![]() Jesus’s example of fighting wrongdoing with kindness is a countercultural take on dealing with hardship, but it works. Sin likes to grow, escalate, take hold of one’s mind. Sin is not content to be relegated to the small things. There’s no advantage to sharing in the hate of one’s enemy because the conflict inevitably escalates and then your enemy has successfully dragged you into the mud. He wants to redeem the villain so that we may all share in the hero’s glory. But God does not want to punish us for our sins. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.” (Matthew 5:43-45) Contrary to many stories or movies we get from modern entertainment, God is the hero and when we sin, we make ourselves the villain. “God became man that man might become God,” in the sense that by following the example of Jesus Christ, we will participate in God’s life.Įven before Jesus’s crucifixion, we read in the Sermon on the Mount a similar sentiment. Stephen said, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (Acts 7:60) And we of course remember the words of Our Lord on the cross, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) As Father Craig pointed out, the mission of a Christian is to attain eternal salvation, and to do that we must imitate Christ. Stephen and even the Crucifixion of Jesus. We’ve seen this type of behavior in the Bible a few times, namely at the execution of St. Josh Raymond welcomed Father Craig DeYoung back to The Inner Life to discuss praying for and loving your enemies. In this case, how do we deal with this person? Do we pray for their downfall or rejoice when they suffer misfortune? Or do we pray for them, forgive them, and hope that they make better decisions? However, we might be in a situation where our “enemies” are unavoidable like at school or work. It’s easier to just associate with friends and family than it is to face adversity on a consistent basis. Most of us live regular daily lives and avoid dealing with people who we don’t like or who cause us problems. ![]() In all likelihood, none of us have an archnemesis or a main enemy. ![]() Did Jesus Need a Mulligan? February 17, 2023.New Age & Penn Badgley in “You” February 17, 2023. ![]()
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