Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“‘But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”
NL Daily Devotion for Tuesday, February 2, 2021
by Daniel D. Maurer, Clergy Stuff
Love for enemies is not something that human beings do naturally. Most world religions have enshrined some form of what we know as the “Golden Rule.” You know it: love your neighbor as yourself.
Neighbors can sometimes be a pain, but they’re rarely your “enemy.”
Without getting too political, you’ll come to understand the highly divisive context Americans are living in the United States. Our Australian, Canadian, and UK brothers and sisters all have their own political fights. But who ever thought that a large generally-stable democracy like the United States would have experienced what we did in January of 2021? Not me! I mean, things were rough, but a potential insurrection?! Just crazy.
The reason I bring this up, is that if humanity is going to ever have the possibility of moving forward with the nearly insurmountable problems we’re going through, it means that Jesus’ words were never so relevant as they are today.
Love . . . enemies? I can’t do this. Well, without God’s help.
Jesus, it’s not easy to love people I highly dislike, or even those who would like to harm me. Change my perceptions, help me take a risk to love my enemies. Amen.
