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| Worship at Redeemer |
Jesus tells me to love my enemies. I understand this in my mind. But my problem is that my heart has not caught up to my mind. I'm asking God to fully bring the beautiful "love your enemies" command into my heart, AKA my being. How important is this? My understanding is that, in God's kingdom, everything rises and falls on this.
Greg Boyd writes:
"The distinct mark of the reign of God is that God’s people love and do good to people who don’t love them and don’t treat them well—indeed, to people who hate them, mistreat them, and even threaten them and their loved ones."
I am to love my enemies and do good to them, no exceptions allowed. Just as the rain is indiscriminate as to where it falls, God's love does not discriminate between friends and enemies. Greg writes:
"Notice that there are no exception clauses found anywhere in the New Testament’s teaching about loving and doing good to enemies. Indeed, Jesus’ emphasis on the indiscriminate nature of love rules out any possible exceptions. The sun doesn’t decide on whom it will and will not shine. The rain doesn’t decide on whom it will and will not fall. So too, Kingdom people are forbidden to decide who will and will not receive the love and good deeds we’re commanded to give."
God is love.
Jesus' had compassion on people, seeing them as sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus died for his enemies (AKA me).
I am praying for this kind of love to totalize me.
