I do not love my enemy

[LayHong_Loves_Christ]

If it is indeed the militant groups like Hamas or Hezbollah who have come with the intent to slaughter my family and loved ones, how am I supposed to find it within myself to love my enemy, as Christ commands in Matthew 5:44, where He says, 'But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you'?

This directive seems utterly incomprehensible and counterintuitive in the face of such grave and immediate threats to the safety and well-being of those I hold most dear. It defies all logic and reason to extend love and compassion towards those who seek to bring harm and destruction to my household.

 

[Lukaris]

I believe the Lord permits us to defend ourselves even though we must pray for our enemies ( Luke 22:35-36). As long as we would truly not wish either of us would have to harm the other ( Matthew 7:12).

 

[WIN_RUN]

I'm sorry for what you're going through and it is really hard to forgive at times. Forgiveness is really difficult for some of us in the heat of the moment and I could say we should remove ourselves from such situations but it is not so all the time. I believe GOD will be with you every step of the way and it is good to let GOD know how much the evil actions of people who persecute you hurt. He will know what to do with the pain. It might look like the command to always forgive might seem illogical, but rest reassured, we have the kingdom of GOD to look forward to in the end.

Psalm 34:19: "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all".
Psalm 23:4: " Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

 

[Unqualified]

Pray for your enemies to get saved and stop all this nonsense or you will have to kill them.. Getting saved changes everything.

 

[HarleyER]

If it is indeed the militant groups like Hamas or Hezbollah who have come with the intent to slaughter my family and loved ones, how am I supposed to find it within myself to love my enemy, as Christ commands in Matthew 5:44, where He says, 'But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you'?

This directive seems utterly incomprehensible and counterintuitive in the face of such grave and immediate threats to the safety and well-being of those I hold most dear. It defies all logic and reason to extend love and compassion towards those who seek to bring harm and destruction to my household.

I've struggled with this as well and I suspect everyone who desires to live a godly life has as well. The Apostles, though they were very patient, now and then you can see in their writings how peeved they would get. Paul hoped those false teachers who were leading the Galatians astray would "multilate themselves". John was extremely hard on the Jews in his gospel. And the Old Testament is filled with prophets who would confront the leadership (e.g. Elijah and Ahab).

But I think the basic principle is to let God handle the problem. This isn't to say we should sit by and do nothing if we or our family endangered. Just that, as a rule of thumb, we should be praying for them. After all, Nehemiah and the Jews rebuilt the wall all the while holding a sword in one hand.

 

[Solo81]

If it is indeed the militant groups like Hamas or Hezbollah who have come with the intent to slaughter my family and loved ones, how am I supposed to find it within myself to love my enemy, as Christ commands in Matthew 5:44, where He says, 'But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you'?

This directive seems utterly incomprehensible and counterintuitive in the face of such grave and immediate threats to the safety and well-being of those I hold most dear. It defies all logic and reason to extend love and compassion towards those who seek to bring harm and destruction to my household.

I think the point is for us to keep our hearts free from hatred, anger and bitterness rather than embracing those who want to harm or kill us.
The hatred, anger, bitterness, etc; can spoil our fruit and open a window to satan.

Jesus himself, when he sensed people wanted to kill him, withdrew from that place and went elsewhere. He didn't go up and hug them and be all lovey-dovey. Same with the Apostles; when Saul wanted to meet them, they were very reluctant to let him near them and needed convincing. They didn't rush to meet him and shower him with affection, did they?
Jesus is asking us to be more like God rather than having the same standards as the pagans. Love the sinner, not the sin... nowhere were we commanded to fraternize with those who want to harm us.

 

[timothyu]

No one, regardless of side in the world, lashes out unless they forst perceive themselves as being mistreated first. This is why man's selfish ways have made sinners out of innocents who seek revenge.

 

[St_Worm2]

If it is indeed the militant groups like Hamas or Hezbollah who have come with the intent to slaughter my family and loved ones, how am ~I~ supposed to find it ~within myself~ to love my enemy as Christ commands.....

You asked, "how am ~I~ supposed to find it ~within myself~ to love my enemy as Christ commands", and my answer is, I don't think that ~you~ can, LayHong, as this is something that is beyond all of us (outside of Christ).

