Everybody, Always

Jesus was talking to His friends one day and explained how He
wanted us to live our lives. He pulled His friends in close and said
something I bet surprised them. He didn’t say they needed to use bigger
words in their prayers, or go to church more, or not chew tobacco or
dance. It wasn’t behaviors He talked about. He said if we wanted to
please God, we needed to love our enemies.
I’ve already told you how I’ve found it’s a lot easier to agree with
Jesus than to do what He says. The command to love our enemies is a
good example. The truth is, I don’t want to love mine. My enemies are
creepy. They’re mean and uncaring. They’re selfish and full of pride.
Some try to hurt little kids.
Jesus didn’t come to make us look like we’ve got it together. He came
to let us know how to be like Him. I’m all for that, but does loving my
enemies include guys like Kabi? I don’t think so.
But here is where I’m stopped dead in my tracks. On the day Jesus
died on the cross, He was broken for us—not unlike the judge’s pen. It
was like God was saying, “What’s been done today will never be
undone.”
Paul was one of the people who talked about Jesus. He explained
grace in this way: He said neither death nor life, neither angels nor
demons, neither present nor future, nor any powers, neither height nor
depth, nor anything else in all creation could ever separate us from the
love of God.
What he was saying is the horrible things we’ve done won’t separate
us from God. They won’t separate you and they won’t separate me and
they won’t separate Kabi either. Honestly, it’s hard for me to believe this.
It may be hard for you too.
Jesus explained the reason He wanted us to love our enemies was so
we could be perfect, the way His Father in heaven is perfect. Perfect? Ha!
Most of us have spent our whole lives just trying to be nice some of the
time, not cutting in line and only calling people names under our breath.
Sure, we could give someone a small break by saying something generous