First Sunday after Trinity (Proper 8)

Love Your Enemies

Lev. 19:1—2, 9—18 Love your neighbour; Ps. 119:33—40 Trust in God's word; 1 Cor. 3:10—11, 16—23 Building God's Temple; Matt. 5:38—48 Love your enemies

'You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy. " But l say to you, Love your enemies.' Matthew 5:43-44

Oberammergau

In the German town of Oberammergau, a Passion play's produced every ten years. After the powerful depiction of the crucifixion in the theatre, a united service is held in the little Lutheran church nearby. One day, during the production in the year z000, an elderly Englishman was seen coming out of the church in tears. When the chaplain asked him why, he replied it was because it was the first time he'd ever said the ‘Our Father' together with a German, kneeling side by side. During the war, he'd been taught to hate all Germans because they were the enemy. Now he'd understood that every German, whether they'd fought in the war or not, is his brother or sister, children of the same heavenly Father. He knew at last what Jesus meant by ‘Love your enemies'.

What enemies do

The difficulty, of course, is that we have to hate what our enemies do, while loving them as people. Hate the sin and love the sinner. For those who are pacifists, this involves submitting to the worst your enemies can do to you without using violence to resist. For others, it'll be a question of defending your friends and family while using minimum force. And when anyone does something bad, it doesn't mean leaving them unpunished, or they'll never learn to be good. But it does mean punishing them, not in order to get revenge, but in such a way as to build up their character, because you love them. Compare the relationship of parent and child: you'll use gentle discipline to help your child towards personal growth, and you'll tell your child that no matter how you hate what they do, you'll always love your children.

Personal relationships

For this command to love our enemies isn't only about international relations, war and peace; it's also about personal relationships. It's about how you treat the person who's done you a really bad turn, or been cruel to you. No revenge, says Jesus; learn to love them instead. Now, this would be impossible if it was a matter of how you feel about them. Your feelings aren't under your control to that extent. It would even be wrong to like someone who does evil. One sort of love comes from your feelings, and you can't help loving those who love you. But loving your enemies is an act of the will. However much you hate what they do, you decide to treat them in a kind, compassionate and caring way, to do what's in their long-term best interests. You make up your mind to behave towards them in a loving way.

Christians only

This decision that ‘I will love my enemy' is only possible if you're a Christian. Christians know that we've made ourselves God's enemies by our sin and disobedience. Yet even so, Jesus laid down his life for us, the just for the unjust. In gratitude for that, we must love those whom Jesus loves, and Jesus loves everybody. It's only possible if you open your heart to Jesus and let him come in, and then Jesus will love your enemies through you, no matter what your feelings are. Loving enemies is a job for which only Christians need apply.

To be like God

The reason why Christians will want to love their enemies, is because it makes us like God. God doesn't make sure that the life-giving rain only falls on the crops in the fields of good people, leaving the bad people's fields dry and parched. Though you perhaps know the little parody of Jesus's words which runs:

The rain it raineth every day upon the just and unjust feller,
but chiefly on the just, because the unjust has the just's umbrella!

But God's love is universal, undiscriminating, even for his enemies. God made us to be like him. So God will give us the grace to love even our enemies, like God does. Where do you start? By kneeling down and praying for them, even praying with them if it's possible. Say the ‘Our Father' for them. Nobody can hate someone whom they've just declared to be their brother or sister.

All-age worship

Write on a piece of paper the names of people you find it hard to love. Don't show anybody, but fold it and take it to a safe place where you can make a cross inscribed ‘Jesus loved me when I was his enemy.' Then burn the paper at the foot of the cross.

Suggested hymns

For the healing of the nations; It is a thing most wonderful; Make me a channel of your peace; There is a green hill far away.