June 14, 2016
Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. Mt_5:43-48
We’ve been hearing a lot lately about Mercy! And it’s been coming, not only from the Vatican, but from our Scriptures as well. We heard about David, Bathsheba and Uriah on Sunday. We heard about Ahab, Jezebel and Naboth on Monday. And today we hear Jesus telling us to love our enemies. It’s not easy, living this Christian life. It almost feels – against human nature not to lash out at those who hurt us. And our culture promotes it (revenge) to the extreme.
As Christians we have to ask ourselves – is it truly worth it to drag that enemy down into the fires of hell, knowing that in doing so, it will be our eternal home as well? I know, sometimes the hurt is so intense, that we don’t even care. But God DOES care. He really doesn’t want ANY one of us to have to suffer THAT! And that’s why, sometimes, His recommendations, His commandments, even seem to hurt themselves! But it’s well worth the listen, beloved! It’s well worth the following. God will repair it all in the end! Mercy is not necessarily forgiveness of an unrepentant sinner. It may just be our un-revenged acceptance of God’s justice – that’s mercy! Trust in God, beloved. Don’t let Satan drag us into the same evil that has befallen us. LOVE.
Love will conquer all!
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