THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CHRISTIANITY AND OTHER RELIGIONS. ONE OF THOSE DIFFERENCES IS THE WAY WE TREAT THOSE WHO ARE OUR ENEMIES.
THIS IS ONE OF THE CONSISTENT TEACHINGS OF JESUS. JESUS MODELED FOR US THE WAY HE WANTS US TO DEAL WITH OUR ENEMIES. JESUS’ SAYS THAT WE SHOULD NEVER TREAT OUR ENEMIES BASED ON WHAT WE THINK THEY DESERVE.
SO, HOW ARE WE TO REACT TO OUR ENEMIES? THE NATURAL REACTION OF ONE WHO DOES NOT KNOW CHRIST IS TO STRIKE BACK AND TO SEEK THE GREATEST RETRIBUTION POSSIBLE. BUT THIS IS NOT THE CHRISTIAN RESPONSE.
IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SUCCESS IN OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE AND ALLOW GOD TO MINISTRY THROUGH US TO THE WORLD THEN WE MUST FIRMLY GRASP THIS CONCEPT. WE MUST DIGEST IT AND MAKE IT A PART OF WHO WE ARE. THE CHRISTIAN RESPONSE IS TO BLESS THOSE WHO PERSECUTE US.
THE WORD BLESS COMES FROM TWO GREEK WORDS MEANING "TO SPEAK" AND "WELL." IN OTHER WORDS, IT MEANS “TO SPEAK WELL OF A PERSON.”
ONE OF THE CLOSEST WORDS WE HAVE IN ENGLISH TO TRANSLATE THESE TWO GREEK WORDS IS "EULOGIZE." SO, TO BLESS YOUR ENEMIES, IS TELLING US TO EULOGIZE THEM. WE MUST SPEAK WELL OF THEM IN ALL OCCASIONS.
THAT IS THE CHRISTIAN RESPONSE AND IT IS AN UNEXPECTED RESPONSE. IT TESTIFIES TO THE WORLD THAT WE ARE DIFFERENT AND RESPOND DIFFERENTLY.
D.L. MOODY, IN ONE OF HIS SERMONS, PORTRAYS THE LORD JESUS GIVING DIRECTION TO PETER AFTER HIS RESURRECTION ON THIS VERY CONCEPT. MOODY SAID, "GO, FIND THE MAN WHO THRUST HIS SPEAR INTO MY SIDE AND TELL HIM THERE IS A MUCH QUICKER WAY TO MY HEART. FIND THE MAN WHO CROWNED ME WITH THORNS AND TELL HIM I SHOULD LIKE TO GIVE HIM A CROWN OF LIFE."
THIS IS THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST. INDEED, HE PRACTICED WHAT HE PREACHED. ON THE CROSS, HE PRAYED FOR THOSE WHO HUNG HIM THERE. A THIEF WHO HAD ONCE CURSED HIM HAD THE GATES OF PARADISE OPENED TO HIM AS HE TURNED TO CHRIST.
EVEN AFTER HE DIED, IT WAS THIS VERY ATTITUDE JESUS DISPLAYED THAT CAUSED THE ROMAN CENTURION IN CHARGE OF THE CRUCIFIXION TO SAY, "THIS WAS THE SON OF GOD."
PAUL ENCOURAGES US TO IMMULATE THIS SAME ATTITUDE SO THAT OTHERS WILL SAY OF US, “THIS IS DEFINITELY A CHILD OF GOD.”
PAUL WROTE THIS TWELTH CHAPTER OF ROMANS BECAUSE HE WANTED CHRISTIANS TO PUT FLESH ON THE BONES OF JESUS CHRIST’S GREATEST COMMANDMENT TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
PAUL HAD GOOD REASON TO WRITE SUCH A LETTER. THE CHURCH IN ROME WAS SPLITTING DOWN THE MIDDLE IN TWO DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
INSIDE, BY CONFLICT BETWEEN JEWISH CHRISTIANS AND GENTILE CHRISTIANS. OUTSIDE, BY CONFLICT BETWEEN CHRISTIANS AND NON-CHRISTIAN ROMANS.
