BUT HE HIT ME FIRST!
- Key Verse
- "You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike." (Matthew 5:43-45, NLT)
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Central Truth
Not murdering is a pretty easy command to follow but how about not getting angry with your brother or sister? Jesus gives us a fuller understanding of why God made the laws in the first place. We realize we need God's help to truly follow the commandments.
Reflections
I like watching Amazing Race. With the fierce competition, stress of travel, and being totally out of a comfort zone, you see how sometimes it is hard for someone to be loving to those they love, not to mention being loving to the competition (or enemy). So how do we follow the words of Christ?
In season 19, one of my favorite teams is Andy and Tommy. They often mention their faith in Christ. So far they have set a good example of what Jesus is telling us to do in these verses. In Episode 10, Tommy did the roadblock where he got to drive a Mustang through a test track course. Well, Andy really wanted to drive that Mustang at 120mph and do donuts. He said that he had jealousy in his heart about not getting to do the roadblock. He talked about how afterward he was short with Tommy at first but he repented for the sin in his heart and Christ forgave him. Where would that jealousy have taken him if he had not repented?
Jesus is not adding onto the commandments but getting to the root of why God made the commandments. Anger is the opposite of God's command to love. If you get to the root of a "bigger" sin, you find out what should not be in our lives. It is easy for me to say "I have never murdered anyone" but it is harder to say "I have never been angry without just cause." When we follow the commandments, we may feel righteous in ourselves but to take it to the next level, WE NEED GOD.
It is hard to pray that God blesses the co-worker that makes your life miserable or for the person that cut you off on the beltway. It can be hard to love someone that has hurt a family member. It is hard to turn the other cheek. Our first reaction is retaliation, and we justify with "But he hit me first!" It takes God to help us not keep score, but to LOVE and FORGIVE!
Discussion Questions
1. Is there someone in your life who is totally frustrating you or someone that makes your day miserable? This could be a co-worker, a student, a neighbor, a relative, or even a politician. PRAY for this person. Pray that God will help you to LOVE them like He loves them, and for you to see them through His eyes.2. Look back over the commandments that Jesus talks about in these verses. Think about the root of these sins. Is there anything in your life that could lead you down the path toward one of these sins? Take action to remove it.
3. Is there a relationship in your life that has been broken? Pray about your attitude and work to resolve the problem. Even if you feel that you were not wrong, pray that God helps your attitude to reflect His relationship with us.
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