Ben Fourie
But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:44, GNT
What Jesus said here goes against the grain, especially if we look at the meaning of the word ‘enemy’. My old Penguin dictionary defines an enemy as one who shows hatred and hostility, a foe, opponent, antagonist or a nation at war with another. The internet gives many words and phrases. I selected the following two: something that harms something else and one seeking to injure, overthrow or confound another.
To love and even pray for someone or a group of people who fit the above definitions, may seem a bit too much, but this is what Jesus wants from us.
We should not view this command in isolation, but instead put it in context with the Sermon on the Mount in its entirety, as recorded in Matthew 5. In this sermon, Jesus turns the heads of many believers of his time. He calls those who know they are spiritually poor and those who mourn, happy people. The commandment about murder, Jesus said, is also valid when you are just angry with someone else. About adultery and the taking of an oath, he went right against the views of the time.
When he said, "love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you," it is part of this new way of looking at faith and love. When I sometimes read in a newspaper about someone who completely forgave and even pray for the murderer of a loved one, I find it very difficult to comprehend.
It is only when I remember that God has completely forgiven me, the one who is responsible for the death of his Son on the cross, that I understand a bit of this forgiveness. How, then, can I not love my enemy and pray for him?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I want to confess that loving my enemy is sometimes very difficult to do. Please help me to truly love even those who sometimes make life unbearable for me. Amen
Ben Fourie
Maar Ek sê vir julle: Julle moet julle vyande liefhê en bid vir hulle wat julle vervolg. Matteus 5:44, 2020-vertaling
Die opdrag wat Jesus hier vir ons gee gaan absoluut teen die grein in, veral as 'n mens gaan kyk na wat die woord vyand beteken. My woordeboek gee die volgende verklaring: 'n vyand is iemand wat 'n persoon uit haat probeer benadeel; troepe van 'n staat teen wie 'n mens oorlog maak; iemand wat jou kwaadgesind is. Op die internet kry ek ook nog dat dit 'n persoon of groep is wat jy nie vertrou nie, van wie jy niks hou nie en wat jou probeer skade aandoen. Dat ons so iemand of groep moet liefhê, en selfs vir hulle moet bid, klink egter soos die ou spreekwoord sê, 'n bietjie dik vir 'n daalder. Tog is dit wat hier staan.
Hierdie opdrag kan nie in isolasie gesien word nie, maar moet gesien word in die konteks van die hele bergrede soos opgeteken in Matteus 5. Jesus draai met talle uitsprake die siening van sy tyd totaal op sy kop. Hy praat van armes van gees en treurendes wat gelukkig genoem kan word, sê dat die gebod oor moord nie net die neem van 'n lewe is nie, maar ook wanneer jy kwaadgesind is teenoor 'n ander pleeg jy 'n vorm van moord. Oor egbreuk en die neem van 'n eed verskil Jesus ook regstreeks van die gangbare opvatting.
Die opdrag oor liefde vir die vyand is dan deel van hierdie nuwe manier van kyk na hoe ons dink oor geloof en liefde. As ek in die koerant lees van iemand wat die moordenaar van 'n geliefde volkome vergewe het, vind ek dit eerlikwaar soms moeilik om te verstaan.
Dit is eers wanneer ek weer eens besef dat God ons, wat die oorsaak was van sy Seun se dood aan die kruis, volkome liefhet en volkome vergewe, dat ek iets daarvan verstaan. Hoe kan ek dan anders as om ook lief te hê, al is dit ook die vyand.
Gebed: Here Jesus, ek moet maar ruiterlik erken dat u opdrag om selfs die vyand lief te hê, soms vir my bitter swaar is. Help my om werklik so lief te hê dat ek selfs die wat die lewe vir my moeilik maak, kan liefhê. Amen
Ben Fourie
Now Timothy has come back, and he has brought us the welcome news about your faith and love. 1 Thessalonians 3:6a, GNT
In days gone by, most families lived close together, often in the same town, but these days it is rather the exception than the rule. Things like a job, a perception that I will live better elsewhere and many other considerations take us away from each other, even to distant countries. My wife and I were also separated from our closest family when my daughter and our grandchildren moved to a city far from us.
