Corona Devo 1424
Do we have a thorn-in-our-side?
Someone who really "gets" to us? "Grates" on us? Infuriates us?
I know, I know, we hate to admit it, because, it's just not nice...but (polite to acknowledge or not), there are some people that get on our nerves, for whatever reason.
Someone that makes our blood boil and our patience run thin, and we think, "Well, I oughta..."
You know what we "oughta" (ought to) do?
Pray for them.
I'm serious! (And so is God.)
When was the last time we earnestly prayed for an enemy that we have in our life (instead of gossiping, justifying our side, or "poor-me"-ing ourselves.)
When was the last time we prayed for someone that has hurt us or is presently hurting us/offending us/or (just plain) opposing us in some way?
If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. (30) Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. (31) Do to others as you would like them to do to you.
(32) “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! (33) And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! (34) And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.
(35) “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. (36) You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. ~Luke 6:29-36
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This Jesus stuff is a tall order, isn't it?
It's not for the faint-of-heart in faith. We cannot be about us if we are to be fully committed to being about Jesus and the ways that He treated others and expects us (as His followers) to treat others.
It's hard.
People are hard.
People are mean.
People are thoughtless.
People are self-focused and self-centered.
But Jesus is the boss.
If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also.
If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also.
(30) Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back.
(31) Do to others as you would like them to do to you. ~Luke 6:29-31
But then my mind flashes to...us.
We can be hard.
We can be mean.
We can be thoughtless.
We can be self-focused and self-centered.
And Jesus loved us before we loved Him.
(32) “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them!
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And Jesus was good to us when we were still in sin (and not doing good to Him).
(33) And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! ~Luke 6:33
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And Jesus invested in us even though we could never repay Him.
(34) And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return. ~Luke 6:34
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Even though it grates against us and saps our strength...Jesus is the boss of us over our enemies, and He is clear:
(35) “Love your enemies! Do good to them.
Lend to them without expecting to be repaid.
Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.
(36) You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. ~Luke 6:35-36
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I have a friend who prays for a specific enemy in her life--out of shear willpower and a desire to be obedient to God's command to do so. It's hard. The person she prays for is not nice to her. Mean, really, and just about abusive (on the emotional and mental level).
Do we have an enemy? It is hard to pray for their well-being and even their connection to Christ. But God's Word says that we are called to this. Everyone can love the lovable, but who will love and pray for the unlovable? The bullies. Perhaps even the wicked.
We should. There is nothing and no one beyond the scope of God, and some miracles and healings-in-Jesus can only occur through prayer.
When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him.
(16) “What is all this arguing about?” Jesus asked.
(17) One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. (18) And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”...
(21) “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father.
He replied, “Since he was a little boy. (22) The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us...”
(25) When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!”
(26) Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.” (27) But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.
(28) Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?”
(29) Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.” ~Mark 9:15-18, 21-22, 25-29
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Is someone pricking our patience or waging war against us?
We know what we "oughta" (ought to) do--Pray for them. Love them.
Love your enemies (today)! Do good to them (today)! ~Luke 6:35
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