ENEMY LOVE
Matthew 5:43-48
Rev. Paul Wrightman 3/9/25
A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO THERE WAS A POPULAR MOVEMENT
AMONG MANY EVANGELICAL AND MAINSTREAM CHRISTIANS
WHICH CENTERED AROUND THE QUESTION
WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?
WHEN FACED WITH A DIFFICULT MORAL DILEMMA,
I STILL FIND MYSELF ASKING THIS QUESTION,
WHICH CUTS THROUGH ALL NONESSENTIAL CONSIDERATIONS,
AND GETS TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER.
IN A SIMILAR WAY,
ASKING THE QUESTION WHAT WOULD JESUS ASK?
CAN BE A HELPFUL TOOL IN GETTING TO THE HEART
OF HOW JESUS THOUGHT,
AS LONG AS WE REMEMBER THAT FOR JESUS
(AND ST. PAUL AS WELL)
"THINKING" WAS NOT JUST A MATTER FOR THE MIND,
BUT FOR THE MIND AND HEART INDISSOLUBLY BOUND TOGETHER.
IN ASKING PIVOTAL, POINTED QUESTIONS,
JESUS WAS ACTING OUT OF THE JEWISH RABBINIC TRADITION
WHICH SAW STRATEGIC QUESTIONING AS THE BEST METHOD
OF UNTANGLING DIFFICULT THEOLOGICAL AND ETHICAL CONCEPTS.
FOLLOWING THE ORDER OF JESUS' QUESTIONS
THROUGHOUT THE GOSPELS, THE FIRST QUESTION WE ENCOUNTER,
IN TRADITIONAL LANGUAGE, IS:
IF YOU LOVE THOSE WHO LOVE YOU, WHAT REWARD WILL YOU GET?
(Matthew 5: 46)
EUGENE PETERSON, IN HIS CONTEMPORARY TRANSLATION,
RENDERS THIS AS
IF ALL YOU DO IS LOVE THE LOVABLE, WHAT GOOD IS THAT?
THIS QUESTION OCCURS IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT,
AND IS PROBABLY THE MOST CHALLENGING QUESTION
THAT JESUS EVER ASKED.
WE FIND IT IN THE SECTION OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
WHICH BEGINS "YOU HAVE HEARD THAT IT WAS SAID,
'LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AND HATE YOUR ENEMY.'
BUT I TELL YOU, LOVE YOUR ENEMIES.'"
JESUS, ANTICIPATING THAT HIS AUDIENCE
WILL ASK HIM THE QUESTION, BUT WHY,
WHY SHOULD WE LOVE OUR ENEMY?
DOES NOT HESITATE TO GIVE US THE REASON WHY:
SO THAT YOU MAY BE CHILDREN OF YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN.
(Matthew 5:45a)
THE UNAVOIDABLE IMPLICATION HERE IS THAT
GOD 'S CHILDREN ACT IN CERTAIN VERY SPECIFIC WAYS,
AND THAT ONE OF THESE VERY SPECIFIC WAYS
IS THAT THEY LOVE THEIR ENEMIES INSTEAD OF HATING THEM.
JESUS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWS THIS
WITH WHAT MANY CONSIDER TO BE THE MOST RADICAL,
THE MOST SHOCKING , THE MOST DEMANDING DESCRIPTION OF GOD
IN ANY OF THE WORLD'S MAJOR FAITH TRADITIONS:
"HE CAUSES HIS SUN TO RISE ON THE EVIL AND THE GOOD,
AND SENDS RAIN ON THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE UNRIGHTEOUS."
(Matthew 5:45b)
MOST OF US, VERY MUCH INCLUDING MYSELF,
WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT GOD FOLLOWS THE SAME PATTERN
OF REWARDING THE GOOD AND PUNISHING THE BAD THAT WE DO.
JESUS IS TELLING US HERE IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS
THAT IF WE THINK THIS WAY WE'RE WRONG, DEAD WRONG.
JESUS IS TELLING US THAT
GOD IS WAY BEYOND OUR NOTION OF RETRIBUTIVE JUSTICE,
OF PEOPLE GETTING WHAT THEY DESERVE.
GOD SIMPLY LOVES EVERYBODY, THE GOOD AND THE BAD,
THE LIKEABLE AND THE UNLIKEABLE, THE SAINT AND THE SINNER.
