I know in the states we often use the word trash in a somewhat different context, but I appreciated his remark and it stuck with me as we were talking later that week about loving our enemies. Jesus said that if we love those who love us we’re no better than the tax collectors (Matt 5:46). Most of my students haven’t heard of a tax collector, so they just stared back at me with blank faces. Because I don’t know the Korean word for tax collector, I decided to use Jason’s word as a substitute and said, “If we only love those who love us, we’re no better than trash.” They immediately made the connection, and started nodding their heads.
We started talking about what it means to love our enemies, to pray for those who abuse and misuse us and do all kinds of evil toward us. Jesus says we’re to bless them; not curse them. We’re to do good to them; not return evil for evil (Matt 5:44). The students and I know, without even having to say a word, that this kind of love is impossible apart from the grace and mercy of God. Our natural inclination is to get people back, put them in their place when they hurt us, demand retribution and make them suffer for any harm they’ve caused us. We often get revenge by passive and active aggression, which includes everything from ignoring the person to telling lies about them to destroy their reputation. Because it comes so naturally, it often feels good – at first. But after the dust settles, and the Spirit of God begins to work in our hearts, conviction sets in and we feel grieved. We lose the joy and peace of God and begin to live a fruitless, angry, bitter existence. Until we repent and walk in love, our lives lose their fragrance and vitality.
On the other hand, if we dare to believe God that loving and blessing our enemies is the way to grow in grace, honor him, advance his Kingdom and even, many times, win the hearts of those who despise us, then we’ll be amazed at what happens. We may not see the results for weeks or even years. In fact, initially, we’ll often feel like we’re the big loser since we’re giving up the right to fight back with anger. But as we step out in faith through each interaction taking thoughts of evil and revenge captive to the obedience of Christ and refusing, by his grace, to retaliate, we’ll experience an ever increasing joy and peace and even love for those who we have absolutely no human reason to love. We begin to see the miracle of God’s grace unfolding as he opens more doors for us to share this truth with others, to encourage them to love, and we’re given a new spiritual freedom beyond our understanding to live abundant lives for the glory of God.
Love never fails (1 Cor 13:12)! God always has and always will bless faith and obedience to his Word. He says in Psalm 23 that he “prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies.” He says also that he knows how to rescue the righteous from trials and from the wicked (2 Pet 2:9). It’s his job to avenge, not ours (Rom 12:19). It’s his great joy to lift up those who are oppressed and downtrodden, to anoint our heads with oil so that our cup of joy overflows. He’s our fortress, our deliverer, our refuge and our Lord. As he goes before us, he guarantees that “no weapon formed against us will prevail” and that he will fight our battles for us (Is 54:17, 2 Chr 20:17). We can relax and know that he means what he says, that as we pray for and bless our enemies and praise him for his faithfulness to his Word we’re already overcoming evil and taking part in the most incredible work on earth – being living vessels of his supernatural love. With this, our heart cry becomes, “May your Kingdom (of love and righteousness and peace) come. May your will be done.”
