February 23, 2014
Matthew 5:38-44, 48 (The Promise)
38 "Here's another old saying that deserves a second look: 'Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.' 39 Is that going to get us anywhere? Here's what I propose: 'Don't hit back at all.' If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. 40 If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, gift wrap your best coat and make a present of it. 41 And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. 42 No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously. 43 "You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' 44 I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. 48 "In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.
With these words we are challenged to absorb evil rather than pass it on.
Easier said than done.
And maybe there are times when we have to fight fire with fire;
destroy rather than go the extra mile.
Yet, at it’s best this is still far from perfect and leaves much to be desired.
The “more excellent way” is to “over come evil with good.” Rom. 12:21
As Martin Luther King said and did.
“To our most better opponents we say: ‘We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering
by our capacity to endure suffering. We shall meets your physical force with soul force.
Do to us what you will, and we shall continue to love you…Throw us in jail, and we shall still love you. Bomb our homes ands threaten our children, land owe shall still love you.
Send your hooded perpetrators of violence into our community ate the midnight hour and beat us and leave us hals dead, land we sill still love you. But be ye assured that we will wear you down by our capacity to suffer. One day we shall win freedom, but not only for ourselves. We shall so appeal to your heart and conscience that we shall win you in the process, and our victory will be a double victory.’” Strength To Love
“The best way to stop evil is to
absorb it rather than pass it on.”
Prayer thought for the week: “Lord, help me to love more than hate, even love those I hate.”
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