Friday, December 18, 2009

Enabling?

Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. (Luke 7:27-28)

Familiar passage right? Love your enemies, pray for them, do good to them, I know, I get it, I do that (sometimes.) Don't I? I have struggled with these words and what they really mean. Who is my enemy? Who is it that curses me or abuses me? And what does it mean to "do good" to them or to "bless" them? Isn't it just enabling them at some point if they just keep on cursing and hating and abusing? Isn't it simply unjust to continue doing good to someone who doesn't act grateful?

I have prayed and cried, and been outraged and angry, and overjoyed and delighted, and hurt and lonely, and humbled and grateful because of these verses many times in the last several months. I have felt betrayed by those "enemies" I have tried to bless, and I have felt betrayed by other believers who have questioned my "blessing." I have been sure that I am right and that I am loving the way that Jesus loved, and other times I have been sure that my skeptics are right and my "doing good" is just enabling people to continue in sinful patterns. These things seem so easy to figure out, until you actually DO them!

Today, my husband read me this passage (because he is preaching through Luke right now) and I was amazed at the rest of the story here. I always read over it so quickly before. Here is the rest.

Luke 7

27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

There is so much here, and I won't bore you with my thoughts on all of it, but a couple things really hit me upside the head today. "from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either." and "Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back." This is REALLY radical! Is there ever a time when you can give too much? Seriously?

When someone steals from you and then comes and asks you to help them, what do you do? (v. 29b) If you are tempted to say, "well if they repent of stealing from me then maybe I would help them," look again at the verses... they never mention repentance. Jesus is talking about ENEMIES here! Those who curse you and abuse you!

When someone needs your help (I'm talking real, tangible, uncomfortable, financial, burden-yourself help) and you KNOW that they are going to go out the next day and buy cigarettes and beer and run themselves into debt again, what do you do? (v. 30) Again, Jesus never mentions anyone "getting their act together," he just says "give to everyone... do not demand... love... bless... pray... offer... lend... be merciful"

Is God "enabling" me every time He gives me another breath knowing that, more often than not, I am going to use that breath to build my own kingdom rather than His? Is He "enabling" me every time He gives me a penny, knowing that, more often than not, I am going to use it to fulfill my own temporary desires rather than further the cause of Christ? Probably. But He keeps on giving!

35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Wow! This is an amazing love, and one that I think we are supposed to emulate. Not easy, but freeing. I think it's OK to love! I think it's OK to err on the side of grace. I think it's OK to help someone who squanders away your blessing. God does it with me everyday.

Lord,
Teach me to love better, to love more, and to love freely. Keep me focused on the "great reward" to come, when I will be allowed to live an eternity in Your presence where there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore. Let the consequences of giving freely in this fallen world be overshadowed in my heart by the thought of the joy that awaits me.