Love Your Enemies

“But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you...Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:27-28, 37
A young woman sat quietly in the back of the church, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her pastor had just read these words from Luke and then he said this...
"These commands don’t feel like good news. They feel impossible. And the truth is, we can’t live up to this standard. Don’t be mistaken, Jesus isn’t laying out a twelve-step program for self-improvement. These words, as hard as they are, aren’t designed to build a better “you.” Instead, they show us our desperate need for grace."
The need for grace. This is something that is truly hard for the residents at New Beginnings to wrap their heads around when they first come to our home. They have been homeless, living in poverty, scared, desperate, and many of them physically and or sexually assaulted by a family member or boyfriend. And let's not forget, they are also caring for a baby, or they are pregnant. These women do not feel that they deserve grace, and they most definitely struggle with giving it. The young woman in the back of church, no exception. The pastor continued on...
"Jesus says, “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” But we’re far from perfect. We don’t love the way God loves us. We love ourselves more than we love others. When we’re hurt, we want payback instead of forgiveness. We curse those who curse us and avoid praying for those who mistreat us. Jesus’ words reveal our brokenness, showing us that we fall short of God’s perfect love."
Wanting pay back, cursing those who curse them, and avoiding praying for those who mistreat them is a real struggle for these women. How can one pray for the boyfriend who repeatedly raped her and for those who claimed it wasn't rape because they were dating? How can another not curse those who victim shame or blame her? How are they the ones carrying the Scarlet A on their chest when everyone knows it takes two to make a baby? Most of all, they blame and hate themselves for the predicament they are in, understanding that the choices they have made in the past are the reason they have an uncertain future. The shame, embarrassment, and abandonment that they feel is palpable. Again, the pastor continued...
"And that’s exactly why Jesus came. He doesn’t give us these instructions because we can follow them. He gives them to us because we can’t—and we need him. Jesus lived out the love he calls us to. He loved us first, even when we were his enemies. While we hate, he loved. While we hold grudges, he forgave. And while we curse those who wrong us, he suffered our curse on the cross. The cross is the most powerful proof of God’s love."
This is the message we share with our moms every day. Jesus loved us first. He forgave his enemies. He died for his enemies and for those who are considered by others to be "undesirable". He died for these moms and their babies. It is such a privilege to be able to share God's word with them, and almost every day we talk about forgiving and giving undeserved love. I don't expect these mothers to "get over it" or "forget it", the minute they walk through our doors. In order for our mothers to be successful in life, they absolutely need time to break unhealthy mindsets and cycles...and that can take several years. That is why they are able to stay at New Beginnings for up to 5 years.
"Jesus did the impossible for us. He loved us perfectly. And then he paid the penalty for every moment we’ve failed to love. Through his death, we are free from the burden of our broken love. We are forgiven, fully pardoned, and part of God’s family. And by his resurrection, we have the power to live a new life. No longer trapped by hatred or resentment but free to love like Jesus."
And what about the young woman weeping in the back of church? The words that this Pastor spoke, touched her soul. The Holy Spirit filled her with his peace and for the first time in several years she felt free from the burden of her broken love. The chains of bitterness, anger, and self-hatred were broken. She was free to love like Jesus.

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