All of my life, I have been more challenged by the message in the following passage of the bible than any other. It’s a call to self-examination; it’s the utmost measure of how you can love someone who does not deserve your love and the quickest way to save the unsaved if you can live this standard Christian life. But the question is; can we stand up to this?
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:38-48)
Everyone who has worked in a typical corporate setting probably has a story about supervisors, who for reasons you cannot explain just don’t like your face and don’t hide it. I am talking about a supervisor who goes out of his way looking for evidence to catch you on the wrong side of policy with a view to ruining your career. No doubt, there were ugly incidences, as expected, in the course of one’s career, but nothing gets uglier than being in a drawn-out battle with your immediate supervisor without cause. How do you react in such situations? What kind of prayers do you pray?
Then, a day comes when you had to make a choice to save and protect that same Supervisor. As you struggle with what to do, you hear an inner voice urging you to repay evil with good and save that same ‘enemy’ of yours. In pains, you obey and then you break the man down completely! Then you feel good and more mature. Nothing makes more meaning than this!!!
