Loving Them Which Hate Us

Luke 6:32-36
 32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
 33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
 35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

When we talk about loving people, we often only really love those that love us, do good to those who do good to us, and give to those who will give back to us.  Jesus said, if that is all we do, then there is nothing commendable about our actions because sinners do the same thing.

When we witness and share the gospel, we allow the attitude of our audience to color our approach, compassion, and generosity.  If the people or country is resistent, hostile, or “hard”, then we don’t want to go there.  We only want to go where we are loved, treated kindly, and get something in return.

We need to take Jesus’s challenge to love our enemies, to do good, to lend, and to hope for nothing in return.  We need to take the gospel to those who hate Christians, to those who are the enemies of the gospel, to those who do not love us, will not do good to us, and will not give us anything.  That is real love.  That is worthy of a reward.

Jesus said, if we do this, our reward will be great, and we will be called the children of the Highest.  Such love for the unlovely, such kindness for the unappreciative, and such generosity for the ungrateful is characteristic of God because He is kind to the unthankful and the evil.  He is merciful on the sinners, so we should be merciful and kind to sinners.  He was merciful and kind to us when we were His enemies.

As I think of this passage, it reminds me of those men and women who sacrifice their lives, their fortunes, their future, and their happiness at times to love their enemies by taking the gospel to very hostile people.  I have friends who are working in places where the vaste majority of the people there do not want them their and some would even love to see them dead.  It is hard for them.  It is not fun for them.  But this kind of unconditional love for our enemies is what it will take for us to get the gospel to the world.

What about you?  Do you only witness to those who will be nice to you?  Do you always play it safe?  Are you afraid of being rejected, being mistreated, and being hurt?  Will you really love someone who is your enemy enough to given him or her the gospel even though they may hurt you?  May God give you and me that kind of love and compassion!