September 11, 2001. If you are more than 23 or 24 years old you probably remember exactly where you were
when our country was attacked. We watched, shocked, as the Towers fell. We honored, in various ways across the nation, those first responders. We were in awe and humbled when we heard about the heroes on Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. At that time there was a great outporing of love and caring. many prayers were prayed. Right here in Sullivan, a special prayer meeting was called by the Ministerial Association and the church was filled almost to capacity. The Sunday after the attack churches across the land reported their largest attendances in years. But there was another emotion brewing at that time ... Hatred. We may have seen an increase in patriotism and an outpouring of support for our military and first responders but we also saw a rise in animosity towards those who don't look like us or hold the same views as us. It became acceptable to hate and, sadly, this hatred has spilled over into all areas of our culture. When I was younger the saying was," I may not agree with your but I will defend, to the death, your right to believe it." Now it seems the saying goes, "I do not agree with your and I will kill you." And, also sadly, I'm afraid this hatred has crept into the church. It is acceptable, almost encouraged, to hate those who may not agree with us, those who do not hold our political views, or those who dress differently. Those who have names that are different than what we are used to and even those who do not hold to the same moral values as we do are looked down upon, even hated, in many of our churches! We do not want to share the gospel of a loving Savior who looked upon the lowest in society He lived in and reached out to them. The woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, and Zaccheaus the tax collector were all hated by society but sought out by Jesus. Too many of us have bought the devil's lie that we should hate instead of love. Please do not misunderstand me: I am not saying that should compromise the truth of the Scripture to accommodate what others believe or how they want to live their lives. However, there is no room in Christianity for hatred. we should hate the sin in our own lives but we should not ever hate people. So, how should we treat our enemies? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say unto you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven." (Mt. 5:43-45a) While the world is telling us to hate those who wrong us, Jesus calls us to love them. We are even told to love those that do the unthinkable to us. Jesus' command feels impossible in light of the terrible tragedies in our lives. It's easier to hate those that are different from us or that have wronged us. However, followers of Jesus are called to look at the world through the eyes of eternity. In the end, our differences aren't what matters. Other humans aren't our enemies. In Ephesians, the apostle Paul writes: "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places: (Eph. 6:12). What matters most is that Jesus loves each person enough that He was willing to die for them. "But to your who are listening, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back." (Lk 6:26-30) Jesus loved those who hated Him -- even you and I. When we were "still sinners", and essentially a Jesus-hater, "Christ died for us". Those who are unbelievers, even those who hate Christians, need to know that they are truly loved by Jesus and by us because, "He first loved us" (1J. 4:19)
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