Sermons:
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The Power of Love, Matthew 5:43-48
adapted from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's sermon "Loving Your Enemies"
by Rev. Frank Schaefer, editor
Certainly these are great words, but they are also difficult words. Over the
centuries, many people have argued that this is an extremely difficult command.
Many would say that it just isn’t possible to put this command into practice.
I believe Jesus realized that it’s hard to love your enemies. He realized that
it’s difficult to love those who seek to defeat you, those who say evil things
about you. He realized that it was painfully hard, pressingly hard. But he meant
those words.
We cannot dismiss this passage as an analogy—it’s not an exaggeration to get a
point across. The principle of loving your enemy is a basic tenant of our Lord’s
ministry. We would be well advised to take these words seriously and to actually
live by them. And as we do, we will discover that more powerful words have not
been spoken. These words are life-changing and if heeded, will give us peace and
joy even in the midst of strife!
1. The first question we need to answer is: How do we actually love our enemies?
We need to understand that there is an element of good in every person, even in
those who act like our enemy. So every time negative and hateful thoughts enter
your mind toward that person, remember that there is some good about that person
and look at the good in that person. For God created every one of his children
in God’s own image. Everybody is beautiful in the eyes of God.
2. Secondly, we need to realize that there is something within all of us that
causes us to cry out with Goethe, "There is enough stuff in me to make both a
gentleman and a rogue." There is something within each of us that causes us to
cry out with Apostle Paul, "I see and approve the better things of life, but the
evil things I do."
Even within the best of us, there is some evil, and within the worst of us,
there is some good. When we come to see this, we take a different attitude
toward individuals. The person who hates you most has some good in him or her.
When you come to the point that you look in the face of every person and see
deep down within him "the image of God," you begin to love them no matter what
they do, because you see God’s image in their heart. There is an element of
goodness that they can never cast off. Discover the element of good in your
enemy and you will find a new, positive attitude of love toward them. [continue]
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