More than a day Part Two

 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.  If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.  If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again.  But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.  Luke 6: 32-36

In the famous words of the theologian Charlie Brown..."Good grief!"  This isn't getting any easier.  A second time Jesus brings up the loving your enemies invitation and know we aren't suppose to expect anything in return?  That is challenging wisdom because sometimes I wanted to love my enemies...take the high road...to feel a bit superior.  I want to love them as the Apostle Paul (quoting Proverbs 25:22) once put it, "To heap burning coals on their head."  (Romans 12:20).  Like some bad action movie where instead of violence, we offer discounted chocolate to our enemies..."There take that!"  This cuts to the core of motivation and intention.  Why do we love someone?

We love that person because she or he is in the image of God.  To be sure, we may think the divine spark was extinguished long ago...we may come up with all kinds of rational and reasonable lists of why we should not love that person.  But once we start making naughty and nice lists, it can tend to devolve pretty quickly.  Jesus is saying that loving our enemies means that we seek their well-being and pray for them.

And that wasn't just Jesus.  He is actually borrowing that Jeremiah 29:7, "But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare."  Quick history...Jeremiah was a prophet when Babylon came in...conquered the Holy Land...carted leaders off to live in Babylon where an eye could be kept on them...oh yeah and destroyed the holy temple Solomon built.  Wait!!!  Seek the welfare of those people?  You see, Jesus was grounded and rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures...he was Jewish.  And these echos of Scripture called him to live his life differently.  And remember...loving your enemy...in those days was Rome.  As in the people who taxed you.  As in the people who had the gall to put Caesar's face on a coin with the phrase, 'Son of God'....remember there is a commandment in the Top Ten about not doing that.  Rome as in the one who ruled with an iron fist and crucified people.   Loving your enemy wasn't just some nice idea in Jesus' day...it was every bit as challenging then and there as it is here and now.

Perhaps that is why God keeps sending people to preach about love.  Jeremiah...Jesus...King...Angelou...and on and on.  And especially in a time when we are so divided and fear-filled and hurting and disconnected despite that amazing computing device on which you are reading this blog...these words just ruffle our feathers.  But on this Valentine's Day week, I need something other than sappy sentimentalism...I need a love that challenges my whole way of being.  A way that I sense is actually a pathway to God's grace and presence and peace for all creation.  A way that is good news for all people.  A way that is the path of Jesus.

Lord grant that I might have the courage and conviction to walk this risky way of love, trusting that it lead to You.

Grace and peace everyone ~~