Two other men, both criminals,
were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called
the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right,
the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know
what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots (Luke
23:32-34)
But I tell you: Love your
enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your
Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends
rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what
reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you
greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even
pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore,
as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:44-48)
Just
after the Beatitudes, and just before Jesus taught His disciples to pray, Jesus
preached on the subject of prayer. His first instruction was for us to love our
enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. Of course, the first key to
this is that we pray for other people. It’s easy to get so involved in life
that our prayers focus on what’s in front of us. It’s appropriate that we pray
about what’s in front of us, but it’s critical that we don’t stop there.
When I was working in my last job, there were some people I really didn’t like – people who were (in my opinion) evil, and some others who were just base. I don’t remember what treat I was taking to the break room, but I remember seeing one of those people and God telling me that if I was going to share that treat (as was my plan) that I was to inform that person about it, too. It was not fair to only invite those of whom I approved to partake. The words tasted like sawdust and I whined, but it was a lesson I worked on. (There is one person I dealt with for whom I found this nearly impossible. Fortunately, he wasn’t there often.)
My prayer time in Florida for the past two of the last three years focused on intercession. I’m really not good at intercession. I don’t get involved in the lives of others enough to care or to know what to pray about, so I admit, I get a bit mechanistic about it. As I walk down the road, I pray for the next unit whatever the next of the fruit of the Spirit is, and I try to rotate through the fruit, so I don’t pray for the same thing for any given unit every day. Somewhere along the line, I started adding outsiders: family and friends, different groups of workers in the community, there and in Erie, and political officials individually or in groups (senators, congressmen, judges, governors....)
The same lesson came to mind. At the time, Mr. Obama was the president and it should surprise no one that I disagreed with 99% of his philosophy and decisions. Quite bluntly, I’m of the opinion that he was the worst president we have ever had. Because Jesus said to, I prayed for him precisely as if he had been my neighbors (whom I like.) During the election, I prayed for all the candidates as a group, and then for the main candidates individually even though I didn’t approve of any of them once we narrowed the field, using the same prayers. Since the election, I have been praying the same thing for Mr. Trump and the rest of the government, all the way down to local, using precisely the same pattern of prayer.
I have heard people say they don’t hate anyone, or know they shouldn’t hate anyone, but “Mr. Obama is evil.” Did you pray for him? I’ve heard others say they don’t hate anyone, or know they shouldn’t hate anyone, but they loathe Mr. Trump. Are you praying for him? I’m not suggesting this because I think I can pat myself on the back. No, Jesus commands us in Scripture: Love your enemies.
This isn’t really my lesson. It’s the lesson Jesus taught, and lived. He asked for forgiveness for the men who’d crucified Him. It’s the lesson that Corrie TenBoom lived when a guard from the camp where she’d been stuck out his hand. (Grab a tissue and read the whole story in her own words here.)
No, it’s not my lesson. I’m not sure I could have done what either of them did, but when I’ve talked to people about the idea, I’ve been told that it’s up to the other person to seek forgiveness and reconciliation, or that “I can never forgive __________ for what he/she/they did.” I’ve been told that “I’m not as perfect as (you think) you are.”
Jesus commands us to love our enemies. He practiced forgiving those who crucified Him. He does not command us to be perfect as Karen Keil is perfect (that would be a huge joke) but to be perfect as He is perfect. Who do you need to pray for today?
I need to note something here – a note of full disclosure. I do not pray for ideologies or blanket prayers for those who follow those ideologies. I do not pray for Conservatives, Liberals, Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Blacks, Whites, Latinos, etc. I do pray for people who are conservative, liberal, Republican, Democratic, Libertarian, or of specific skin tones. Years ago, I heard someone say that Jesus never met an adulteress. The point was that He met a woman who had committed adultery. I try to keep in mind that there is a difference. I don’t tend to believe in protecting those collectives. I do believe in protecting people. There’s a difference.
When I was working in my last job, there were some people I really didn’t like – people who were (in my opinion) evil, and some others who were just base. I don’t remember what treat I was taking to the break room, but I remember seeing one of those people and God telling me that if I was going to share that treat (as was my plan) that I was to inform that person about it, too. It was not fair to only invite those of whom I approved to partake. The words tasted like sawdust and I whined, but it was a lesson I worked on. (There is one person I dealt with for whom I found this nearly impossible. Fortunately, he wasn’t there often.)
My prayer time in Florida for the past two of the last three years focused on intercession. I’m really not good at intercession. I don’t get involved in the lives of others enough to care or to know what to pray about, so I admit, I get a bit mechanistic about it. As I walk down the road, I pray for the next unit whatever the next of the fruit of the Spirit is, and I try to rotate through the fruit, so I don’t pray for the same thing for any given unit every day. Somewhere along the line, I started adding outsiders: family and friends, different groups of workers in the community, there and in Erie, and political officials individually or in groups (senators, congressmen, judges, governors....)
The same lesson came to mind. At the time, Mr. Obama was the president and it should surprise no one that I disagreed with 99% of his philosophy and decisions. Quite bluntly, I’m of the opinion that he was the worst president we have ever had. Because Jesus said to, I prayed for him precisely as if he had been my neighbors (whom I like.) During the election, I prayed for all the candidates as a group, and then for the main candidates individually even though I didn’t approve of any of them once we narrowed the field, using the same prayers. Since the election, I have been praying the same thing for Mr. Trump and the rest of the government, all the way down to local, using precisely the same pattern of prayer.
I have heard people say they don’t hate anyone, or know they shouldn’t hate anyone, but “Mr. Obama is evil.” Did you pray for him? I’ve heard others say they don’t hate anyone, or know they shouldn’t hate anyone, but they loathe Mr. Trump. Are you praying for him? I’m not suggesting this because I think I can pat myself on the back. No, Jesus commands us in Scripture: Love your enemies.
This isn’t really my lesson. It’s the lesson Jesus taught, and lived. He asked for forgiveness for the men who’d crucified Him. It’s the lesson that Corrie TenBoom lived when a guard from the camp where she’d been stuck out his hand. (Grab a tissue and read the whole story in her own words here.)
No, it’s not my lesson. I’m not sure I could have done what either of them did, but when I’ve talked to people about the idea, I’ve been told that it’s up to the other person to seek forgiveness and reconciliation, or that “I can never forgive __________ for what he/she/they did.” I’ve been told that “I’m not as perfect as (you think) you are.”
Jesus commands us to love our enemies. He practiced forgiving those who crucified Him. He does not command us to be perfect as Karen Keil is perfect (that would be a huge joke) but to be perfect as He is perfect. Who do you need to pray for today?
I need to note something here – a note of full disclosure. I do not pray for ideologies or blanket prayers for those who follow those ideologies. I do not pray for Conservatives, Liberals, Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Blacks, Whites, Latinos, etc. I do pray for people who are conservative, liberal, Republican, Democratic, Libertarian, or of specific skin tones. Years ago, I heard someone say that Jesus never met an adulteress. The point was that He met a woman who had committed adultery. I try to keep in mind that there is a difference. I don’t tend to believe in protecting those collectives. I do believe in protecting people. There’s a difference.
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