As we resume our discussion about what it means to own our faith, we return to Jesus’ Sermon on Ownership, aka The Sermon on the Mount. It is classic on Christians owning their faith.
At the end of Matthew’s first chapter, in his three chapter set, Jesus makes it clear that ownership digs deep into the true nature of God. This quality, that of loving your enemies, is where Jesus indicates we are approaching Godlikeness. If we are going to be owners of our faith, and not merely end users, we will have to take a step that goes beyond normal human tendency. We will have to love our enemies.
Loving our enemies, doesn’t mean that we like being mistreated, it means that we are willing to show God’s grace to those who do not deserve it. It means behaving gracious toward them.
““You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
“And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?”
“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
(Matthew 5:43-46, 48 NKJV)
Jesus puts this on the dashboard of our faith as a sign that we belong to Him. Jesus indicates that Owners do this.
If you want to evaluate your ownership of your faith, examine how you treat those who are your personal enemies.
Love them.
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