Photo: The River, by John August Swanson
By: Diana Shellenberger
“Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish.”—Luke 6:35
To a worldly mind, lending without expecting repayment is to be a chump. This is not the way things work, I mutter indignantly. Who does Jesus think he is, telling me to bankrupt myself?
Jesus is asking me, and all who have ears to hear, who do you think YOU are? Someone who can hold on to every cent AND my grudges? Someone whose generosity extends only to those I love, and those who are good to me, and even then with conditions? As Jesus points out in his Sermon, what credit is it to me to love those who love me? Even sinners can accomplish this.
I appreciate the positive tone of the phrase Love your enemies, when compared to the shalt nots of The Ten Commandments and the recitation of the six things God hates in Proverbs. But who am I to do this work of the spirit?
Years ago, I went to Rev. Martie McMane for help in getting over a personal injustice I had suffered. She listened compassionately to the particulars, while offering advice I use to this day. The prescription: Get down on my knees every day, for as long as it takes, and beg for forgiveness, my own and the person who harmed me.
But wait, I began to say, I’m the one who was wronged here. Martie gently reminded me that he could no longer hurt me, and by harboring resentment toward him I was harming myself and reinforcing the link between us.
I began that day, and I was furious that I had to be the bigger person. But I kept at it, because I had faith in the advice and its giver. After many weeks, I noticed my resistance to this practice was dissolving, along with my resentment. I can’t say I understand why he chose to hurt me. But that’s beside the point. I am a little less broken and a little more forgiving.
I don’t think Jesus meant we need to hug and kiss our enemies, but loving one’s enemies could be stopping payment into the conflict. It can be forgiving your debtors, knowing others forgive debts I can never pay.
Just because others don’t want or have the means to do what’s right is no excuse for me not to. The situation may not change, but my attitude can. Devotion creates peace, and it is the great reward.
