WHEN THERE ARE ENEMIES
Rev. Larry Peters
February 23, 2014
Genesis 45:1-11, 15
Luke 6:27-42
I want to talk today about something that you might not expect to hear much of in church. It is, however, an important issue that affects all of us. What are we to do when there are enemies? I’m not saying if there are enemies, but when there are enemies. We all have one, or two, or perhaps more than we would like to consider. At the very least, I’d venture to say that there is somebody who doesn’t like you very much. This may or may not come as a surprise to you.
Why do some people not like us, even hate us? Let’s allow the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to explain it in his own words. He certainly knew something about all this. He has much to say about this in a sermon delivered at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama on 17 November 1957. I was just about five months old then. I didn’t know about what was happening at the time involving racial segregation, espionage and sabotage at home and between countries, censorship and lack of trust between peoples and ideologies.
Rev. King says; “Now, I’m aware of the fact that some people will not like you, not because of something you have done to them, but they just won’t like you. I’m quite aware of that. Some people aren’t going to like the way you walk; some people aren’t going to like the way you talk. Some people aren’t going to like you because you can do your job better than they can do theirs. Some people aren’t going to like you because other people like you, and because you’re popular, and because you’re well-liked, they aren’t going to like you. Some people aren’t going to like you because your hair is a little shorter than theirs or your hair is a little longer than theirs. Some people aren’t going to like you because your skin is a little brighter than theirs; and others aren’t going to like you because your skin is a little darker than theirs. So that some people aren’t going to like you, they’re going to dislike you, not because of something that you’ve done to them, but because of various jealous reactions and other reactions that are so prevalent in human nature.”
There’s still a lot of that going on today, isn’t there? And it seems that this has always been going on. Can we attribute it to human nature? Is there some evil, destructive force that would raise up fear, distrust, and various jealous reactions within us that we would dislike, even hate one another?
It was such a jealous reaction that caused Joseph to be sold into slavery by his brothers, his own flesh and blood. And what about Joseph, was he completely innocent in all this? It seems that Joseph said something to his brothers that caused them to be angry toward him. This is not to say that Joseph’s brothers were right in doing what they did, even though Joseph would later say that it was for a purpose. It is amazing how God can take our mistakes and turn them around, and make something good come of it! God’s love overcomes the evil, destructive tendencies of hate. God’s love is to be our example of how we are to treat others.
We hear Jesus say to us, “love your enemies”. Many people would say that this is extremely difficult to do. We need to realize that this teaching, this command to love others, is for our own good. It would be even more difficult for us if we were to choose not to follow this command and live in a world where hate rules. It is love that will save us and our world. Love is our only way and means of survival.
Joseph’s brothers went to Egypt because there was a famine in the land. They went looking for food. They were hungry. They were looking for a way and means of survival. They found it through love. Joseph saw, recognized and loved his brothers. And he told them; “do not be distressed because you sold me here. God sent me here to preserve life and to keep you alive”. God’s love is to be our way of life!
When there are enemies, God wants us to deal with them in a certain way. We need to understand how to love. We need to understand and love our enemies. We also need to understand and have love for ourselves. Military strategists say “know your enemy”. It would also be good for us to know what contentions there are between us and who would be our enemy.
So, we need to take a good look at both our enemy and our self. Looking at ourselves, we have to admit that there may be some things about us that would cause another to dislike us. Maybe there was something that we did, or didn’t do. Who knows what pushes someone’s buttons? The point is that we should make the effort to consider someone else before we are so quick to defend ourselves. And this is what Jesus means when he said: “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?” (Luke 6:41). When we see clearly, we may discover that we are not as bad as some people think. And neither are some people as bad as we think them to be.
One of Abraham Lincoln’s famous quotes was when observing another person he said; “I don’t like that man. I will have to get to know him better”. It can also be said that within the best of us, there is some evil, and within the worst of us, there is some good. And when you are able to look at someone and see some good, you can begin to love that person in spite of all that is bad. Jesus is out to change people in the way we live our lives in love for one another. We hope to see this change happening both in ourselves and our enemies.
Jesus says to us, “love your enemies”. When and if it is too difficult for us, let God do it. Let God work the change. But be sure to thank God and give him the glory for all the good things that you see happening! But it is not too hard for us really. Don’t we do good to those we love? Let’s even do good to those who hate us! We can bless and pray for others. Those who curse us need our blessing and prayer as well. We must be willing to do that which is difficult to do. People will see, and it will make a difference.
If we do the same old thing, we will get the same old results. As Rev. King spoke about in his message of over half a century ago: “We must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a descending spiral, ultimately ending in destruction for all and everybody. Somebody must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate and the chain of evil in the universe. And you do that by love.”
What better way is there to deal with enemies? A reporter was interviewing a man on his 100th birthday. “What are you most proud of?” he asked. “Well,” said the man, “I don’t have an enemy in the world.” “What a beautiful thought! How inspirational,” said the reporter. “Yep,” said the old man, “I outlived every last one of them.” That would be good, if we could live that long.
What about a young person’s point of view? A little girl wrote to her pastor: “Dear Pastor, I heard you say to love our enemies. I am only six and do not have any yet. I hope to have some when I am seven. Love, Jennifer.” She may not realize yet just how difficult life can be when there are enemies.