That said, the Lord is not asking us to do something for our enemies that He did not do for His, is He? As the Apostle Paul tells us,

Romans 5​

8 God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ​

9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. ​

10 For if while ~we~ were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. ​

The secret, then, is Christ in you and Christ in me. Yes, He commands what is impossible for us to do in our own strength, but fortunately, that's not the end of the story for those of us who have become His adopted children

I see a thread below that has one of Corrie Ten Boom's famous quotes in it concerning the prison guard who was so cruel and vicious to her and her sister (who died) in one of Germany's concentration camps during WWII. Go here if you'd like to read it as I believe that it may be helpful.

Also, here she is (personally) in a short (2 min) YouTube video (audio actually) regarding this same incident.

God bless you!!

--David
p.s. - is your OP hypothetical, or do you have family members and/or friends in great danger right now (in Israel or elsewhere) who we should be praying for? Thanks

 

[LayHong_Loves_Christ]

We should love others on the condition that they do not harm us.

 

[KathrynAragon]

We can love others from a distance. For instance, my ex husband - I do not want any harm to come to him, but I cannot and therefore will not be married to him.

 

[timf]

Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

This discourse in which "love your enemies" is cited is part of a description of what would be expected when the Kingdom for Israel was established. Just like the ability to move mountains was not intended for us or even those of Israel at the time. Nicodemus did not understand the need to be born again for those of Israel to enter the kingdom/

Joh 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Eze 36:22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.
Eze 36:23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
Eze 36:24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
Eze 36:25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
Eze 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

If we are careful to understand who is saying what to whom we can avoid the consternation of trying to make everything apply to us today.

 

[timothyu]

If you cause no harm to others, then there is a good chance they will not harm you. If you help them in times of need, the odds increase. This applies as an individual or as a nation. Most just want to be left alone to do their own thing.

 

[KathrynAragon]

If you cause no harm to others, then there is a good chance they will not harm you. If you help them in times of need, the odds increase. This applies as an individual or as a nation. Most just want to be left alone to do their own thing.

Here's my question - do we owe anyone forgiveness if they don't ask for forgiveness?

 

[St_Worm2]

Here's my question - do we owe anyone forgiveness if they don't ask for forgiveness?

Hello Kathryn, I don't believe that we do, in fact, I believe that as Christians, we "owe" it (e.g. Romans 13:8) to the one who sins against us to ~not~ do so until they repent (because they need to repent, for their sake as much as for the person that they sinned against .. and we must not take away their opportunity to do so), but we must always be ready to forgive someone who does repent and has asked to be forgiven.

As the Lord Himself made plain to us,

Luke 17​

3 “If your brother sins, rebuke him; and ~if~ he repents, forgive him. ​

4 And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” ​

God bless you!!

--David
p.s. - I hope it was ok with you and Timothy for me to join in and add my 2 cents?

 

[timothyu]

Here's my question - do we owe anyone forgiveness if they don't ask for forgiveness?

Of course because not only but for the grace of God could go you, but we all sin and want forgiveness. We are all the same and should give what we would expect for ourselves.

 

[Solo81]

Here's my question - do we owe anyone forgiveness if they don't ask for forgiveness?

Yes.
"Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us"

 

[Dave G.]

Jesus is our example, He forgave those who were slaughtering Him, "for they know not what they do". This He prayed to the Father. In like manner, we hate what our enemies do but pray for them. Not that they succeed in destroying us, but that they find salvation and stop. An ultimate act of love toward your enemy is to pray salvation on them. Even if you do hate what has taken place, because this can change things. What they do is clearly wrong but under all that they are still human, subject to the gospel. And revenge is in the Lords domain. Only God can do a work in them. And so we turn it over to God ourselves. Hatred will get you nothing, the enemy seeds enough of that into the world !

"We wrestle not against flesh and blood". See there is a spirit involved in the actions of the enemy. Pray that out, in Jesus name. The goal: Rise above walking by sight, make your dealings in the spiritual realm, in prayer.

 

[KathrynAragon]

Yes.
"Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us"

I mean, I have forgiven people who have not asked for forgiveness but I was wondering.

 

[timf]

It seems to me that forgiveness is about restoration of relationship. It is difficult to think that this could be done unilaterally.

 

[KathrynAragon]

It seems to me that forgiveness is about restoration of relationship. It is difficult to think that this could be done unilaterally.

Not necessarily. I had to forgive someone who raped me when I was a teen. Forgiving him allowed ME to move forward, but I did not contact him and in fact I blocked him from contacting me. But I forgave him and I felt better for doing so.