1. Hating enemies was normal

We are reading the Gospels according to our education program of the Bible. Jesus gave to the audience, including his disciples, the Sermon on the Mont on lakeside of the Sea of Galilee. Matthew described the scene in Chapters 5-7. The verse 5:44 should be the most one of all concerning verses. The expression, ‘ Love your enemies,’ is also very well known in the Gospels.

Jesus said ; - “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:43-44)

‘Love your neighbor,’ is based on Leviticus 19:18 ; - “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”

And, though we cannot find ‘hate your enemy’ exactly in any passages of the Bible, the thinking was normal for the Jewish people of the era. They were suspicious of those who were different, ethnically or religiously. Because, in ancient times, many tribes lived inside a small region. And severe conflicts occurred easily among them. They thought that the members of the same tribe were neighbors and the others were enemies. They constructed cities surrounded with high ramparts which should protect inhabitants and their assets. When enemies came to attack a city, the citizens closed the gates to block invasions. Only inhabitants of the same the city could be considered to be neighbors. Thereby loving enemies signified putting their own life in danger. Nonetheless, despite that general perception, Jesus’ saying meant ‘Love those who are outside the ramparts, even hostile gentiles, as friends.’

Hatred against enemies and fondness for relatives and friends are humans’ normal feelings. These Jesus’ words implies the fact ; - If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? (Matthew 5: 46:47)

In our daily life, we behave in similar way. We naturally love our family, friends and colleagues whereas we are very often disinterested in strangers to our communities. We have the tendency to ignore lives of unknown persons, besides we sometimes take them as enemies.

But, regardless of that human nature, Jesus meant: ‘ You became my disciples by following me. If you do what anybody does, it is not enough to be faithful to my teaching only. Even tax collectors or gentiles do likewise toward their relatives and friends. You should prove faith in me with a different attitude from them.’ More exactly, ; - Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.(Matthew 5:44-45) And ; - Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.(Matthew 5:48)

However, in the real world loving enemies has been a very risky act. Therefore numerous persons, including Christians, think that Jesus words are too idealistic and not feasible. And they would say that violent reaction could be justified to defend ourselves or to protect our loved ones from aggressors. Besides, they might think the world would be dominated by the evil if we don’t take adequate revenge. They might think that physical forces were necessary to maintain the social order in righteousness and to fight against the evil.

The argument is always largely and generally accepted throughout the history. So much so, there is no country without military forces. And there is no army without weapon which are made to kill enemies. With them we take counter-attacks against aggressions or assaults of fogrein countries. Humans always thought and think that only in such a vindictive way we can preserve the peace. Therefore ‘ An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,’ is one of basic principles of human behavior from the beginning of the history.

Thus humans are fighting unceasingly against each other. That attitude continues to generates social and international problems. For example, one of hard issues of the Japanese government is the transfer of American base camp from Hutenma in Okinawa. And almost all arguments of Japanese policy makers are based on the viewpoint that we needs American military forces inside Japan to protect us. But I think that they should discuss at first about the necessity of American armies in Japan.

2. Now, Love enemies

Jesus compels us to ultimately reject the traditional friends-or-enemies concept. In the passage just before today’s lecturing portion, he said , ; - ” You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.(Matthew 5:38-39)

Majority of humans cannot accept the teaching of Jesus. Karl Marx, for example, thought that religion is the opiate of the people, or the masses.’ * He considered the Sermon on the Mount to be a stupid teaching, suitable only for the weak. Righteousness in Marx’s thinking is to react reciprocally to what the evil did. And his theory was that an ideal society should be founded on that notion of righteousness. Then V. Lenin and J. Stalin tried to establish a perfect governing system in accordance with Marx’s philosophy. But, in reality, the result was catastrophic.
Communism or socialism of such thinking had made up a monstrous society ruled under totalitarian oppessive dominance.

Why? Because, as long as we react to aggressions in vindictive way, we distinguish all humans between friends to love and enemies to hate. And we are suspicious of others’ conduct then try to defeat or eliminate presumed enemies. Such a closed mind won’t allow us to be in peace spiritually. Therefore I think that a peace which relies on military forces cannot be sustainable in long future. It must be fragile. Because military power balance cannot be stable eternally, the fact which the Bible teaches us. Now, we as christians must reflect on Jesus’ pacifist teaching. Doesn’t it seem too idealistic ? Is it really feasible?

Anyway, Jesus told, ‘If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other too.’ Because it was the only way to end wars and conflicts definitely.

Paul said too; - Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.(Romans 12:19-21) He tried to practice faithfully Jesus’ teaching that way.