NEEDLESS TO SAY, THERE WERE CUTS, BRUISES, BLACK EYES, AND BAD FEELINGS ALL OVER THE PLACE. CHRISTIAN TESTIMONY WAS A MESS AT BEST.
CLAIMING THE POWER OF GOODNESS AND LOVING ONE ANOTHER, AT LEAST UNTIL SOMEONE CROSSED THEM. THEN “ALL BETS WERE OFF” AND SOON GOODNESS AND LOVE FELL PRETTY MUCH BY THE WAYSIDE BECAUSE RETALIATION PROVED TO BE NOT ONLY THEIR INTENT, BUT WHAT THEY REALLY BELIEVED.
FOR ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN ON THE RECEIVING END OF A REALLY GRIEVOUS WRONG CAN AT LEAST UNDERSTAND WHY CHRISTIANS IN ROME RESPONDED THE WAY THEY DID.
AFTER ALL ISN’T IT NATURAL TO CRY “I’VE BEEN WRONGED AND SOMEONE SHOULD PAY FOR THIS!” DOESN’T IT SEEM NORMAL TO JUSTIFY REVENGE BY SAYING “IF I DON’T DO SOMETHING SOMEBODY ELSE COULD GET HURT!”
YES, THOSE RESPONSES CAN BE RATIONALIZED AND JUSTIFIED IF YOU ARE A NOT A CHRISTIAN. BUT WE ARE CHRISTIANS AND WE HAVE BEEN CALLED TO A HIGHER STANDARD OF REACTION.
JESUS NEVER PREACHED THE MESSAGE OF FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE. SO, WHEN SOMEONE GETS THE BEST OF US, WE MUST FIGHT THAT HUMAN INSTINCT THAT TRIES TO TRICK US INTO BELIEVING THAT WE’LL BE ANNIHILATED (A-NILE-LATED) IF WE DON’T FIGHT BACK!
PAUL MADE HIS PLEA VERY UNDERSTANDABLE: DO NOT REPAY ANYONE EVIL FOR EVIL!” I DON’T THINK HE COULD HAVE MADE IT ANY MORE ELEMENTARY THAN THAT! WHY? BECAUSE PAUL HAD INCREDIBLE FAITH IN THE POWER OF LOVE.
PAUL UNDERSTOOD THAT THE REAL ENEMY IS NOT WHOEVER PUSHES US DOWN ON THE GROUND, BUT WHATEVER IS INSIDE OF US THAT WANTS TO GET RIGHT UP AND PUSH THE PUSHER BACK.
EVIL IS NEVER SATISFIEDWITH CONTROLLING JUST ONE SIDE OF THE SITUATION. EVIL’S GOAL IS TO INFECT BOTH SIDES AND EVERYONE INVOLVED – THE VICTIM AS WELL AS THE BULLY, THE PLAINTIFF ALONG WITH THE DEFENDANT, THE OFFENDED ALONG WITH THE OFFENDER.
WHEN EVERYONE HAS THEIR DUKES IN THE AIR THEN THE ENEMY WILL HAVE WON BECAUSE THE WHOLE POINT IS TO RECRUIT THE GOOD GUYS BY MAKING THEM BELIEVE THEY ARE STOPPING THE BAD GUYS FOR GOD’S GLORY!
PAUL TELLS US SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT. “BLESS THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU; BLESS AND DO NOT CURSE THEM.” THE MOMENT YOU CURSE YOUR ENEMY YOU JOIN THEM!
NO MATTER HOW GOOD IT MAY FEEL TO CURSE THE MOMENT YOU’RE HURT, IT IS STILL PUTTING UP THE WHITE FLAG OF SURRENDER TO THE FORCES OF EVIL IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND TO YOUR ENEMY IN THE LOVE OF CHRIST.
THE ONLY WAY WE CONQUER EVIL IS BY ABSORBING IT INTO OURSELVES AND ALLOWING THE POWER OF GOD’S SPIRIT TO DISARM IT! WE MUST ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO TAKE THE EVIL POURED ON US SO HE CAN NEUTRALIZE ITS CORROSIVE ACIDS.
