Love Your Enemy
Mt 5:43-46 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
"But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you, so that you may become sons of your Father in Heaven. For He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same?"
Lu 6:27-30, 32-36 "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who despitefully use you.
"And to him who strikes you on the one cheek, also offer the other. And to him who takes away your garment, do not forbid your tunic also.
"Give to everyone who asks of you, and from him who takes away your goods, do not ask them again...
"For if you love those who love you, what thanks do you have? For sinners also love those who love them.
"And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks do you have? For sinners also do the same.
"And if you lend to those of whom you hope to receive, what thanks do you have? For sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return. And your reward shall be great, and you shall be the sons of the Highest. For He is kind to the unthankful and to the evil.
"Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is merciful."
To paraphrase Art Linkletter, as it turns outward love "does the darnest things."
Snoopy shares Christmas with the Red Baron. A stranger rescues someone else's child during a New Orleans flood. A missionary takes the Gospel to a South American tribe that kills him.
A hand is extended, then taken or slapped away. Makes no difference. The extension of the hand is all that matters form our point of view. What happens afterward speaks of God's love and the human capacity to learn and fail.
First love.
Real love.
"Greater love hath no man..."
