Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with it." Exodus 23:4-5
Have you ever experienced a time when someone helped you in some special way? Maybe this person was familiar to you…a family member or friend…and came through at a time they knew you needed help. Maybe the person was a complete stranger to you who saw you were in need and extended their assistance to you, never expecting anything in return but just wanting to help you in a time of need. Sadly, we rarely even get to know these strangers who do acts of kindness for us, remembering the experience but not necessarily the name. And maybe that’s the way God wants it to be. For I believe He would put emphasis on the act of kindness more than the person who is doing the act. And the main outcome from the kind works of another is that we are often affected in a way that makes us feel good inside and, in my opinion, prepped to do the same toward another person.
In today’s passage from Exodus, chapter 23, God gives the people of Israel direction as to how to respond when they get faced with opportunities to do something good and make a difference. But there is a twist involved. For God isn’t talking about doing acts of kindness to strangers or family or friends but rather to an enemy or to someone who hates you. As God so often does, He challenges us to move beyond the realm of the world who would say hate those who hate you and be an enemy to those who are your enemies.
Question: How well do you help those who hate you? Would you even consider helping someone you consider to be an enemy?
Left to our own devices, we would turn our backs on anyone who treats us badly. But that isn’t what the Lord requires. Let’s see what else God’s word says on this matter to further reinforce God’s word in Exodus.
Here’s a passage from Proverbs…"If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you." (Proverbs 25:21-22) Your enemy doesn’t expect that you will do anything good for them. When you do treat them well despite the way they treat you, the Lord will convict them for their actions against you and their conscienceness will be seared by the "burning coals" heaped on it. This act of conviction by way of the Holy Spirit can help move your enemy toward realizing their wrongs and considering reconciliation.
Consider this passage from 1st Peter… "Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened. "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. (1 Peter 3:13-17) Have you ever thought that our decision to not love or care for an enemy makes us just as bad as they are? What really separates us from them and the world if we don’t respond with the same forgiving, compassionate words of Christ on the cross who said, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do"? Indeed, if we want to show Jesus is in our hearts, we are to love others, even our enemies, so that we will have a clear conscience while our enemies are left "ashamed of their slander".
But what gets in the way of us loving our enemies? Paul gives us the reason in Romans…"So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:21-25) Satan does not want reconciliation. He would rather everyone be at odds, immersed in hatred, resentment and conflict. These things are not of Christ and take us away from His commands to love. Interestingly enough, Jesus mentions love in 75 verses of the gospels while hate gets mentioned 22 times. You tell me where the greater emphasis is.
Here’s what Jesus, the One who rescues us from our bodies of death, had to say on this matter of loving enemies…"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you…love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." (Luke 6:27-28, 35-36) It’s about love and this leads us to mercy and grace…the same love, mercy and grace that has us here this very moment while I am writing and you are soon to be reading. If God can love us and forgive us despite our sinfulness, then we can love and forgive one another…even our enemies.
And if we do so…if we can let the words of these scriptures penetrate our hearts and realize that we are truly "God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10) When we surrender our will to His and allow Him to guide us through any and all situations in life, including relationships with friend and foe, we can hopefully echo the words and feelings of the Teacher in Ecclesiastes when he wrote, "I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live." (Ecclesiastes 3:12) Through Jesus Christ living within our hearts, we can do just that. Do you have Him in your heart today?
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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