“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.”
No. I mean maybe I don’t have to be mean, seek revenge or plan to get even but doing something nice, that doesn’t even sound reasonable. Yet here it is. Paul tells us the same thing in Romans. Our fallen nature seeks revenge. Paul and Solomon strongly counter that attitude with compassion. Our redeemed nature seeks reconciliation and peace. To respond in kind with an enemy escalates the tension. Compassion either resolves it or at least doesn’t feed into it. Jesus goes so far as to tell us that this behavior shows we are children of our Heavenly Father. That’s right, we reflect the God who forgave, loves and redeemed us. In much the same way that while we were once enemies of God He continued to see that our needs were met we are to operate. There is an old Russian saying, “Bread and salt humble even a robber,”. In other words to break through an enemies hard and stubborn heart offer a kind response by meeting a real need in their story. I have some old “enemies” whose needs I need to check on. Today you may want to do the same. #BeTheEdge
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” Jesus
