Should Little Red Riding Hood or the Three Little Pigs let the wolf back in the house again?
That is what forgiving people can feel like sometimes
But, now that we have established that it is incredibly easy to forgive people and draw boundaries, how do we handle the times where people can force their way back into our lives no matter what we do?
Keep Your Enemies Close, And Your Enemies Closer In Prayer
It is a really awful feeling when we constantly have to be on the look out for the malicious schemes and ill-intentions of others
This can feel unfair, especially when we have forgiven them, and have made every effort to not maintain a grudge
So what is the answer for situations like this–is it wrong to think of ways to fight them or should we turn the other cheek?
Jesus Rarely Backed Down From A Fight
The Bible shows that Jesus was an awesome speaker
He constantly squared off in theological, and philosophical conversations with his friends, family, religious and political leaders, as well as his apostles
The man knew how to think on his feet, when to hit, when to hit back, and knew just how hard
He called out the ignorant, the wicked, the well-intentioned loud-mouths, and he did it with unwavering consistency
Though despite his outspoken side, he also knew when things were out of his hands and, in these times, he did all he could do–he surrendered to God
Mark 10:19-22
You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’
“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth
Mark 7:17-19
After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean’? For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body.”
Matthew 16:21-23
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
Matthew 12:34
You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks
Matthew 26:59-64
The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.
Finally two came forward and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” But Jesus remained silent.
The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Luke 23:32-34
Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Matthew 5:43-48
“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, 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. 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? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect
It is amazing that Jesus instructed us to love all, pray for those who persecute us, and to be open and friendly with everyone around us–all listed as steps towards being “perfect”
God loves in such an amazing way and expects us to love others the same
In the scripture above, Jesus is telling us to love people even in the worst moments of their behavior, because God, being love itself, loved us even when we were at the height of our sin
Even though our sin hurts God, he still chose to have Jesus pay the price for us so that we may walk the same perfect love and righteous as Jesus did, trusting God with our lives
Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us
Awesome!
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