Enemies in-a-me

So you're in the mall and somebody in a rush bumps you and keeps rolling without saying a thing. Or you're in the parking lot and pedestrians are walking right in the middle of the street. Or your best friend borrows your favorite shoes and brings them back to you with holes in them. What would you do?

I was listening to a contemporary christian radio station on Sunday and a hispanic pastor was on giving his testimony about his life and how he came to the Lord. Long story short, he grew up in the projects in Southern California. He and his brother were really heavy into gang activity and eventually he gave his life to the Lord but his brother continued to gangbang. Well unfortunately, at 37 years of age, his brother was shot and killed. Why? Because one of his 'friends' slipped and gave away a drug deal secret that this pastor's brother was not supposed to hear. The result, a random guy off the street was paid $300 to shoot this pastor's brother in cold blood. Devestated by the news, this pastor's family literally fell apart. On top of the family being confused and mad at God, the police closed the case without investigation because it was 'gang-related' and not worth solving. To this day, this pastor's brother's killers are still on street.

Years after the incident the pastor hired an investigation team to find who killed his brother. Since the case was basically immediately closed and there was no investigation to find his brother's killer, he asked this private investigation firm to step in. The firm found out who the killer was and this pastor anonymously confronted the gangbanger who killed his brother. This gangbanger not only admitted that he did it but he proceeded to describe the gruesome details of the murder. After finding out the pastor told his mother and the rest of his family and the funniest thing happened. Immediately, all of them began to pray for the salvation of this gangbanger and all of his accomplices to the murder. Not one of them turned the guy in or proceeded to go to the police. They prayed for this unrepentant fiend.

Luke 6:27-28, 32, & 36 says: "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most high, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked."

After all their turmoil this family chose to forgive and bless the enemies of their household. Do you know that Jesus actually encourages us to lend to our enemies without expecting a return. I see best friends, husbands & wives, and family members in court all the time fighting for money owed to them from those they love. Jesus says something different though. He says even the person whom you can't stand, that's the one you are not only to lend to, but lend and not ask for a return from. This pastor and his family not only spent hundreds of dollars hiring this investigation firm, they also had mercy on this gangbanger by not turning him in to the police. Then they turned around and prayed for his salvation and continue to do so today. THAT is kingdom activity!!

So how will you react when somebody cuts you off in the parking lot the next time? Or they don't signal in front of you? You know Jesus says that the reward for those who bless their enemies is sonship of the Most High (vs. 35). Are we sons of God? We can tell by how we have reacted not to those who love us, but those who despise us and mean us harm.

~Jake Greene