, how do you know? If it’s been a while, what’s been getting in the way or what do I need to let go of in order to let God’s love in?
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Experiment #1: Be still. Spend a couple minutes in silence, making room for the Holy Spirit to reveal himself as the lover of your soul.
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2. Be Prayerful.
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Read, Reflect, Experiment with Matthew 5: 43-48 and this quote from Jim Forrest:
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“…to pray for an enemy is no small or easy step. The fact is that the last people in the world we want to pray for are the people we fear or hate or regard with disgust. You know you have an enemy whenever you discover a person or community of people for whom you hesitate to pray. But once you recognize enmity, take note of it. Keep a list of the people you find it hard to pray for and then pray for them anyway. Do it as a religious duty.”
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Reflection #2: Are there people or groups of people that you hesitate to pray for? Who are they? Why do you think you hesitate?
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Experiment #2: If you recognise enmity, take note of it. Keep a list of the people you find it hard to pray for and then pray for them anyway. Spend a couple of minutes a day praying for these people
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The Steeple Church Podcast is recorded on Wurundjeri land in the east suburbs of Naarm - that you will find on a map as Balwyn in Melbourne, Australia.
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of these lands, the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation and we pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.
Sovereignty was never ceded.
You can view the full Steeple Church Acknowledgement of Country here.
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If you would like to know more about Steeple Church or connect with us you can do so by checking out our website on-the-line at steeplechurch.com.au or by following us on all the socials...
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