Journeying to Easter - Part 1Sample

Love your enemies

In this passage, Jesus challenges us to rise above the conventional wisdom of the time. The call to love our enemies goes against human instinct and societal norms. We often find it easier to love those who love us and to hold resentment towards those who wrong us.

Still, Jesus offers a radical perspective: true love transcends boundaries and is not conditioned by our feelings or the actions of others. Loving our enemies is an act of grace and a reflection of God’s character. God doesn’t hold back His blessings from those who oppose Him; He loves them unconditionally, sending sun and rain to the righteous and unrighteous alike.

By loving our enemies and praying for them, we align ourselves with God’s heart and demonstrate a maturity in our faith that transcends the standards of the world. I’ve found in my younger years that when I’ve held offence towards someone, 99% of the time, I mistook the tone or agenda of a conversation and then made it out to be the opposite of what the other person was trying to convey. I had to stop myself, have the conversation with that person, and sort it out before I let that ‘yuck’ feeling fester within me! Consider someone in your life with whom you have conflict or difficulty. Instead of harbouring negativity, commit to actively loving that person. This might look like offering kindness, praying for health and wholeness for them, or even finding common ground. When we embrace this challenge, we not only deepen our walk with Christ but also become powerful vessels of His love in a world that desperately needs it.

Written by DANNIEBELLE WHIPPY