Ezekiel 16-17
“FORGIVING YOUR ENEMIES”
When Josh was a little boy we tried to teach him how to pray. He says, “I’ll pray for the good guys but I’m not gonna pray for the bad guys.”
When Nate and Josh would watch movies, they used to ask, “Is this a Mama movie”?
Last night I joined Nathan as he was watching a movie, a “Papa Movie”, which was called the Shape of Water. It was about a monster from the deep waters. All had observed that the monster had special qualities. It was discovered that he was able to heal people and people thought he had God-like qualities. There was one particular man who set out to kill him. In the end the monster had to go back to the water where he “must” reside . . . with the man obsessed with trying to kill him, catching up to him just before the creature was getting back into the water.
The water monster turned back toward the man in pursuit of him . . . in that instant I wondered if the monster was going to heal or kill his enemy, his pursuer. He killed him.
If the creature had indeed been like Jesus, he would have healed his enemy from his physical wounds and from his self-inflicted hate, obsessions and sins . . . To give him a future and renewed life.
The “monster” and the “man of chase” had the sin of omission:
“I lived for myself, I thought for myself,
For myself, and none beside–
Just as if Jesus had never lived,
As if He had never died.”
Luke 6:27-36 Love for Enemies
27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.
30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.
33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.
34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. ‘
35 But 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 children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
“Link to YouTube Video – Love Your Enemies
