Get Even! (Part 2)

It is God-like to love your enemies and bless them with kindness.

May 23, 2019

"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”

Matthew 5:44

Part 2

Yesterday:
“But I say unto you,”
“Love your enemies.”
This is possible with Jesus’ strength.

Today:
“Bless them that curse you,”
When someone spouts a curse at us, our natural man wants to pay him back in kind and hurl a curse right back at him.  Jesus taught us that we must answer his oath, but our answer must be a blessing in the place of his cursing.

Paul stated the principle this way,

“Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not,” (Romans 12:14).

Our job is to give them the right words for their evil words.  Jesus doesn’t allow us to play “hit last” with the person who mistreats us.  Jesus’ “Kingdom rules,” tell us that we must attack those who abuse us and pay them back in a way that they will never expect—we treat them with love and blessings.

“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing,” (1 Peter 3:8-9).

“Do good to them that hate you,”
Jesus said,

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.  Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord.  If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also,” (John 15:18-20).

Because we love the Lord Jesus Christ, we will have enemies.  Those who hate Him will hate us as well.

How do we handle those who will mistreat us?  Come back tomorrow, and we will talk about it.