2-24-2019

 Good Morning All,

Luke 6: 27-28; ““But I tell everyone who is listening: Love your enemies. Be kind to those who hate you.  Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who insult you.”

    Nasty sins they are.  Those sins that we have, cling to oftentimes, keep them right where we need them.  We don’t admit it; perhaps even to ourselves but they are there, right below the surface waiting to pop like an over ripe tomato.  We all have them and one of them is hatred.

    I know, we don’t hate anyone.  We may hate that group half way around the world that is causing harm but we don’t hate anyone here, especially someone who we have met.  When Jesus is telling this to his disciples, he continues with if someone slaps you turn the other cheek, if they take your coat give them your shirt, if they borrow something don’t expect to get it back.  Of course, we live this way, right??

    I live this way, except for that guy in college.  I loaned him a book, once.  I am a bibliophile (book lover).  That joker never returned it.  He never got another book from me.  That neighbor, who lets his dog answer nature’s call on my property; I bought a pellet gun last week.  That guy that parks his oversize pickup and takes three or four parking places; the shopping cart slipped when it scratched the side.  If the snowplow goes by one more time after I clean the walk and shoots snow right where I already cleaned; he is going to hear about it.  But I don’t hate anyone, not me.

    Hate is not always violent.  Hate is an anger that burns within.  Hate causes us to not only look for the bad in others (to justify our thoughts) but desires bad things happen to them.  You might call it indifference but that is just to mollify your conscience as you remember times you did the same thing.  We do not love our brother as we should; most of the time we actually hate them.  We wish they were gone, or suffered some pain or indignity.  When Jesus speaks of hatred; it is not something half way around the world that I can “love”.  It is the guy I speak to, listen to, interact with and see face to face, in the flesh up close and personal.

   Those are the hardest to love.  They are the hardest to love because they cause real pain.  Their selfishness, arrogance, self-centeredness causes us pain.  People who insult you, takes what is yours, even your dignity are people we are to love, really?  Yes, really!  Jesus loves everyone.  The hater, the braggart, the selfish one, the close minded one; all of them are loved by Jesus.  All of them had their sins paid for on the cross, just like we did.  What Jesus wants is for us to recognize that we are sinners and that we need forgiveness.

    Jesus wants us to live a better life, more like his but we first need to recognize that we are sinners.  I do hate some people.  I need God’s forgiveness and I need God’s Spirit to try and be a better person, one who is obedient of God’s will.  God invites us to unburden our hearts of our sin, but we must recognize that it exists and repent.

Father, forgive me for my many sins especially when I do not love.  Cleanse me that I may be your servant in your kingdom.  Guide me to look to you in all that I do and say.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret