Dave spoke this morning about the way of love and how this looks so different to the world’s way of retaliation and revenge. Martin Luther King once had his house burned down. His followers were understandably angry and wanted to do a similar thing to other people’s houses, but were persuaded by him of the better way of love. Jesus (see Luke 6:27-38) reminded His followers that the natural rule (an eye for an eye etc.) leaves a blind and toothless nation. The way of revenge and retaliation simply leads to more hostility. The way of Jesus is the way of love and doing good – even to our enemies.
We may wonder how we can love in this way, when everything inside us is perhaps crying out to hate. We have to make the choice to love; it is a conscious decision we must make that no matter what, we will choose to love. This is what makes a marriage work; it’s what makes every relationship work. We can only really do this as we dwell in God’s love, reflecting His nature as we bless and give the way God blesses and gives. This will inevitably affect us and all around us, and is the only way others will see the love of God for themselves.
