Matthew 5:39-45 … To LOVE the enemy (03/21/17)
“Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also … Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may then be children of your Father in Heaven; for He makes his Light to shine on the evil and the good, and sends rain upon both the righteous and the unrighteous.” ~ Jesus (Matthew 5:39-45)
*Note first of all that we are called in this passage to avoid resisting “evildoers,” not evil deeds or evil itself. And this is an extremely important distinction – one that happens to explain the apparent contradiction some have noticed between Jesus’ injunction against judgment in Matthew 7:1-2 and his apparent encouragement in support of judgment in John 7:24 …
As it turns out, the former – much like the passage above – deals with judging people, which makes sense, as it is impossible to sincerely Love others while we are condemning them as individuals in any way. This Truth is actually echoed in the first half of John 7:24 as well, where Jesus clearly says “Do not judge by appearances” … That having been said, we are called to examine situations and “judge with right judgment.” In other words, we are to examine situations and determine if any vestige of evil is being perpetrated, and once we have discerned that there are victims being in any way inflicted or abused, we are indeed to stride forth and place ourselves directly between them and those who would bring them harm.
And know that this is not “resisting the evildoer”; this is resisting the evil being done. In harmony with Jesus admonitions here, we are to do so courageously & firmly, and yet also compassionately – condemning the evil acts even while openly professing an open & humble forgiveness for the confused Souls who are perpetrating them.
*Note as well that it is not appropriate to provoke another in order to create the possibility to turn the other cheek. As well-intended as that might seem (for those bystanders who could then witness real Forgiveness in motion), it is an act that actually causes great harm to the one so provoked … As such, we are to avoid provoking others to attack. Instead, we are simply to allow wrongdoings to arrive (rest assured, they will), and then to be ready to offer the other cheek to those “wrongdoing” them.
*Note in addition that Love is a verb with Jesus – that praying for those who persecute us is not in & of itself enough – that we must Love them and pray for them (while we Love them) … Note as well that we do not do so in order to become Children of God, but rather do so solely to enable the perpetrator to remember his or her own innate Divinity — and thereby inadvertently become Children of the Father ourselves thereby.
*Finally, note in closing that the Bible quite clearly shows that Jesus’ heavenly Father judges no one (see John 5:22 & Luke 14:15-24 et al), but rather that He shines his Light (i.e. His unconditional, perfect Love – Matthew 5:48) on all and sends the spiritual nourishment of his “rain” upon all as well.
Amen … Praise be that it is so.
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