MAKE LOVE YOUR AIM SEMINAR

Written by Denise A. Runge-Let Love Lead Kenya Trust © 2020

LESSON FOUR-RACIAL RECONCILIATION-Who is your enemy?

“But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be
acting as true children of your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:44, 45

Now there is a nal reason I think that Jesus says, 'Love your enemies.' It is this:
that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually
transforms individuals. Martin Luther King, Jr.

PART ONE-Who is your enemy?

Christians face many enemies on account of our faith in Jesus Christ. Opposition to Jesus
is an inevitable result of our commitment to Him. However, despite this fact, we are called
to love our enemies.

Who are our enemies? Anyone who is in opposition to Jesus Christ. There are multiple
enemies to Christianity, such as religious zealots from all faiths and even those who
masquerade as Christians. We may be persecuted by our family members, our
communities, our co-workers and our employers.

However, enemies are not just those who persecute us for our faith. We wrestle with the
sins of prejudice, bigotry and racism whenever we treat someone who may look, speak or
have a different culture, tribe or way of life as a lower class of person or people to be
hated. In Kenya there are 43 recognised African tribes (with many subgroups and linguistic
dialects) and one South Asian tribe-which consists of multiple languages, religions and
communities. We only need to look back on the 2007 elections to see the historic rivalries
and bitterness held between certain tribes. Over 1,500 people were murdered just
because of their ethnic background. Caste still plays a major role within the South Asian
community in East Africa, causing division and enmity between neighbours, family
members, employees and employers.

READ MATTHEW 5:43-48

DISCUSSION
It is interesting to note that these nal six verses of Matthew chapter ve are a continuation
of the Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes are considered the essence of Jesus’
teaching on how to live horizontally. How do we live amongst other sinners while glorifying
Christ? These six verses are integral to our understanding of how to love our neighbours,
because, most of the time, we are called to love people so very different from ourselves.
We are called to go and make disciples of all nations, not just with those nations in which
we share a kindred spirit. We are called to share the gospel across the spectrum, no
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matter how we are treated. That is the essence of agape love. If our neighbour mistreats
us, ignores us, insults us or injures, we still need to regard him or her with the same love
that Christ has for us.

In Lesson One, we studied the de nitions of two types of love-phileo and agapao. Agapao
or Agape is distinctly a Biblical word and is used in a spiritual sense rather than emotional
sense. It describes God’s divine love. I love you, period. No conditions, No expectations. In
John 3:16, the word “love” is used this way: “For God so loved the world that He gave His
one and only Son.” Agapao was demonstrated by Jesus when He suffered and died for our
sins. This love is to be totally committed to the well being of others, without regard for their
worthiness, even onto your own death. Jesus uses this word in John 15:13 when he tells
the disciples, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” We as
Christians are to show agape, unsel sh, ready to lay down my life for you, love, to others.

William Barclay in his essay called Christian Love, gives a very helpful description of
“agape.” He reminds us that if we regard a person with agape, “It means that no matter
what that person does to us, no matter how he treats us, no matter if he insults us or
injures us or grieves us, we will never allow any bitterness against him to invade our hearts
but will regard him with that unconquerable benevolence and goodwill which will seek
nothing but his highest good.” (The Daily Study Bible, Matthew Vol. 1, William Barclay)

How, you might ask, can you possible achieve this, especially when our hearts and esh
are so weak? Barclay goes on to explain that Jesus does not ask us to love our enemies in
the same way we love our “nearest and dearest.” Instead, the difference lies in
understanding that love for enemies is that of the “will” not of the heart. Agape love for our
enemies is generated by our love for God and our desire to be obedient to Him. “We can
only have agape when Jesus Christ enables us to conquer our natural tendency to anger
and to bitterness, and to achieve this invincible goodwill to all men.” (The Daily Study
Bible, Matthew Vol. 1, William Barclay)

APPLICATION

How then do we love our enemies?

Read Luke 6:27-35

How does Jesus tell us to love our enemies?

1. Jesus is not telling us to literally allow someone to slap us across the face. Why does
someone strike another? Usually out of anger or frustration or fear. Jesus is letting us
know that many of us will be rejected and subject to repeated abuse. I believe what He
is trying to teach us is that we are not to respond to others in kind. Instead, we need to
listen and empathise.
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2. Are we supposed to allow someone to steal our belongings and then bless them with
even more items? Paul, in Romans, chapter twelve, verses seventeen and nineteen
tells us not to repay anyone evil for evil. Do not take revenge but remain willing to take
risks. Keep loving the enemy. We need to be generous and not keep accounts. We
need to be known by our readiness to serve and meet needs. Resources are to be
given and not hoarded. The ultimate example is the cross. Jesus gave to all those who
had taken. (IVP New Testament Commentary)
3. William Barclay states that two great facts about the Christian ethic in his essay
entitled, The Golden Rule “Jesus gave us the Golden Rule which bids us do to others
as we would have them do to us.” Many of the world religions have a similar teaching
although, as Barclay points out, every one of these forms outside of Christianity are
negative. “The very essence of Christian conduct is that it consists, not in refraining
from bad things, but in actively doing good things.” (The Daily Study Bible, Luke,
William Barclay)
4. Finally, if we only love those who love us back, what is so great about that kind of love?
If we only do good to those who can give back to us, what is so special about that?
Our enemies do the same. We are called to live a transformed life by being different
from our neighbours. We are called to a life of obedience that loves our enemies
through the power of the Holy Spirit. These so-called enemies are created in the image
of God, just like us. And, before we were born again, we were all enemies of God. Let
your love for your neighbour and your love for your enemy reveal God’s love, mercy
and grace to those people God places into our lives. As children of God, believers
have been transformed to live in contrast to the way of sinners, modelling the sacri ce
of radical love. Jesus encourages us to do the better thing. We do not compare
ourselves to our neighbours, instead we are compelled to compare ourselves with
God.

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION LESSON FOUR

1. What do most people do with their enemies?
2. What did Jesus tell them to do?
3. What is surprising about what Jesus said?
4. Why should we love our enemies?
5. How do we love those who have hurt us and are different from us?
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