THIS RADICAL, SHOCKING, AND DEMANDING VISION OF GOD
ON THE PART OF JESUS IS ECHOED
IN THE FIRST, AND ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT,
OF COMMUNITY CHURCH'S TEN CORE VALUES:
GOD LOVES ALL PEOPLE.
I HOPE YOU CAN SEE HOW THIS CORE VALUE
IS NOT JUST LIMITED TO THEOLOGY,
BUT HAS UNAVOIDABLE IMPLICATIONS
FOR ETHICS AND POLITICS AS WELL:
IF GOD LOVES ALL PEOPLE,
AND WE CLAIM TO BE GOD'S FOLLOWERS,
THEN WE MUST LOVE ALL PEOPLE,
INCLUDING OUR ENEMIES, AS WELL.
IMMEDIATELY AFTER MAKING HIS ASTONISHING STATEMENT
ABOUT GOD'S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE,
JESUS POSES HIS FIRST QUESTION TO HIS ORIGINAL HEARERS,
JESUS POSES HIS FIRST QUESTION TO US:
IF ALL YOU DO IS LOVE THE LOVABLE, WHAT GOOD IS THAT?
(Matthew 5:46a)
IN ASKING THIS POINTED QUESTION
JESUS HIMSELF IS MAKING THE POINT
THAT GOD EXPECTS MORE FROM THOSE
WHO CLAIM TO BE GOD-FOLLOWERS;
JESUS EXPECTS MORE FROM THOSE
WHO CLAIM TO BE HIS FOLLOWERS.
JESUS EXPECTS HIS FOLLOWERS
TO EMBODY IN THEIR OWN LIVES -- OUR OWN LIVES --
THE VERY SAME CORE VALUES THAT GOD LIVES OUT
IN RELATION TO US.
AND FIRST AMONG THESE CORE VALUES
IS THE REALITY THAT GOD LOVES ALL PEOPLE,
INCLUDING THOSE WHO CONSIDER THEMSELVES
TO BE GOD'S ENEMIES.
THE TOTALLY UNEXPECTED NATURE OF SUCH A LOVE
IS CAPTURED IN THIS TRUE STORY
FROM THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION:
PETER MILLER, A BAPTIST MINISTER,
LIVED IN EPHRATA, PENNSYLVANIA,
AND WAS A FRIEND OF GEORGE WASHINGTON.
IN EPHRATA ALSO LIVED MICHAEL WITTMAN,
AN EVIL-MINDED SORT WHO DID ALL HE COULD
TO OPPOSE AND HUMILIATE THE PASTOR.
ONE DAY MICHAEL WITTMAN WAS ARRESTED FOR TREASON
AND SENTENCED TO DIE.
REV. PETER MILLER TRAVELED SEVENTY MILES ON FOOT
TO PHILADELPHIA TO PLEAD FOR THE LIFE OF THE TRAITOR.
"NO, PETER," GENERAL WASHINGTON SAID,
"I CANNOT GRANT YOU THE LIFE OF YOUR FRIEND."
"MY FRIEND!" EXCLAIMED THE PREACHER.
"HE'S THE BITTEREST ENEMY I HAVE."
"WHAT?" CRIED WASHINGTON.
"YOU'VE WALKED SEVENTY MILES TO SAVE THE LIFE OF AN ENEMY?
THAT PUTS THE MATTER IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT.
I'LL GRANT YOUR PARDON."
AND HE DID.
PETER MILLER TOOK MICHAEL WITTMAN BACK TO EPHRATA --
NO LONGER AN ENEMY, BUT A FRIEND."
(750 Engaging Illustrations, p.431.)
(END QUOTE)
I CAN IMAGINE PETER MILLER IN THIS CHALLENGING SITUATION
FEELING SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF:
NOW IS MY GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY
TO GET RID OF MY GREATEST ENEMY.
AND TO GET RID OF HIM, I DON'T HAVE TO DO A THING,
JUST LET CIRCUMSTANCES TAKE THEIR COURSE.
BUT THEN I CAN ALSO IMAGINE PETER MILLER,
IN SPITE OF HIS FEELINGS,
MOVING ON AND ASKING HIMSELF
WHAT WOULD JESUS DO IN THIS SITUATION?
