Jesus’ teaching often flew in the face of common thinking. He never fit the mould of the times. He forced the leaders to think outside of the box. This is one clear example of that.
Everyone agrees that we should love our family, our neighbours, and our God. That is easy enough and no one would question that. No controversy there.
It is Jesus’ expansion of that teaching that flies in the face of convention.
- Love your enemies
- Bless them that curse you
- Do good to those who hate you
- Pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you
This is the kind of teaching that really pushes the limits of our faith – to pray for those who are out to destroy us? I recently read a book that challenged me on this point. Here is the test – can we pray for people like Al-Qaeda? Can we pray for the terrorists who carry suicide bombings on innocent people? Think about it – most of these folks are seeking to make God happy in their own way. They really think that their actions will please God. Who needs our love and prayers more than them?
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