BREATHING IN, SUCKING IT UP, AND TURNING IT OVER TO GOD IS OUR ONLY HOPE AND OUR ONLY OPTION SO THAT WHEN WE EXHALE THE AIR THAT WE BREATHE OUT IS PURE AND HOLY.
THIS IS WHAT PAUL MEANT WHEN HE SAID IN VERSE 20, “IF YOUR ENEMIES ARE HUNGRY, FEED THEM, IF THEY ARE THIRSTY, GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO DRINK; FOR BY DOING THIS YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON THEIR HEADS.”
BY RESPONDING IN THE LOVE OF CHRIST TOWARDS OUR ENEMIES, WE FEED THEM, GIVE THEM DRINK, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, INTRODUCE THEM TO JESUS CHRIST.
THAT’S WHAT THE BURNING COALS WERE ALL ABOUT. THIS IS A METAPHOR FOR “THE BURNING PANGS OF SHAME.” ACTING KINDLY TOWARD OUR ENEMIES IS A MEANS BY WHICH WE LEAD THEM INTO BEING ASHAMED OF THEIR CONDUCT TOWARD US.
IT ALSO IS A WAY OF GIVING THEM A CHANCE TO REPENT AND TURN TO THE LORD WHOSE LOVE WE EMBODY.
AS CHRISTIANS WE ARE CALLED TO RESPOND POSITIVELY WITH ACTS OF KINDNESS TO ALL FORMS OF HOSTILITY. OUR MISSION IS TO BRING ABOUT A SHARP CHANGE OF MIND IN OUR ENEMIES BY OFFERING THEM ACTS OF LOVE.
THIS, AS PAUL SAID, IS HOW YOU KEEP YOURSELF FROM BEING OVERCOME BY EVIL BECAUSE YOU ARE TOO BUSY OVERCOMING EVIL WITH GOOD.
BY RESPONDING TO EVIL WITH THE GOOD RATHER THAN WITH EVIL, WE GAIN A VICTORY OVER THAT EVIL. NOT ONLY HAVE WE NOT ALLOWED IT TO CORRUPT OUR OWN MORAL INTEGRITY, BUT WE HAVE DISPLAYED THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST BEFORE A WATCHING AND SKEPTICAL WORLD.
I THINK ABRAHAM LINCOLN SAID IT BEST WHEN HE SAID, “DO I NOT CONQUER MY ENEMY BY MAKING HIM MY FRIEND?” SIMPLY PUT, IT IS REVERSING THE PROCESS OF EVIL.
THE ONLY WAY TO REVERSE THE PROCESS OF EVIL IS TO BEHAVE IN TOTALLY UNEXPECTED WAYS – BLESSING THE PERSECUTOR, FEEDING THE ENEMY, EMBRACING THE BIG, BAD BULLY – BREAKING THE VICIOUS CYCLE BY REFUSING TO PARTICIPATE IN IT ANYMORE.
THAT IS WHAT LOVE IS! LOVE IN ITS FULLEST EXPRESSION IS THE IMMITATION OF JESUS CHRIST. IMMITATING JESUS CHRIST, WHO TOOK ALL THE MEANNESS OF THE WORLD AND RAN IT THROUGH THE FILTER OF HIS OWN BODY.
BY RUNNING IT THROUGH THE FILTER OF HIS OWN BODY HE WAS ABLE TO REPAY EVIL WITH GOOD, EXCHANGE BLAME WITH PARDON, AND REDEEM DEATH WITH LIFE.
MAYBE WE COULD CALL THIS “DIVINE REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY.” WHATEVER WE DO CALL IT, THE FACT IS THAT IF IT WORKED ONCE WITH JESUS IT CAN WORK AGAIN WHENEVER GOD CAN FIND SOMEONE WHO IS WILLING TO GIVE IT A TRY.
CONTINUE STRIVING TO BECOME SPIRITUALLY SUCCESSFUL! INCORPORATE A HEALTHY PERSPECTIVE AND GOD-EMPOWERED RESPONSE TOWARDS YOUR ENEMIES!