Another story has to do with a feisty old frontiersman. He was a Rooster Cogburn type of guy who had fought several opponents and defeated every one. Now, on his death bed, he was asked by his minister: “Have you forgiven all your enemies?” “Don’t have any,” said the old man. “Remarkable,” said the minister. “But how did an old fighter like you go through life without having any enemies?” His reply: “I shot ‘em.” This method of dealing with enemies seems to only result in a tragic ending.
I’m reminded of an epitaph on a simple wooden grave marker at Boothill outside the famous frontier town of Tombstone, Arizona. It reads: “Here lies Lester Moore. Four slugs from a 44. No Les. No More.” But there is more to the story. It was in the late 1880s and Lester Moore worked as a Wells Fargo Station Agent. One day a man named Hank Dunstan arrived at the Wells Fargo station to pick up a package he was expecting. When Moore handed him a badly battered and mangled package, Dunstan became enraged over the condition of it and an argument ensued. The argument quickly became heated and both men reached for their guns. Moore was shot four times from Hank Dunstan’s gun. Before Moore died, he managed to fire off one shot of his own, hitting Dunstan in the chest and Dunstan died from his injury. One mangled package. Two dead men. Nothing good came of this.
We should want to know the best way to deal with enemies that has the best results. President Abraham Lincoln was challenged on the way that he dealt with the southern states just after the Civil War. President Lincoln wanted to do things that would restore the South and mend the wounds of this nation. Others wanted to punish them further. They asked: “Why do you want to do good to them? You should destroy our enemies!” President Lincoln responded: “Am I not destroying my enemies when I make them my friends?” What can you actively do to help bring about an opportunity for renewal that can restore a relationship? When there are enemies, is there a way that they can be our friends? That is the way Jesus is training his disciples to think.
Still there are problems, mainly because people do not understand Jesus’ teaching to think and act and love like he does. We should always try to do the right thing. However, enemies can even be made because we try to do the right thing. We need to remember that there is a true distinction between good and evil. The two do not like each other. There is no compatibility between them. There is a constant battle going on between the two. Evil does not like to see anything good happen. And good should not allow evil to have its way. Is there ever a time to become angry? The answer is yes.
I’ve heard the story of a pastor who was concerned about some disreputable businesses that had opened near a school. His protests lead to a court case, and there the defense attorney did all he could to defuse the pastor and to make him feel out of place. “Are you not a pastor?” the lawyer asked. “And doesn’t the word pastor mean ‘shepherd?” To this definition the minister agreed. “Well, if you are a shepherd, why aren’t you out taking care of the sheep?” “Because today,” said the pastor, “I’m fighting wolves!” When we turn the other cheek, as Jesus taught, it does not mean that we turn our back on what we should stand toe to toe against! When we see injustice, wrongdoing, abuse and various other crimes against humanity; the wrong thing to do would be to stand idly by. In circumstances like these, it is a right thing to do to get angry and fight. There will always be certain battles to fight.
At the same time, we should positively look at the ways things could be different. We should always look for the best response that will bring about the best result. We should always look to see how love, prayer, and active good will toward others are better than hatred and wrongdoing. Here are a few more quotes from Rev. King that illustrate the human ordeal we find ourselves in between love and hate. He says: “Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.” Again he says: “Mankind must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.” Once more he says: “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
Here I’ll tell one more little story. There was a man who was informed by his doctor that he had rabies. The man had waited so long to go to the doctor that nothing could be done about his condition. After telling the sad news, the doctor left. Later, he stopped back to check on the patient who was writing something on a piece of paper. “Are you writing a will?” the doctor asked. “No,” said the man. “I’m making a list of all the people I’m going to bite!”
We hear all the time of people who have enemies and then respond with revenge, aggression, and retaliation. Isn’t it wonderful to hear the Good News today with the teachings of how to respond to our enemies through love and forgiveness? Love and forgiveness is the real antidote that we need. Jesus says to us; “love your enemies.” It is a radical teaching that has the potential to produce radical results. It has the potential and the promise to bless and transform lives, and to make the world a better place. To be lifted up out of our prejudices, anger, mistrust, jealousy, hostility, envy, competition and adversity of any kind is to be released, restored, resurrected! And it is God who does it! God gives us new life!
Our life and our life decisions and directions come down to whether we trust God’s law of love for our lives. It is the law of love and forgiveness that has the power to make brothers out of enemies! It is the power of renewal and resurrection that we hear proclaimed in Revelation when we hear our Lord say: “See, I am making all things new!” (Rev. 21:5) We see this Good News happening, or about to happen, in our enemies, our friends, our families, our schools, our workplaces, our churches, everywhere love is. Love is the hope of the world. Love gives us the opportunity for renewal. Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.
Prayer:
Gracious and loving God; you have walked with us and beside us, and in our most difficult times you have carried us. Grant us, we pray, a greater measure of faith, that we may follow your guidance in our daily living. Forgive us when we have hated our enemies instead of seeking opportunities for renewal. Give us the courage and love to break the cycles of revenge and selfishness. Although the decisions may be difficult, may we trust you to guide us. In Jesus, name we pray. Amen.
