I have spent many years in the church, and we have always been taught that Jesus said to turn the other cheek, to pray for our enemies, to be the good Samaritan and help those who are opposed to us.
Recently, however, I have begun to meditate on the question of enemies. I guess a video I watched kick-started this line of thought. I watched a man speak of being attacked by those he'd tried to help. He is a pastor in an African nation that is rapidly being absorbed by Islamic extremists. One dark night, some of these Muslims approached him on the street, calling, "Pastor..." As he paused to see what they wanted, they threw acid on his face.
In the interview, I watched as powerful emotions flickered across the man's disfigured face. But the only time the tears came down his cheeks was when he said, "I realized my enemies had found me."
He did not want to call them "enemies," because these were men for whom Christ died, and to whom he had been a witness of love and forgiveness. Yet now, there was no other word for them but "enemies."
Which brings me to the question: Do Christians have enemies? Are there those who, despite all our best efforts to befriend them, only want to kill us? Are there those of whom we should beware? I am beginning to think there are.
There are people in this world not deserving of our respect. In Psalm 15, the writer says:
LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart;
He who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the Lord; he who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
He who does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.
In the 4th verse, it says, "In whose eyes a vile person is despised..." That means there are some people not deserving of our respect and friendship. This Psalm tells us the characteristics not only that we should exhibit as people of God, but also the characteristics we should seek in our friends. A person who does not practice these character traits is a "vile" person that we should despise.
How often do we Christians court favor with the ungodly? We try to make them accept us as "just like them." Why? We are to love our enemies, just as Christ loved his enemies. But scripture tells us He did not trust himself to them, because He knew what was in the heart of a man. And it tells us that he called them a brood of vipers and whitewashed sepulchers.
I guess what I'm getting at is two-fold: We should be godly in an ungodly world -- we are supposed to be different, and let that difference shine, so the lost will know which way to go to find God. And, we live in perilous times, and we don't need to trust everybody we meet. Trust the godly brother who loves the Lord and has proven himself faithful -- a man or woman who exhibits the characteristics of Psalm 15.
Even Jesus, on the night in which He was betrayed, said, "Sell your cloak and buy a sword." I don't think he was speaking figuratively here, because Peter sure enough drew a sword when the men came to capture Jesus.
The old saying is, Don't point a weapon at someone unless you're ready to use it, and if you use a weapon, aim to kill. I think Peter was aiming to kill, because he hit the man in the head. Whether his heart wasn't in it or his sword was dull, I don't know, but it just cut the guy's ear off... It didn't kill him.
I don't believe God is calling his people to attack anyone, but in vile times, there are vile people abroad. We need to be aware of the danger and ready to protect the helpless, if need be. And don't trust just anyone.
Jesus said, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." (Matthew 10:16) I think that is a good balance. Trust in the Lord, rely upon your brothers, and be wary of vile persons. These be hard times.
Recently, however, I have begun to meditate on the question of enemies. I guess a video I watched kick-started this line of thought. I watched a man speak of being attacked by those he'd tried to help. He is a pastor in an African nation that is rapidly being absorbed by Islamic extremists. One dark night, some of these Muslims approached him on the street, calling, "Pastor..." As he paused to see what they wanted, they threw acid on his face.
In the interview, I watched as powerful emotions flickered across the man's disfigured face. But the only time the tears came down his cheeks was when he said, "I realized my enemies had found me."
He did not want to call them "enemies," because these were men for whom Christ died, and to whom he had been a witness of love and forgiveness. Yet now, there was no other word for them but "enemies."
Which brings me to the question: Do Christians have enemies? Are there those who, despite all our best efforts to befriend them, only want to kill us? Are there those of whom we should beware? I am beginning to think there are.
There are people in this world not deserving of our respect. In Psalm 15, the writer says:
LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart;
He who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the Lord; he who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
He who does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.
In the 4th verse, it says, "In whose eyes a vile person is despised..." That means there are some people not deserving of our respect and friendship. This Psalm tells us the characteristics not only that we should exhibit as people of God, but also the characteristics we should seek in our friends. A person who does not practice these character traits is a "vile" person that we should despise.
How often do we Christians court favor with the ungodly? We try to make them accept us as "just like them." Why? We are to love our enemies, just as Christ loved his enemies. But scripture tells us He did not trust himself to them, because He knew what was in the heart of a man. And it tells us that he called them a brood of vipers and whitewashed sepulchers.
I guess what I'm getting at is two-fold: We should be godly in an ungodly world -- we are supposed to be different, and let that difference shine, so the lost will know which way to go to find God. And, we live in perilous times, and we don't need to trust everybody we meet. Trust the godly brother who loves the Lord and has proven himself faithful -- a man or woman who exhibits the characteristics of Psalm 15.
Even Jesus, on the night in which He was betrayed, said, "Sell your cloak and buy a sword." I don't think he was speaking figuratively here, because Peter sure enough drew a sword when the men came to capture Jesus.
The old saying is, Don't point a weapon at someone unless you're ready to use it, and if you use a weapon, aim to kill. I think Peter was aiming to kill, because he hit the man in the head. Whether his heart wasn't in it or his sword was dull, I don't know, but it just cut the guy's ear off... It didn't kill him.
I don't believe God is calling his people to attack anyone, but in vile times, there are vile people abroad. We need to be aware of the danger and ready to protect the helpless, if need be. And don't trust just anyone.
Jesus said, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." (Matthew 10:16) I think that is a good balance. Trust in the Lord, rely upon your brothers, and be wary of vile persons. These be hard times.