Love for Enemies

Today’s gospel passage is part of the Sermon on the Mount. Moses got the Law by spending 40 days and nights on Mount Sinai. God gave him the 10 commandments for the welfare of the Jewish community. Similarly, Jesus after his period of temptation of 40 days, was led by  Holy Spirit to start his mission. Jesus as new Moses, sat on the mountain and started his sermon. Moses Law quotes love your neighbor as you love yourself whereas Jesus’ sermon teaches us to extend our  love to our enemies and pray for them. So that we shall live a peace filled and harmonious life with our enemy. Let’s us reflect on “ Love your enemies and pray for them”.

First of all we should know who is our neighbor and who is our enemy. Every one besides us or belonging to our own community are not our actual neighbours and every one who focus or pointing out our faults and who keep on disturbing us in our routine are not our enemies. Through the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus clearly shows us that the one who shows mercy to those who are in need are called our through neighbours and they too receive mercy from God. At the time of our need and help, the one who is with us and help us to overcome the situation is our neighbor. The enemy is the one who helps us to reveal our strength and weakness in our life. They help us to grow speedily in all the situation.  In the early Christian community, Christians were persecutor by their fellow Jews (enemies) but  the community still Loved their fellow Jews and prayed for them. Thus Christianity spread speedily all over the world. When the community prayed for their persecutors, conversions like that of Saul took place, thus enriching the community by way of gaining a great theologian.

Yes, friend if you start praying for your persecutors, then you will see changes around you. Always be thankful for your enemies because of them you grow in faith and are ever leaning on God for his help. In King David’s life he was surrounded by enemies, but he never gave up his life and always prayed to God for them and God too freed him from his enemies and at the hour of death he had a peaceful death. Let us pray to the Holy Spirit to give us the grace to accept and pray for our enemies.