NO BIBLE NO BREAKFAST DAILY BIBLE REFLECTIONS AND MORE

REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is friendly foe. Friendly means to be kind and pleasant. A foe is an enemy or opponent. To be a friendly foes mean to remain kind to your enemy regardless of your differences. Jesus said to his disciples “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven...” (Matthew 5:43-45). In other words, be a friendly foe to those who hate you.

This is one of the toughest teaching of Christ because according to our worldly standards and human inclinations, it is a given that you are always prepared for war against your enemies and if possible you must join force with allies to fight a common enemy. Regardless of our human standards,Jesus draws our attention to an important fact that a person is your enemy because he or she hates you and seeks your downfall but should we Christians or believers also express similar sentiment towards our enemies? Will God be pleased with us if we hate and seek the downfall of those who hate us? Jesus is simply teaching us to be different from the standards of this world. In other words, we must stand out because we have been set apart as disciples and children of God. How can our enemies know that we are children of God and how can we be their light? The only way is you “…must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48). We can only achieve perfection if we follow the perfect example of Jesus Christ’s unconditional love for all including His enemies. We can achieve perfection by desiring to be like Him through speech and action. We cannot be friendly foes through our own efforts, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”(Matthew 19:25). It for this reason, Paul says “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phillipians 4:13).

We must be friendly foes because the person you may consider as your enemy is also God’s creation and deserves God’s providence. Sometimes out of anger we prayer against our enemies’ prosperity and call for their downfall and disgrace. However, God acts differently, He makes us are aware that “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9) while we may hate our enemies and wish them evil for the harm they sought cause us or have done to us “… he (God) makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45). In other words, a person may be your enemy but we must love Him because he or she shares in our common humanity and has also been created in the image and likeness of God. It takes unconditional love to be a friendly foe. Jesus loved all regardless of the fact that some hated him and crucified him but while He was in agony on the cross He interceded on their behalf by saying “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34). Dear friend, being a Christian or a disciple of God is a call to live an extraordinary life which is pleasing to God. A call to do only God’s will and not ours. This is the only way we can be perfect and earn the enviable identity as the children of God and heirs to the kingdom of God. Shalom.

PRAYER

Dear Lord, it is sometimes difficult to be a friendly foe but in all things may the Holy Spirit strengthen us to do Your will and not ours. May we live our lives to please You only so that we will remain Your beloved children who are perfect and worthy of Your Kingdom. Amen