The MountSample

Verses: Matthew 5:33-48 Title: The Heart of the Matter, Part 2 Today you will learn: Keep your word, despite how slight. Love your enemies, despite their might. When I was in 8th grade, I went to a friend’s birthday party. He invited several guys my age and we were hanging out by an electric fence (good things happen there… right?). We were all goofing around, and one boy told me if I grabbed onto the electric fence for 3 seconds, he would give me $3. Me being the fool I was, jumped on the ‘opportunity’. Of course, this left me with a big jolt, I jumped back and was holding my hand in pain. I came to the guy who made the deal and said, ‘Where is my money you promised?’ He said, ‘You’re not getting it.’ Not only did my hand hurt, I felt like a fool for trusting him. Isn’t it terrible when someone makes a commitment to you and then breaks it? Those who make a habit of that are completely untrustworthy. Relationships can be hurt or ended because of it. We can’t expect people to trust us when we don’t follow through with our word. We shouldn’t have to make promises or oaths for people to believe what we say. In fact, Jesus tells us “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’, and your ‘No’ be ‘No’. We should be so trustworthy that when we make a commitment, big or small, others know we’ll follow through! What about those you cannot trust at all; perhaps even an enemy; how should you respond to them? Jesus talked about that too! He commanded us ‘Love your enemies’. Even if we can’t trust certain people, or if they’ve done something wrong to us, we’re called to love them. Jesus even showed us this love when he was on the cross. He said in Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” He wasn’t talking about the disciples, he was talking about those who put him on the cross! So love your enemies in the same way. How can you be more trustworthy? How can you love your enemies more? Summit Prayer: Lord, help me be a person who is true to my word, no matter how big or small the commitment is. Help me to love others unconditionally, no matter how much of a friend or enemy others are to me. In Jesus’ name, amen.