Most of us can get along with people who are friendly towards us. It is easy to return kindness for kindness.

But what about those who treat us poorly? What about the person who spreads rumours about you, the neighbour who makes life difficult, or the family member who never forgives?

Jesus once spoke into this very tension. In Matthew’s Gospel, He said:

“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, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43–48, LSB)

At first glance, this sounds unreasonable, even impossible.

Surely it is natural to dislike those who dislike us. But Jesus was showing us that natural instincts are not enough.

If life is lived only by “getting even”, we all end up locked in a cycle of bitterness.

One American president, Abraham Lincoln, captured the point well. After the Civil War, he was criticised for treating former enemies with kindness.

His critics thought he should punish them.

Lincoln replied, “Am I not destroying my enemies by making them my friends?” That captures the heart of Jesus’ teaching.

Jesus’ words are not about being a doormat.

They are not about ignoring justice. Rather, they call us to break the chain of revenge. Retaliation feels powerful in the moment, but it always comes at a cost — fractured relationships, hardened hearts and communities that cannot heal.

Instead, Jesus points us to the character of God Himself.

Every day, the sun rises on both those who honour Him and those who curse His name. Rain falls on the fields of both the good and the bad.

God gives life even to those who reject Him. That is not weakness — it is generosity. It is strength of the highest order.

And Jesus calls us to mirror that generosity. To love even those who mistreat us. To pray for them. To act with kindness, even when it is undeserved.

This teaching is as confronting today as it was 2000 years ago. Our society prizes rights, payback and personal pride.

But Jesus lifts our eyes higher. He shows us that greatness is not found in crushing an opponent, but in showing mercy.

To love the unlovely is not easy. In fact, it exposes our own limits. But it also opens a door to something greater — a glimpse of God’s own way of dealing with people.

After all, the Christian message is that God loved us when we were unlovely.

That kind of love changes lives. And if practised, it can change communities too.

Pastor David McAllan

Echuca Community Church

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Sunday, 22nd January 2023

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