BEING WELL-VERSED IN SCRIPTURE,
I IMAGINE PASTOR MILLER CONSIDERING
JESUS' TEACHING IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
AND BEING SEIZED BY THE VERY SAME QUESTION FROM JESUS
THAT WE ARE WRESTLING WITH TODAY:
IF ALL YOU DO IS LOVE THE LOVABLE, WHAT GOOD IS THAT?
GIVEN JESUS' CORE TEACHING THAT GOD LOVES ALL PEOPLE,
INCLUDING THE UNLOVABLE,
THE RESPONSE TO HIS QUESTION THAT JESUS HOPES TO HEAR IS
MUST BE SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF:
IF ALL I DO IS LOVE THE LOVABLE,
THAT SELF-SERVING ATTITUDE DOES ABSOLUTELY NOTHING
TO MOVE FORWARD GOD'S KINGDOM
OF FORGIVENESS, COMPASSION, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, AND PEACE.
WHAT IS JESUS ASKING OF US, HIS FOLLOWERS?
AT THE VERY END OF THIS SECTION IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
ON THE LOVE OF ENEMIES,
JESUS GIVES US THE REASON WHY HE ASKS THIS OF US.
JESUS WANTS US TO LIVE LIVES REFLECTIVE OF HOW GOD LIVES.
IN TRADITIONAL LANGUAGE:
BE PERFECT, THEREFORE, AS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS PERFECT.
(Matthew 5:48)
MY OWN TRANSLATION OF THIS VERSE WOULD BE:
BE AS INCLUSIVE IN YOUR LOVE FOR OTHERS
AS GOD IS INCLUSIVE IN GOD'S LOVE FOR OTHERS.
EUGENE PETERSON PROBABLY SAYS IT BEST WHEN HE WRITES:
LIVE GENEROUSLY AND GRACIOUSLY TOWARD OTHERS,
THE WAY GOD LIVES TOWARD YOU.
LIVING THIS WAY IS A DEFINITE SIGN THAT, ECHOING PETERSON,
WE'VE FINALLY GROWN UP INTO CITIZENS OF GOD'S KINGDOM,
AND ARE LIVING OUT OF OUR GOD-CREATED IDENTITY,
AND NOT OUT OF OUR PRIMAL HUMAN EMOTIONS
OF HATRED AND REVENGE.
I WANT TO OFFER NOW A SUBSTANTIVE ILLUSTRATION
OF WHAT LOVE OF ENEMY ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE IN PRACTICE.
IN OFFERING THIS ILLUSTRATION,
I HAVE TO CONFESS THAT I AM, PERSONALLY,
NOT NEARLY THE CHRISTIAN THAT THE PROTAGONIST
OF THIS TRUE STORY IS.
AT FIRST I FELT RATHER DISCOURAGED BY THIS STORY
SINCE I HAVE SUCH A LONG ROAD OF GROWTH AHEAD OF ME
TO GET TO THE PLACE THAT THE HERO OF THE STORY IS ALREADY.
BUT THEN I REALIZED THAT THIS STORY POSES A QUESTION
FOR ME PERSONALLY:
AM I GOING TO WRITE IT OFF, SO TO SPEAK,
BY LAMENTING THE DISTANCE IN SPIRITUAL GROWTH
BETWEEN ME AND HIM?
OR AM I GOING TO CHOOSE TO VIEW THIS STORY
NOT AS A CONDEMNATION OF WHERE I AM NOW,
BUT AS A CALL TO ALLOW MYSELF, TO CHALLENGE MYSELF
TO BECOME MORE LIKE THIS PERSON AND MORE LIKE JESUS?
SO I HAD TO MAKE THE CHOICE TO SEE THIS STORY
AS INSPIRING RATHER THAN DISCOURAGING.
HERE WE GO:
"ON THE MORNING OF SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1987,
IRISHMAN GORDON WILSON TOOK HIS DAUGHTER MARIE
TO A PARADE IN THE TOWN OF ENNISKILLEN, NORTHERN IRELAND.
AS WILSON AND HIS TWENTY-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER
STOOD BESIDE A BRICK WALL WAITING FOR
ENGLISH SOLDIERS TO COME MARCHING BY,
A BOMB PLANTED BY IRA TERRORISTS EXPLODED FROM BEHIND,
AND THE BRICK WALL COLLAPSED ON THEM.
