Love your enemies

I was 9 years old when I first discovered you could enemies. (I was a late developer). His name was Taffy Gates. I had just moved area, into a new school and my accent was all wrong. It sounded too posh for Taffy and he teased me for it. Our spat came to a head when he challenged me to a fight and foolishly I accepted. Taffy was the son of a butcher, I had no chance. The most painful part of my defeat (in the corner of the school playing field at lunch time) was not the bruises but the humiliation. Worst of all the fight took place on the day of our special Christmas dinner. I couldn't face the dining hall so I missed the best meal of the whole year - it was that which I have found hardest to forgive Taffy for.

Since then, I have learned a bit more about enemies. They come in all shapes and sizes and may even be related to you. So if we're going to take Jesus' words to heart, to love our enemies, we first need to identify our enemies. So can I offer a definition? If Jesus is telling us to love our enemies they must be anyone who we have to be told to love, rather than love naturally. Our enemy is therefore anyone who makes life difficult or uncomfortable for us. Anyone who causes anger or resentment to rise within us. It could be someone in our school, our workplace, at home or sitting near us now. It could be the aggressive driver we encounter on the road, it could be local Asian residents who are changing the character of our neighbourhood. Or, more obviously, it could be someone we have fallen out with and are still estranged from. 'You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy." But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you". Is Jesus being realistic? Or is he being idealistic? i.e. Aim high and you'll at least get somewhere near it. Knowing that we don't have it in us to love those who make us angry, are we left with pretending that we do?!

To answer this, let's take it back to the context in which Jesus spoke. Let's remember that he was speaking to the house of Israel. 'You have heard it was said… but I say to you…' Under the Covenant of Moses the Law says this, but under my Law there is a new way of living. ''You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." This WAS justice - an eye for an eye ensured that a feud didn't escalate, with each side taking it further. But Jesus says, go one better and have no vengeance at all. Come on Israel, says Jesus, it's time to be the light for the nations that you were called to be. You have a chance to reflect the astonishing patient love of Yahweh in your behaviour. You have treated Him as an enemy and He has not taken revenge. Now it is your turn - be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect.

As they listened to Jesus it is likely that they were thinking of their enemies - and they had many, both inside and outside their nation. Outside, there were the pagan nations which ruled the land with harsh laws and taxes. Inside, there was danger from resistance movements, and they in turn were fuelled by injustices and a system which kept the poor poor and the powerless powerless. The rich took advantage and increased in wealth. And it still happens today. There is a recent book out called 'The Shock Doctrine' by Naomi Klein which argues that Western Capitalists have exploited global crises such as wars and disasters for their own financial benefit.

Human nature has not changed over time. And Jesus challenges his own people to live differently. He offers a new kind of justice. The Torah served its purpose in stopping vengeance running away with itself. But Israel has a chance to demonstrate something better. Rather than think of themselves as God's favourites, they could demonstrate that God has no favourites. God's gifts of sunshine and rain are given to the evil as well as the righteous. He is generous to all without discernment, and He calls us to be the same. So Jesus gives three examples of what he means. Let's put each of these examples back into their context and ask the HS how the principles of them might help us in facing our enemies. They are not as passive as they first appear. These are imaginative responses to injustice and aggression.

Strike on right cheek, turn the other… Left hand unclean (toilet hand). Back of hand strike equals insult to an inferior. Turning left cheek equals forcing them to use palm or fist, which you would only do to someone who is your equal. So to turn the other cheek is to say "You can strike me but you cannot demean me; I am a human being like you and of equal worth.

2) Sued for coat - that would only happen to a poor peasant. Only two garments were normally worn so if you took off your other garment you would be naked. In Judaism nakedness is shameful for the one looking at it, not for the person who is naked. So a rich creditor would be shamed. Be doing this, the poor person exposes the shame of the creditor, revealing their greed. By taking this initiative, the poor person's dignity is restored.

3) Going the second mile. Roman soldiers could force civilians to carry the pack one mile only. This was humiliating and was resented. By insisting on going for a second mile, the balance of power was shifted. The soldier could have been in trouble for allowing them to go beyond one mile. So the oppressed takes the initiative and challenges the oppressor.

Jesus is being realistic. Aggression, greed and oppression are NOT to be accepted, but challenged. In teaching us to love our enemies, he is not saying, let them walk all over you. Christians are called to be meek, not passive. This kind of response is assertive, taking the initiative - it is assertive meekness. To love them equals agape, to want the best for them and that means wanting them to be free from the actions and behaviour which degrade them and others. Exposing their greed, violence and oppression is an agape action, if done with the right motives, with a genuine desire for their well-being. If we only care for those who care for others, we are not living the Gospel way. Whatever situation we're in, what ever enemy we face that makes life harder for us, we need to find creative ways of moving forward, for them and for us. This is assertive meekness. We get flashes of this creative approach today.

Let me end with one recent example. Jimmy Mizen was 16 year old boy who was killed in London 2 weeks ago by a violent young man. His mother, Margaret, a RC Christian said "I don't feel anger, just sorrow for the parents of our son's killer. I don't know why, I can't get them out of my mind because what's happened to Jimmy is the worst thing possible, but we've got such wonderful memories. They haven't got wonderful memories for their son. All they can think about is the evil he's done. My prayers are with the family, that's all I can say. I can't, I don't feel anger."

I think she had understood Jesus' teaching. May God give us all grace to respond like that to our enemies. Shall we pray…

Lord Jesus, as you redeemed hatred and violence by the way you responded to them, teach us to do the same. For your mercy's sake..