Jesus said,
“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, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
Matthew 5:43-45
How do we apply these words to the American political climate? First we need to recognize the meaning of the word “love.” This word does not mean we are to feel good toward those who are harming us. It does not mean that we must agree with our political opposites. Jesus used the Greek word, “agape.” This is the word that Paul defined in 1 Corinthians 13.
Verses 4-7 read,
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
These are serious requirements. We must struggle with the command to love our enemies. We will never accomplish this if we do not follow the command of Jesus to, “Pray” for our enemies. Do you pray daily for those that you believe are ruining our country?
More than that we need to pray for ourselves. Jesus said we become like God as His children by loving our enemies. Only God can bring that about in our hearts and lives. He alone can produce real love in us for other people.
And we had better practice extraordinary prayer for our country. We will continue to be divided, often ridiculously, if God does not bring about this change in our hearts.
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Thank you for highlighting this important message, David. I keep thinking that Christians are to set this example by praying for unity (not sameness, but harmony) among the various parts of the Body of Christ. What a powerful influence our prayers would have then! God bless you, and God bless our country with peace in Jesus' Name.
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