THE BLAST INSTANTLY KILLED HALF A DOZEN PEOPLE
AND PINNED GORDON AND HIS DAUGHTER
BENEATH SEVERAL FEET OF BRICKS.
GORDON'S SHOULDER AND ARM WERE INJURED.
UNABLE TO MOVE,
GORDON FELT SOMEONE TAKE HOLD OF HIS HAND.
IT WAS HIS DAUGHTER MARIE.
'IS THAT YOU, DAD?' SHE ASKED.
'YES, MARIE," GORDON ANSWERED.
HE HEARD SEVERAL PEOPLE BEGIN SCREAMING.
'ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?' GORDON ASKED HIS DAUGHTER.
'YES,' SHE SAID.
BUT THEN SHE, TOO, BEGAN TO SCREAM.
AS HE HELD HER HAND,
AGAIN AND AGAIN HE ASKED IF SHE WAS ALL RIGHT,
AND EACH TIME SHE SAID YES.
FINALLY MARIE SAID, 'DADDY, I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH.'
THOSE WERE HER LAST WORDS.
FOUR HOURS LATER SHE DIED IN THE HOSPITAL
OF SEVERE SPINAL AND BRIAN INJURIES.
LATER THAT EVENING, A BBC REPORTER
REQUESTED PERMISSION TO INTERVIEW GORDON WILSON.
AFTER WILSON DESCRIBED WHAT HAD HAPPENED,
THE REPORTER ASKED,
'HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE GUYS WHO PLANTED THE BOMB?'
'I BEAR THEM NO ILL WILL,' WILSON REPLIED.
'I BEAR THEM NO GRUDGE.
BITTER TALK IS NOT GOING TO BRING MARIE WILSON BACK TO LIFE.
I SHALL PRAY TONIGHT AND EVERY NIGHT
THAT GOD WILL FORGIVE THEM.'
IN THE MONTHS THAT FOLLOWED,
MANY PEOPLE ASKED WILSON,
WHO LATER BECAME A SENATOR IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND,
HOW HE COULD SAY SUCH A THING,
HOW HE COULD FORGIVE SUCH A MONSTROUS ACT.
WILSON EXPLAINED,
'I WAS HURT. I HAD JUST LOST MY DAUGHTER.
BUT I WASN'T ANGRY.
MARIE'S LAST WORDS TO ME -- WORDS OF LOVE --
HAD PUT ME ON A PLANE OF LOVE.
I RECEIVED GOD'S GRACE,
THROUGH THE STRENGH OF HIS LOVE FOR ME, TO FORGIVE.'
FOR YEARS AFTER THIS TRAGEDY,
GORDON WILSON CONTINUED TO WORK FOR PEACE
IN NORTHERN IRELAND."
(END QUOTE)
LET'S GO BACK TO OUR SCRIPTURE READING FOR TODAY,
WHERE JESUS TELLS HIS FOLLOWERS
IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT:
YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE OLD WRITTEN LAW,
'LOVE YOUR FRIEND,' AND ITS UNWRITTEN COMPANION,
'HATE YOUR ENEMY.'
I'M CHALLENGING THAT.
I'M TELLING YOU TO LOVE YOUR ENEMIES.
LET THEM BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOU, NOT THE WORST.
THE ILLUSTRATION FROM NORTHERN IRELAND
I'VE JUST SHARED WITH YOU
SHOWS US WHAT THIS TEACHING OF JESUS
ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE WHEN LIVED OUT IN REAL LIFE.
LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER,
AT FIRST I FOUND THIS STORY QUITE DISCOURAGING
BECAUSE MY OWN REACTION WOULD HAVE BEEN SO DIFFERENT
FROM GORDON WILSON'S.
I WOULD HAVE GRABBED A GUN--PREFERABLY A SEMI-AUTOMATIC--
AND GONE AFTER THE MONSTERS WHO COMMITTED THIS ACT,
BECOMING A MONSTER MYSELF IN MY LUST FOR REVENGE.
AND THE VICIOUS CIRCLE OF VIOLENCE WOULD HAVE CONTINUED
UNBROKEN.
