Love Your Enemies

For most of us we don't have to put much effort into thinking of someone that has either offended or mistreated us. The most frequent reaction to being mistreated is getting angry. When someone is mistreated, they often feel a sense of injustice and unfairness, that leads to an angry response. Other common reactions to being mistreated include: feeling hurt or upset, becoming resentful, withdrawing from others, anxiety or fear and difficulty trusting others. So what does the bible say about how we should react when someone has offended or mistreated us?

Luke 6: 27-28 ESV But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 

We live in a fallen world filled with fallen people, and we all experience mistreatment at one time or another. It’s important to remember that you’re one of those fallen people, too. Your first instinct might be to lash out against someone who has mistreated you. But before you do that remember, at some point in the not so distant past, you likely have been the one that has offended or mistreated someone. The normal worldly human response is to lash out or get even with the person that mistreated you. This is not a biblical response to mistreatment. So what did Jesus say we should do when we have been mistreated? What if that person that mistreated you was a fellow brother or sister in Christ. How then should we treat that person that has mistreated us?

Matthew 18: 15-17 ESV If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 

Jesus told his disciples, if your brother sins against you, go to them and talk to them in private. In other words keep this conversation between yourselves. If your brother or sister in Christ listens to you then you will have restored your relationship. This is a tremendous witness to the lost world which would rather harbor a grudge, than they would restore a relationship. But if the one-on-one approach doesn't work take one or two fellow brothers in Christ with you and make every effort to restore this relationship. If they still refuse to make amends well then treat them like a Gentile or a tax collector. The Jews treated Gentiles as unclean persons that had to be removed from the community. Tax collectors were hated in biblical times and were regarded as sinners. They were Jews who worked for the Romans, so this made them traitors. So this means that if someone offends or mistreats you, you confront them and the continue to refuse to make amends, then you can just turn your back on them and never speak to them again, right? I think it means exactly the opposite. I think it means, love him! Treat them with exceptional and unusual kindness! And keep on challenging them to be transformed into a faithful disciple of Jesus! Jesus treated tax collectors, not to mention prostitutes, thieves, and all other kinds of "undesirables" with love and respect. He didn't just talk to them for the purpose of encouraging them to get their act together. He invited them to have a personal relationship with him. So, exactly how did Jesus treat Gentiles and tax collectors? He healed the daughter of the Canaanite woman. He ate with sinners and tax collectors. He healed the Centurion’s servant. He even called a tax collector to be his disciple!!! Love them! Eat wit