United Methodists often talk about the gift of Christian perfection (maturity, completeness). What we often forget is that the context for Jesus’ call to perfection is our Lord’s appeal for love of enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). That’s a pretty high standard for perfection!
The world so often seems divided into “us” and “them.” Jesus does not deny that such brokenness occurs. He speaks openly that we have enemies (v. 44), that there are unrighteous (v. 45), that there is evil (v. 44), that there is a tendency to love only our own (v. 46). Jesus lives in the real world!
The “violence” referenced in the title to this lesson is more than physical battle. There is emotional violence, forcing others to their lesser selves. There is mental violence, creating barriers to truth thinking. There is relational violence, stirring negative attitude toward another. There is spiritual violence, using our faith as a weapon. And, of course, there is indeed physical violence, power expressed in bullets and differences shown with a fist.
When Jesus says “to love your enemies,” he uses the word that gets translated into Greek as agape. That kind of love contrasts with brotherly love and erotic love. Agape is undeserved caring, undeserved patience, undeserved compassion. Such love indeed “builds a fence” around physical, emotional, mental, relational, and spiritual violence.
I checked the small print. Nowhere does Jesus say that this will be easy. I checked the small print again. Nowhere does Jesus say that we should not even try just because it is difficult to love with agape.
In Matthew 5:9, Jesus refers to “peacemakers.” That term implies that the call is to something more than just being peaceful; it is an invitation to take the initiative in doing the things that make for peace. It is the challenge of doing something, saying something. It is an “action word.”
Where are the places in my life where I need to be a peacemaker? Where are the places in my life that need agape?
What Someone Else Has Said: In The Christian Art of Dying (Eerdmans Publishing), Allen Verhey has written: “God’s love for the sinner is the basis and prototype for human love of the neighbor.”
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Loving God, teach me to love...”