I FIND MYSELF CONVICTED BY JESUS' QUESTION
IF ALL YOU DO IS LOVE THE LOVABLE, WHAT GOOD IS THAT?
EVEN THOUGH AT THIS POINT IN MY LIFE
I AM UNABLE TO LIVE OUT JESUS' ADMONITION
TO 'LOVE MY ENEMY,'
NEVERTHELESS, I FIND JESUS' WORDS -- AND THE LIVING OUT
OF THOSE WORDS BY PEOPLE LIKE GORDON WILSON,
MARTIN LUTHER KING, AND JESUS HIMSELF --
TO BE AWESOME AND INSPIRING.
THEY GIVE ME A STANDARD AGAINST WHICH TO MEASURE MYSELF,
AND EVEN THOUGH I FIND MYSELF TO BE WANTING,
I FIND MYSELF BEING PERSONALLY CALLED
BY WILSON, KING, AND JESUS TO BECOME MORE LIKE THEM.
I EXPERIENCE THIS CALL AS HUMBLING,
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, INSPIRING AND HOPEFUL.
THE INSPIRATION AND THE HOPE LIE IN THE FACT
THAT WHEN JESUS CALLS SOMEONE TO BECOME MORE GODLIKE
IN ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOR,
JESUS TELLS US THAT GOD WILL EMPOWER US,
THROUGH THE SPIRIT OF GOD ALREADY WITHIN US,
TO ACTUALLY CHANGE OUR ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOR
FOR THE BETTER.
A MISTAKE THAT MANY CHRISTIANS MAKE,
VERY MUCH INCLUDING MYSELF,
IS TO ENGAGE IN MAGICAL THINKING,
AND TO ASSUME THAT GOD WILL DO ALL THE WORK FOR US.
NOT SO!
JESUS TEACHES VERY CLEARLY
THAT PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION
IS CONTINGENT ON OUR ACTIVELY WORKING WITH GOD.
GOING BACK TO OUR ILLUSTRATION FROM IRELAND,
GORDON WILSON HAD TO WORK WITH GOD
TO BE ABLE TO LOVE HIS ENEMIES.
FOR ME, WILSON'S KEY STATEMENT WAS WHEN HE SAID
MARIE'S LAST WORDS TO ME -- WORDS OF LOVE --
HAD PUT ME ON A PLANE OF LOVE.
GORDON WILSON WAS ABLE TO HEAR HIS DAUGHTER'S WORDS
OF LOVE FOR HIM AS GOD'S INVITATION
FOR HIM TO PARTICIPATE WITH GOD IN HIS OWN HEALING,
AND FOR HIM TO PARTICIPATE WITH GOD
IN HEALING THIS BROKEN WORLD.
I KNOW THAT I HAVE A LONG WAY TO GROW
BEFORE BECOMING A PERSON OF GORDON WILSON'S
SPIRITUAL STATURE.
BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT JESUS CALLS ALL HIS FOLLOWERS --
INCLUDING ME, INCLUDING YOU --
TO EMBODY THIS WORLD-TRANSFORMING LOVE OF ENEMY
IN OUR OWN LIVES,
AND THAT WHAT JESUS CALLS US TO,
HE WILL GIVE US THE POWER TO PULL OFF --
IF ONLY WE SLOWLY, PERSEVERINGLY, AND HOPEFULLY
WORK WITH HIM IN OUR SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION.
ST. FRANCIS, AS USUAL, GIVES US A POWERFUL VISION
OF HOW PERSONAL, INTERPERSONAL,
AND SOCIETAL TRANSFORMATION ACTUALLY WORKS.
PRAYERFULLY ADDRESSING GOD, HE WRITES:
IN OUR EVER-PRESENT NEED FOR THEE:
BELOVED, LET US KNOW YOUR PEACE.
LET US BE YOUR INSTRUMENTS TO BREAK EVERY SHACKLE.
DO NOT THE CAGED ONES WEEP?
AND GIVE US OUR INHERITANCE OF DIVINE LOVE
SO THAT WE CAN FORGIVE LIKE YOU.
LET US BE WISE,
SO THAT WE DO NOT WED ANOTHER'S MADNESS
AND THEN MAKE THEM IN DEBT TO US.
WHAT SADNESS IN THIS WORLD COULD ENDURE
IF WE LOOKED INTO YOUR EYES?
AMEN.