Devotion:
For an audio version of this devotion, click here.
Read Matthew 5:43-48.
When Jesus delivers the sermon on the mount, it doesn’t take him long to get to meddling. “What do you mean, Jesus? We’re supposed to love the folks who hate us? How are we supposed to do that? You’re kidding, right?” But Jesus wasn’t kidding. This teaching is at the very core of Jesus’ message to us. It is the heart of God’s message of love for all persons regardless of how they may feel about God. By extension, as followers of Jesus, it is at the very heart of who we are called to be.
It is not an easy task, for sure. As I write this devotion, we are in the midst of the most divisive political contest that I have ever seen in my lifetime. Attempts have been made to divide us into political camps where everyone who believes differently is considered an enemy. As you are reading this devotion, we have just celebrated Veterans Day, a day to remember and honor the military service of all men and women who have served in the armed forces. When we honor their service we remember the wars they have fought and the enemies they have faced. Yet, in reality, we are all God’s children, we are all God’s creation equally loved by the creator, and by extension, to be equally loved by us. The only way that we can do this is by prayerfully seeking strength from God so that we can live into God’s expectation for us to love all people regardless of whether they love us in return. When we do this, we will find healing deep within us as we become whole in Christ.
Personal Worship Option:
Pray, “Gracious God, I realize that loving all persons, even our enemies, is at the heart of Jesus’ teaching. I also realize that it is not always in our nature to do so. I need your help to love others in the same way that you love me. Open my eyes to what we hold in common and lead me in the path that leads to healing and wholeness with you. Amen.”
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