Matthew 5:43-48 ‘You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.’
As I washed clothes today, I heard God say, “Why hold a grudge with someone if you’re both going to spend eternity in heaven! You might as well forgive them now.”
This was astounding!
God makes the sun rise on the wicked and the good. He makes it shine on both those you hate and those you love. And if He shines on them, that means He doesn’t have anything against them but you. If He did, they’d be in darkness just like the Egyptians during one of the plagues! But since they are not, I sense He’s dealing with us individually, to break, to let go, so that in the breaking, we become something else — someone else.
Slowly but surely, obeying such simple laws transfigure us into Him, that when the world seeks the visible image of the invisible God, they can see a glint in us.
For if God says we should love our enemies, I’m certain He’s going to position us in a place with them, or turn some of those around us into that — so that our hearts are tested; to see if we shall indeed love them!
And … to Him, obedience is better — much better — than sacrifice.
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