Radical Part 3

Here’s a second radical challenge Jesus gives: "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemies.' But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. If you do this, you will be true children of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on good people and on evil people, and he sends rain to those who do right and to those who do wrong..(Matthew 5:43-47, New Century Version) Jesus ethic was radically opposed to the power-religion of the Jews or the power politics of the Romans. Jesus says: to follow me means to Love my enemies. Mother Theresa was right: Following Jesus is simple, but not easy. Our divorce rates show how hard it is to live out Jesus ethic even in our own homes, with those we claim to love the most. It’s hard to live this out with our competitors on the job, with our bosses & our teachers, let alone with strangers –with those cut in front of us in traffic. This is radical and it’s powerful when it’s applied in everyday life. Here’s how it looks like in practice, as seen in Paul’s directives to the Christians in Rome: "Be sincere in your love for others. Hate everything that is evil and hold tight to everything that is good. Love each other as brothers and sisters and honor others more than you do yourself. Never give up… Ask God to bless everyone who mistreats you. Ask him to bless them and not to curse them… Don't mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others, and do your best to live at peace with everyone. Dear friends, don't try to get even. Let God take revenge. In the Scriptures the Lord says, "I am the one to take revenge and pay them back." The Scriptures also say, "If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat. And if they are thirsty, give them something to drink. This will be the same as piling burning coals on their heads." Don't let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good." (Romans 12:9-17, NLT) Jesus and Paul show us Christians lived out this love your enemy ethic for 3 centuries & conquered the Roman empire, With it, Ghandi liberated India, and Martin Luther King defeated institutional racism. What would we, the church in America, look like if we look beyond ourselves, live generously, sacrificially, love even our enemies, and do good to those who don’t deserve it. What would it look like for you and your family to live this out this Christmas season? What one radical way could you love like Jesus?