Matthew’s gospel of Jesus asking us to love our enemies is a difficult task for many. To love our enemies and pray for those that persecute us (Mt. 5:44) is something we don’t typically consider when we have been hurt or been served an injustice. It’s a lot easier to resort to the old law of an eye for an eye (Ex. 21:24). I myself have let such animosity dwell in my heart for a wrong done to me by someone, oftentimes holding a grudge or resentment.
Sometimes our enemy might be the person that cuts in front of us in traffic. Perhaps our enemy is the wrong that someone has done to us in our own household? Our enemy might even be our own self and inability to move past our transgressions and seek God’s love. We must remember that it is God that has loved us first (1 Jn.4:19). It is God’s love that enables us to love thy enemy and pray for those that have trespassed against us. After all, prayer is that great communication between ourselves and our God that changes even the most hardest of hearts. When we let go of the hate we have for even the most egregious wrong done to us can love and mercy transform our hearts and possibly those of our enemies as well.
The following text from Matthew’s gospel is a beautiful image to ponder:
“That you may be children of your Heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust” (Mt. 5:45).
Let us eradicate the vengeance, hate & animosity from our hearts (Lev. 19:18) so that we can love freely to bring about His kingdom this day.
God bless.
StreetEvangelist 
