Act in your enemy's best interests

Matthew 5: 43 - 48

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.....

It is by God's mercy that in this country Christians have not experienced the terrible persecution that our fellow brethren are facing in their countries. And yet we can marvel and be encouraged by the loving, faithful and courageous response some of our brethren have shown even in the midst of such intense persecution.

The reality is however, that even in the absence of intense persecution, we do have to deal with 'enemies' in our personal lives. I know from experience how easy it is to think of another as an 'enemy' because we have been criticized, dealt with unfairly, been marginalized because we ask uncomfortable questions (even in church!). Such animosity, though often disguised with superficial niceness and avoidance (many churches have multiple services, so we don't have to meet anyway...) cannot be swept under the carpet. We have to deal with our feelings, especially our hurt and resentment. How else indeed could we pray and act in the best interests of those on our 'enemy' list? As Jesus said, our Father in heaven has shown us the perfect example by extending his gracious provision to both the evil and the good, the righteous and unrighteous.

Over the past week, I have had to deal with my emotions.....anger first of all (the strong feeling) and then disappointment and the more vulnerable feelings of sadness. I am grateful I had the opportunity to talk things through with an understanding friend - not to further deepen those feelings and be encouraged in my self-pity but simply to clarify them. That has helped me greatly. And indeed, even though the feelings intrude into my morning prayer, the very presence of God patiently with me in the midst of the 'distractions' has been very comforting. I am learning a lot about myself through all this. The church issue itself has not been resolved, nor will it be easily. But on a personal level, I have to allow the Lord to work in me first instead of projecting my agenda on to others. I may have decided that it will not be helpful for me to attend a particular meeting. But at one point, that decision was made with much frustration and anger. I believe that although my decision remains the same, the feelings about it have changed. Although I still cannot agree with the way decisions were made and are continuing to be made (without a process of corporate discernment), I can now uphold those involved in prayer. I still do not know what to pray for, except that even at this late stage, each person's thoughts and feelings will find a place to be expressed. True unity of mind and heart comes not from mere conformity but can arise, and more authentically so, from paying attention to different voices.

It is not easy to 'be perfect' in ways that mirror how our heavenly Father operates. Inner righteousness has been Jesus' concern throughout these passages in the gospel of Matthew. I have always found them difficult because they show me how far off the mark I truly am. They get to the heart of the matter and there is no way I can rationalize my heart condition if I desire to be a true disciple of Jesus. However, in all his teachings Jesus assumes that those who are taught have a deep and personal relationship with him. For the Christian all ethics are lived out in relationship with our Lord. Therein lies the strength to persevere, to seek God's mercy when we fail and the love that will always hold us.