Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn, Source: https://collections.artsmia.org/art/55301/the-stoning-of-st-stephen-rembrandt-harmensz-van-rijn
Love Your Enemies
27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
On the surface of things, you might think that these verses are a call to a benevolent and peaceful life of harmony and non-violence. It might seem that these are instructions on how to ensure that all speak well of you. While those may well come as results, you would be mistaken.
These verses are a call to war against an enemy that is far more insidious and surely much more dangerous to your daily walk with Jesus than any earthly persecutor or mocker. These verses are an invitation to a funeral. No, it is not the funeral of your enemy who has been killed before you or struck down in justice for what they have done.
These verses are a call to your funeral. These verses are a call to arms to strike a death blow…to you.
There is no way to walk in obedience to these words of Jesus and maintain any meaningful sense of your basic rights. There is no way to walk in this way while making sure at the same time to not get taken advantage of or these kindnesses abused or taken for granted. We often stumble over these verses because we carry the fundamental assumption that living this way has to be done in a way that is safe, advisable and ensures our protection from risk.
See the behavior of our enemy. They hate us. They curse us. They mistreat us. They slap us. They take from us. They don’t repay their debts to us.
See what is asked of us. Love. Do good. Bless. Pray for them. Give freely. Do not demand. Do good. Lend.
Any altruistic effort to obey these verses will fail in the face of this stark disparity. Any rehearsed response to being slapped will fail when the pain of the slap is hot on our face. So, how do we obey these words of Jesus? What are we to do?
These verses are a call to arms against ourselves. We must rise up to strike the very life…not from our enemy, but from ourselves. Our pride cannot live as we follow these commands. Our rights cannot be ensured as we follow this way of Jesus. Our honor cannot be guarded walking in these footsteps.
The only way to obey these verses is to die. Your reputation and pride and rights and best practices must die to take up this cross and follow.
Galatians 2:20 must be our cry if we have any hope at all for walking in this way. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 6:14 says “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
The nice part about being dead is that your rights no longer need to be protected. Your honor no longer needs to be vindicated. Your slapped cheek is no longer yours. It belongs to another. The insults that are flung against you can no longer stick because you are loved. One has given His life out of love for you. All the vigilance of safeguarding yourself and your name is now released and is directed at the very ones who try to harm you.
You are free to love because you are already loved. You are free to do good and bless and pray because good has been done for you. You have been called blessed and you are prayed for by Jesus himself. You are free to lose because in the end nothing can be lost.
So you see, this text is so fitting in this season of Lent because this season is not only a time to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus. This season is for coming back to the fundamental reality of our own death.
In one sense, Jesus asks nothing of those who come to Him. His arms are wide as he says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). It is true that He asks nothing of you to come.
However, He asks for everything of you as you come. He calls to us “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25)
It costs nothing to follow Jesus, but it costs everything to follow him. In the same way, it will cost you nothing to love your enemies, turn the other cheek and lend without repayment. Yet, it costs you absolutely everything.
Above is a beautiful image of the stoning of St. Stephen done by Rembrandt in 1635. It bears witness to the fact that Stephen was able to forgive his enemies and surrender his life because in fact his life was already surrendered to Jesus many years before. Stephen had nothing to lose because his life was already forfeit and in the hands of Jesus.
The same is true of Renee Napier. She is a mother who forgave Eric Smallridge, a drunk driver who killed her 20 year old daughter in a car crash. Not only that, but she led her family to forgive, made a plea to have his sentence shortened in an effort to give him a second chance at life, and accepted him into her family as a son. She is a beautiful picture of Luke 6:31, the Golden Rule. He was able to do this reckless act of love and forgiveness because her life was, in fact, already forfeit and surrendered to Jesus. Get out a tissue and play the song linked below and search your heart to see if there is anyone you need to forgive.
In the end, the best and only way to love enemies and pray for persecutors is by dying first. Once we have been crucified with Christ, the way opens to walk in this way of Jesus to forgive those that persecute and speak evil of us. Lending without return and turning the other cheek can only flow from a life that is already forfeit, whose rights are already swallowed up in the victory of Jesus on the cross.
Reflection Questions
- Pray for the help of the Holy Spirit to hear his voice if there is anyone that you need to forgive. Then play the song below and listen to His voice. Seek to forgive anyone that comes to mind in obedience to His voice.
- What rights are you hanging onto that prevent you from these challenging verses? What needs to be surrendered to him to free you to walk free of the fear of losing, risking, or not being repaid?
- Is there a “line of control” that you have negotiated with Jesus that indicates an area of your life that is not fully surrendered to Him. If your life truly and fully belongs to Him, where is the area that is hardest to surrender to Him?
Song: Forgiveness by Matthew West (with the story included)