*1 Opium of the people http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_of_the_people
V.Lenin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenin
J.Stalin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Stalin

3. Peace comes from love for enemies

Today’s invocation verses are Ephesians 2:14-16 ; - For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.

Paul said that the Cross of Christ destroyed all hostility and conflicts. However, as long as we consider enemies always to be enemies, rivalry remains in human mind. Only by believing in Christ, we can delete the walls of antagonism. Jesus Christ died not only for us but also for our enemies. He prayed even for those who killed him ; - Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. (Luke 23:34)

His disciples began preaching after meeting resurrected Jesus. And their ministry put them at the risk of merciless persecutions. Indeed, Stephen, one of them, was killed by oppressors. Nonetheless, while they were stoning him, he cried out “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (see Acts 7:59-60)

Stephen prayed a similar intercessory prayer as Jesus did. Afterwards, believers of Jesus continued preaching without taking revenges on Roman ruling power which had started persecuting Christians.(*1)

After all, Christianity was tolerated in 313 CE. in Roman Empire with the Edict of Milan. It was 300 years after the death of Jesus. Furthermore, it was declared to be the only legitimate imperial religion in 380 CE. by Theodosius I, the emperor of the time. (*2)

The historical facts tell us that pacifists overcame cruel persecutors. Thus Paul’s words came true in human history.
Martin Luther King Jr. also taught the audience, ‘ Love your enemies ‘ in his speach ‘Strength to Love (1963)’ chapter 4. (*3)

King, Jr. was then a pastor in Ebenezer Baptist Church and has been arrested and imprisoned several times as a leader of the African-American civil rights movement. (*3) The speech was given under very harsh circumstances. Racists against African-Americans thrown explosives into the church and lynched black children. Nonetheless, King, Jr. said :
–Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction. So when Jesus says, “Love your enemies,” he is setting forth a profound and ultimately inescapable admonition. … The chain reaction of evil — hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars — must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation. – (*3)

He believed that love would change enemies into friends. He trusted in avenge by God, instead of taking revenge on aggressors. Despite segregation and hostility, King Jr. compelled his fellows to love those racists because Jesus died for them too.

Humans’ love is love for their friends and they hate enemies. But King, Jr. tried to persuade all Americans to love with Agape, or selfless love, by abandoning human feelings. He was sure that God lead human history and we could become children of the farther in heaven only through such a faith.

Power of King’s words changed US citizens’ mind. Even though he was killed by an assassin in 1968, USA made the 15 the January, the birthday of M.L.King, Jr., a National holiday.

To be honest, it is very difficult for us to love enemies. Humans’ behavior is strongly influenced by personal feelings which we can never control perfectly. However our determined willingness might allow us to love with love of God, or Agape. Because even if we cannot be fond of enemies we, at least, we must arrive to pray for them.

We must make efforts to pray for those who talk behind our back, or hate and blame us. Of course, at the beginning, it might be certain artificial performances. However, as we continue, we should feel that those superficial acts change into prayers from the heart. Because we cannot hate someone at the same time of praying for him or her. We must keep in our mind that we cannot expect forgiveness of God while we refuse to forgive neighbors.

And, when a void prayer turns into an authentic one, we become children of God. The verse “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.(Matthew 5:48)” doesn’t meant to be completely faultless. Luke expresses the same instruction this way ; - Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.(Luke 6:36)

Jesus tells us to love others because we are loved by merciful God. Jesus won’t ask us to perform impossible or infeasible acts. Stephen could pray the similar prayer to Jesus’. M.L.King, Jr. also could do so. Though we are not as faithful as them, we can still make efforts because we also believe in Jesus like them.

Paul said ; - Knowledge (¦Ã¦Íῶ¦Ò¦Éς {gno’-sis} in Greek ) puffs up, but love (ἀ¦Ãά¦Ð¦Ç {ag-ah’-pay}) builds up.(1 Corinthians 8:1)

‘A¦Ãά¦Ð¦Ç{ag-ah’-pay}, ‘ or brotherly love builds up because it won’t take faults of others in account. When we stand up on the faith in the Cross and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we should be led to the goal of brotherly love.

*1 Roman Empire and Christianity http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki Religion_in_ancient_Rome#Empire_and_Christianity
*2 Edict of Milan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edict_of_Milan
Nicene Christianity http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodosius_I#Nicene_Christianity_becomes_the_state_religion
*3/*4 Strength to Love http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.#Strength_to_Love_.281963.29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.,_National_Historic_Site