I lead a ladies’ Bible class on Sunday morning. Our time together is are often special, but yesterday blessed me to tears. The topic was the difference the Holy Spirit makes in our lives. I prepared slips of paper each with a verse about the things the Spirit of God does for God’s people. The women each selected one without seeing its contents. They had a few minutes to think about the verse they received, then I asked them to take turns reading it aloud and sharing how the Holy Spirit worked in their lives according to that verse.
First God amazes me that each one seemed to have picked a verse that was meaningful for them. Then God amazed me with what each woman said about the Holy Spirit and His blessing in their past and current experience. Sometimes we laughed; sometimes we cried. God is good.
During that class and the worship service that followed it, I thought how much I love these people and how they love one another. Someone gave me a note of encouragement. Others were singled out for special prayer because of current needs. Hugs and words like “God bless you” abounded. We are so privileged to belong to the family of God, and this particular part of His family is incredibly loving and very deeply caring toward one another.
In light of that, this morning’s reading from Matthew 5 goes deep. “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.”
I know that there is a special bond between believers that is unlike anything we can have with those who do not have the Holy Spirit. The Spirit in our hearts connects us and draws us into a relationship unlike any other. Yet at the same time, I know the way I feel towards the good neighbors who live on our block and towards other friends who do not know God. We share similar interests, can visit and enjoy each other. I do love those people I consider my friends. However, God says He wants me to have the same attitude towards my enemies.
Today I compare how I feel toward our congregation on Sunday mornings with my attitude toward the crowd of strangers at the Andre Rieu concert last week, or the folks at our granddaughter’s soccer games who cheer for the other team, or the people in the mall or in grocery store. These are hardly enemies but God wants me to love them too, just like I care about my neighbors. This goes above average.
God commands this because He wants me to show the world what He is like. He is good to everyone. He does not play favorites or withhold good things from those who hate Him. His responses to people depend on who He is, not on how they act.
He wants me to be like Him, but does not leave me without the resources. He lives in my heart—I can choose to care about others instead of choosing my sinful tendency to care only about those who care for me, and push away or dislike those who don’t bother to give me the time of day. Even with His help, this is a challenge; God sets a very high standard.
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