After retirement, we decided to move house to be close to them again. I still remember how we, during those days of separation, couldn’t wait every day for the video call to see the grandchildren’s little faces. Our first question invariably was – ‘How are you?’ How happy we were when everything was well with them, and how worried and sad we were when they did not feel well.
In Paul’s time, news travelled very slowly and it could take a long time to reach you. Therefore, Paul sent Timothy to the church in Thessalonica to ask them – ‘How are you?’ When the answer eventually reached him, he was filled with thankfulness and joy. Listen to what he said in 1 Thessalonians 3:9: “Now we can give thanks to our God for you. We thank him for the joy we have in his presence because of you.”
This joy was all about two words – words that belong together – faith and love. Without faith in God, we can never truly understand what real love is all about, and without love for God and those around us, faith is impossible. It works like a fountain. Faith is the force behind the love that is bubbling up from the fountain. Without the force of faith, love will not be able to bubble up, but even the strongest force is worthless if there is no love to push forward. Faith without love is dead.
May I ask, “How are you today?”
Prayer: Dear Father, thank you for caring about me every day. Please make me someone who will also care about my fellow man. Amen
Ben Fourie
Maar vandat Timoteus van julle af by ons aangekom het en die goeie nuus van julle geloof en liefde aan ons oorgedra het … 1 Thessalonisense 3:6a, 2020-vertaling
Families woon nie noodwendig soos jare gelede naby mekaar nie. Werksomstandighede en ander faktore maak dat ons dikwels ver uit mekaar woon, selfs in verskillende lande. Ons kommunikeer wel deur middel van sosiale media en kan mekaar oor baie groot afstande bereik.
Ek en my vrou was vir 'n jaar lank in dié posisie nadat ons dogter en kleinkinders verhuis het. Gelukkig is ons nou weer binne stapafstand van hulle af, maar ek onthou hoe ons nie kon wag om die gesiggies van die kleinkinders op die selfoonskermpie te sien nie. Ons heel eerste vraag was gewoonlik – hoe gaan dit met julle? Dan het ons dit geniet om te hoor wanneer dit goed gaan, maar was hartseer en bekommerd wanneer dit die dag nie goed gegaan het nie.
In Paulus se tyd was nuus dikwels maar skaars en het lank gevat om by jou uit te kom. Daarom stuur Paulus vir Timoteus na Thessalonika om vir die gemeente te vra – hoe gaan dit met julle? Wanneer die antwoord hom bereik is hy dankbaar en vol blydskap. Luister wat sê hy in 1 Thessalonisense 3:9 (1983-vertaling): “Hoe kan ons na behore aan ons God die dank bring vir al die blydskap wat ons voor Hom oor julle het?”
Hierdie blydskap gaan hoofsaaklik oor twee woorde, woorde wat onlosmaaklik by mekaar hoort – geloof en liefde. Sonder geloof in God kan ons nooit werklik weet wat liefde is nie en sonder liefde vir God en die mense rondom ons kan geloof nie bestaan nie. Dit is soos 'n fontein. Geloof is die stukrag agter die water van liefde wat uit die fontein opborrel. Sonder die krag van die geloof sal die liefde nooit sterk genoeg wees om op te borrel nie. Maar aan die ander kant sal selfs die grootste druk onder die aarde niks baat as daar nie water is om bo uit te stoot nie. Geloof sonder liefde is dooie geloof.
Mag ek maar vandag vir jou vra – hoe gaan dit met jou?
Gebed: Liefdevolle Vader, baie dankie dat U elke dag besorg is oor hoe dit met my gaan. Maak my asseblief ook iemand wat elke dag besorg is oor hoe dit met my medemense gaan. Amen