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PLEASE: If you are a current victim of abuse, find a safe place and talk to someone who can help you. This is more impor… (visit YouTube for more)
Transcript
Today we meditate on what I think might be one of the most difficult, even annoying, verses in the Bible. Jesus, why did you need to say this? It’s Luke, chapter 6, verse 28. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who abuse you.
Oh, Jesus, please don’t make me do this. I mean, this is upside down, isn’t it? This is completely the opposite to the way the world thinks. If somebody is oppressing us, abusing us, at the very least we want justice. And probably we want revenge too. But do we really have to pray for and bless these people who are being obnoxious in whatever way?
Now, Jesus isn’t saying there’s no punishment for abusers, but what he is saying to us Christians is that our attitude of heart needs to be radically shaped by love. This isn’t the same as saying to whoever this person is, you’re free to carry on treating me the way you’ve been treating me. This isn’t to say that we don’t get out of those circumstances.
But we pray for those people. Because all people have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Just like we have. And those people who, for whatever reason, are treating us badly, they also need Jesus. And we should pray for them to receive Jesus, to be transformed too, to become a brother or a sister in Christ.
Let’s be clear, this in no way justifies or permits abuse or persecution. It’s simply about our heart attitudes of love towards all.
Father God, please help us with this. It goes against the grain. It really wars with our sinful nature. Please help us to treat with kindness and love all who come into our lives, including those who don’t yet know you. Amen.
